ALPINE, Calif. (KGTV) — This Saturday, Feb. 21, one of San Diego’s own steps into one of the biggest stages in mixed martial arts.
San Diego-bred fighter Juliana Miller will compete on UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Miller is scheduled to face Carli Judice on the preliminary card in a women’s flyweight bout. The event will stream on Paramount+, with prelims beginning at 5 p.m. ET and the main card at 8 p.m. ET.
For Miller — known to fans as “Killer” — this fight is more than another matchup on the schedule. It’s a chance to show what East County grit looks like on the UFC stage.
Born and raised in Alpine, California, Miller grew up in East County San Diego, where her family says her competitive drive showed early.
“She’s always been a phenomenal athlete,” said her father, George Miller.
Miller’s journey into MMA began on the mats at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu San Diego, where she trained under coach Manolo Hernandez and started working her way toward the UFC.
“She started training with me in 2017,” Hernandez said. “We put her in lose-lose scenarios — and she not only survived, she flourished.”
Before fighting professionally, Miller attended Steele Canyon High School and Granite Hills High School, playing nearly every sport she could before committing to mixed martial arts in 2016.
Miller says her hometown helped shape both her style and her mindset.
“A lot of champions have come from San Diego,” she said. “What’s special about East County to me is I have a little flair and a little attitude you can’t ever take away from me.”
Now training in Houston, Miller returns to the Octagon for her second fight since recovering from a shoulder injury — a setback she says tested her mental strength as much as her body.
“I think the hardest part about fighting is getting back up,” Miller said. “You don’t just fall down once in the big cage. You fall down every single day.”
Her brother, Geordan Miller, says doubt from others never slowed her down.
“She didn’t care when people said it wasn’t realistic,” he said. “She knew what she wanted to do, and she made it happen.”
For Miller, the support from home remains constant.
“I’m proud of her for being in there,” her brother added, “but I’m more proud of the hard work and the mental strength it took to get there.”
Her mother, Shirley Miller, echoed that sentiment.
“Incredibly proud,” she said. “She’s the hardest worker.”
As she prepares to fight Saturday night, Miller hopes her story resonates with people back home.
“Honestly, if a scrappy, tiny, 115-pound Alpine girl can do it,” she said, “you can too.”
