NEW YORK – Jim Miller sure seems to find himself in the right place at the right time.
The 33-year-old lightweight vet has spent eight years in the UFC – no small feat on MMA’s biggest stage – and he’s found himself on some major cards.
The longtime contender, who looks for his third straight win following a rough 1-4 stretch, was part of the historic UFC 100 card (where he defeated Mac Danzig), he competed at the milestone UFC 200 show earlier this year (and scored a TKO victory over Takanori Gomi), and now the New Jersey native returns at Saturday’s mega-UFC 205 card, which marks the organization’s long-awaited New York City debut.
Miller meets former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves (21-10 MMA, 13-7 UFC), who drops to lightweight, in the featured UFC Fight Pass prelim ahead of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card, which takes place at Madison Square Garden.
So how does he feel about a spot on the UFC’s latest can’t-miss super show?
“Just excitement,” he told MMAjunkie. “This opportunity came by one of the other fighters (Al Iaquinta) dropping out. I had asked (UFC matchmaker Joe Silva) if I could fight by the end of the year, and this is the one he gave me.”
“It’s exciting to be part of history. It’s exciting to be a part of such a big card. I plan on leaving a mark on the card and the event and history.”
Can Miller make it 3-0 in major UFC shows? He’s currently a small underdog to Alves, but he expects – and wants – the best version of his opponent, who faces a likely grueling weight cut.
“It’s never fun cutting a lot of weight,” Miller said. “It always impacts you the following day. So we’ll see how he does. I plan on fighting the best Thiago Alves that’s ever stepped inside the octagon, and I plan on brutally beating him up. Like I said, I’m prepared for the absolute best. … I want the absolute best out of him.”
Check out the full interview above.
And for more on UFC 205, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
view original article >>