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Jim Miller is already the UFC’s all-time wins leader, and in percentage terms he is by far the leader.
Miller’s 27 UFC wins are a 17 percent increase over those next on the list, including former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira with 23. In the race for 30, which would have been nearly unthinkable at the start and early era of the UFC, is Miller is obviously the most likely candidate to get there first.
There was a time when turning 30 would have been almost unthinkable for Miller, too. In his late teens, he dropped five of six fights as he battled (mostly unknowingly) Lyme disease. And in the early pandemic era, he lost three out of four.
But he has won six of his last eight games and has received three performance bonuses in that time. And although he’s been asked about retirement for years, the 41-year-old doesn’t have time to think about it when he’s busy thinking about when he wants to go back – and against whom.
Miller said he loved fighting Cub Swanson, a 41-year-old featherweight who has won five of eight with four bonuses.
“I’m not really trying to get into it (who I’m going to fight),” Miller told MMA Junkie Radio. “I have preferences. I’m a big, big Cub Swanson fan. I would like to fight this guy. I know he would move up in weight class. I think it would be a fight that would have some traction.” (He’s) super dangerous if he still has time. He doesn’t give up.
“I’m a big fan of his. I would love this fight. I don’t know what his schedule is. I don’t know what his body is like. I don’t like asking about people at certain times because I don’t know what the hell they’re dealing with or if they have other arguments and all that stuff.
Miller said he would like to return to the cage in the March range in the first quarter of the new year. Swanson just knocked out Billy Quarantillo at UFC on ESPN 63 in Fight of the Night. His turnaround would come reasonably quickly, as would Miller’s. He fought Damon Jackson at UFC 309 in New York a month earlier.
Miller said his history of dropping opponents from fights has led him to a training strategy focused on being surprised. Although he would love a showdown with Swanson, the “anytime, anywhere” philosophy he is known for comes through.
“I’ve probably had more opponents drop out than anyone else in UFC history. I can imagine there were at least 10, maybe more if opponents changed,” said Miller. “So I get ready and prepare for the evening and I’m not so focused on who’s in front of me. When I focus on a man, I find it kind of silly on my part, because who? Does the devil know what’s going to happen? Maybe they get hurt, or something else happens.
“So just tell me when and where and I’ll be there, and whoever shows up and faces me in the octagon, I’ll fight. Whether it’s a guy making his debut, like I’ve done a few of them, or if it’s a UFC veteran with 30-plus (fights), which I’ve had a few of, then let’s do it .”
Check out Miller’s full interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC frontrunner Jim Miller makes rare comment
