Underdog Miller stuns DWCS with rare Von Flue choke to seal UFC contract

Trent Miller (10-3) secured a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 2 on August 19, 2026, submitting Douglas Henrique Rodrigues with a Von Flue choke in the second round of their middleweight bout. It was only the second Von Flue choke finish in DWCS history and the first of Miller’s professional career.

Miller entered the fight as a massive +280 underdog but dictated the terms from the outset, controlling Rodrigues on the ground throughout the first round. He returned to the same position in the second frame, recognised the choke was available and applied it to put his opponent to sleep — a finish he admitted he had never pulled off before.

“He hits hard; he has good striking,” Miller said in his post-fight interview. “I’m definitely feeling him, my lips a little busted open. But so thankful for the win. I knew in the first round, once I got on top of him, I controlled. So that was the plan: second round, get back on top, I felt the choke was there and I went for it. I’ve never actually got it in a fight.”

The result carries extra weight given Miller’s history with the Contender Series. The 30-year-old, nicknamed “The Terminator”, suffered a stoppage loss to Ryan Gandra in his first DWCS appearance last year — a performance he described in stark terms.

“Last year’s Contender Series, I had my worst performance of my life, essentially,” he said. “I had so many doubters, so many haters come at me. For me to be able to shut them up like that, it’s amazing.”

Miller’s redemption arc — from a forgettable first audition to a historically rare submission finish and a UFC deal — makes him one of the more compelling stories to emerge from Season 10 so far.