Tyson Miller took another big step in his MMA career last week, with a dominating performance at the Arena Wars in Oregon, improving to 3-0.

Miller was one of two Institute of Combat fighters to compete at the March 25 event, with teammate Israel Smith losing a tough matchup he took on at the last minute.

Miller continued to impress in a 170-pound showdown with a first-round TKO of Forest Merripen, who was making his fight debut.

“Tyson was fighting a Taekwondo guy, so he was a good kicker,” Miller’s trainer John Thompson said. “I’m always waiting to see how things work out, because some of these guys have different skill sets. But he did well, and he was happy with it.”

Smith, meanwhile, had a switch in opponent at the last minute, matching up against Cameron Sandoval and losing on a TKO in the second round.

According to Thompson, it was a fight that could have gone either way.

“It was a hard fight for his first fight,” the IOC trainer said of Smith. “And he almost finished the guy a couple of times.”

Sandoval improved to 2-0.

“Izzie’s a warrior,” Thompson said. “When they changed his opponent at the last minute, he said ‘I’ve already trained, I’ll go for it,’ and he took on a much tougher opponent.”

Two other IOC fighters made the trip for the event, but Kian Ross and Austin Moen each had their opponents back out at the last minute.

“I don’t know if they got cold feet or what,” Thompson said. “We’re looking at getting these guys lined up again pretty soon.”

Thompson said he will have some big news coming out of the IOC soon.

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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.