For the 26th time in his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career, Jim Miller will step inside the Octagon. He will do battle with Dustin Poirier next month (Feb. 11) at UFC 208. That event will be held inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
After going on a slump where he was 1-4 in his last five bouts, Miller had his back against the wall. He rose to the occasion and has put together a three-fight winning streak. Miller told Flo Combat that he knew he had to show he was still a threat:
“The win over Takanori Gomi really put things back on track. There was never anything officially said as to whether I was fighting for my job or not, but that didn’t matter to me because I was fighting for a hell of a lot more than that. I was fighting to prove I still belonged in there and I sure enough went out and did it.”
Miller finds himself unranked in the UFC’s lightweight division. A win over Poirier would certainly change that. While Miller would like to keep climbing up the ladder and have a showdown with champion Conor McGregor, but he wants to keep his reputation for taking any fight offered to him.
“I chased a title shot for a long time and I don’t let those things get in and mess up my head. Would I love to get a fight with Conor McGregor for a sh*t ton of money? Yeah, who wouldn’t? But I’m the guy the UFC texts when they need a fight and I’ve never turned them down or pulled out of a fight. I’ve always shown up, and sometimes…as we’ve discussed, that hasn’t always been in my best interest.”
Fans aren’t the only ones who think Miller vs. Poirier could be a barn burner. Even Miller himself is preparing for a tough fight.
“Dustin is a tough kid and he always shows up to fight. He’s a guy I like to watch and that makes him a guy I want to fight. I’m always looking to test myself against the best guys in the world and Dustin is a guy who has been making some noise at 155. He had a great run at 145 and he has a lot of experience inside the cage. I think we are both versatile fighters who are always looking for the finish and that’s going to make it exciting for the fans.”
