Brandon Mills was confident his MMA debut would be a successful one, but the MMA gods had other plans.
Mills (0-1) is the son of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, and competed Saturday at Caged Aggression 36 in Davenport, Iowa. He lost a hard-fought and competitive unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-26) to Pura Vida BJJ’s Jordan Clark (3-1).
The bout served as the co-main event for an event involving Hughes’ former coach Pat Miletich, who returned at 55 to fight former UFC fighter Mike Jackson in a politically-charged matchup.
With a Hall of Fame corner that included Hughes and former Strikeforce champion “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal, Mills displayed strong grappling skills. However, Clark seemed to have an answer for much of what 21-year-old American Top Team prospect Mills threw at him.
Mills scored a takedown early, but Clark’s jiu-jitsu shined through – a theme throughout the fight, particularly in Round 1. Mills connected with a big spinning wheel kick to start Round 2, but Clark once again neutralized the attack with a quick clinch on the cage, a takedown, and an eventual back-take on the mat. Clark even mounted Mills at one point.
In Round 3, Mills one again resorted to his wrestling. For five minutes, Mills and Clark traded advantageous positions on the mat. Neither found themselves in any particular danger, though.
As the judges’ decision was read, both fighters seemed confident but visibly confused by the 30-26. After Clark was named the victor, the two fighters shook hands and showed much respect to one another.
Prior to his pro debut Saturday, Mills dominated on the amateur scene. He went 4-0 with three submissions, but struggled to find opponents. Mills told MMA Junkie his father never pushed him into fighting and didn’t really enjoy the decision, but was supportive and proud of him nonetheless.
