Phillip Miller

Phillip Miller (born February 20, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2000 to 2003, he fought in the UFC and various regional promotions, retiring undefeated with a record of 16–0. At the time of his retirement, he was ranked #6 in the world by Fight Matrix.^[1]

Miller was born on February 20, 1979, in Utah, and grew up in Hesperia, California.^[2] Both of his parents were schoolteachers, and his father served as the wrestling coach at Serrano High School, where Miller began wrestling competitively. Miller qualified for the California state wrestling championships as a junior and finished eighth in the state during his senior year.^[2]

After graduating high school, Miller attended Brigham Young University and wrestled there for one year. However, his collegiate wrestling career was cut short when his father was severely injured in a car accident, leaving him bedridden. Miller returned to California to assist with coaching his father's high school wrestling team.^[2]

During this time, Miller was introduced to mixed martial arts through his friendship with a young Joe Stevenson, who was already competing professionally. Stevenson invited Miller to train at Williams Combat Grappling, a gym run by UFC veteran and King of the Cage founder Tedd Williams. There, Miller trained alongside future MMA professionals Stevenson and Jason Lambert, eventually transitioning into professional mixed martial arts himself.^[2]

Miller made his professional debut in January 2000, defeating Ben Sablan in San Diego by forcing a submission due to strikes. Later that year, he competed in an International Fighting Championship tournament in Friant, California, headlined by Chuck Liddell. In his opening match, Miller earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over future Strikeforce champion and UFC veteran Jake Shields. He went on to submit Rick Kerns by armlock in the tournament finals.^[2]

Miller continued his undefeated run through regional promotions, including Gladiator Challenge, IFC, King of the Cage, and the World Vale Tudo Championship. He notably won a three-fight tournament in 2002 under the World Vale Tudo Championship promotion in Jamaica. During this period, Miller gained recognition for his wrestling-heavy style and dominant ground-and-pound tactics, as exemplified in his victory over Pride FC veteran Shungo Oyama, who sustained significant injuries during their bout.^[2]

Miller signed with the UFC in 2002. He debuted at UFC 38 in London, defeating James Zikic by unanimous decision. Miller returned at UFC 40 later that year, submitting British fighter Mark Weir via rear-naked choke in the second round.^[3]

Miller fought his last bout on March 28, 2003, at HOOKnSHOOT Absolute Fighting Championships 2, defeating Moacir Oliveira by unanimous decision and improving his professional record to 16–0. After witnessing the serious injuries he inflicted on opponents such as Oliveira and Oyama, and mindful of potential long-term damage to his own health, Miller chose to retire from MMA at age 24, citing personal concerns and contractual frustrations with the UFC. He remains one of the few fighters to retire from professional MMA undefeated.^[2]

After retiring from mixed martial arts, Miller began a career with the Los Angeles Police Department, becoming a patrol officer in the San Fernando Valley.^[2]