Jim Miller and Jon Jones are the only two fighters who competed at UFC 100 in 2009 and are still with the promotion today.
Jim Miller’s not one for reminiscing. He’s surprised to learn he’s one of two fighters from UFC 100 still active in the promotion. The other? Jon Jones.
UFC 100, back in 2009, was a landmark event. But it was a different era. The UFC was two years from a major FOX deal. Conor McGregor was four years from his UFC debut. Ronda Rousey was fresh off her Olympic bronze.
Of the current UFC champs, only Jones and flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja were pro fighters in ’09. “It’s been a long time,” Miller chuckles in an MMA Fighting interview. “UFC 100 was 2009. I didn’t have any kids! Life was different. I led a different life then than I do now, as a dad for the past 13 years. It’s wild.”
Miller credits luck, design, and genetics for his career longevity. “There’s a lot of stupid stuff that can happen in the training room and in fights that can negatively impact a career. I’ve been lucky to avoid those. It’s crazy to think how long I’ve been doing this.”
At UFC 100, Miller was just four fights into his UFC career. He was fresh off his first octagon loss to Gray Maynard. He knew getting a spot on the card was a big deal. But he had no idea he’d set records for most fights and most wins in UFC history.
“I fought on two pay-per-view events, my first and third fights,” Miller recalls about UFC 100. “It was my first time sharing a card with fighters I idolized, that shaped the way I fight. It was awesome to share that card with Dan Henderson and others. It was the first of many. It was a big night.”
Miller’s career almost ended prematurely due to serious health issues. He considered retirement ahead of UFC 200 in 2016. After a Lyme disease diagnosis, he bounced back, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d last in the sport.
He toyed with the idea of fighting at UFC 300. It seemed like a distant future. He thought it could be his retirement fight. But who knew if he’d want to keep going beyond that?
“When I first suggested fighting at UFC 300, I didn’t know where my career was headed,” Miller admits. “It was like, let’s set this difficult goal. It was super hard to get to this point. I think I’ve figured out how to train and make myself as dangerous as possible at this stage in my career. I’m riding it fight by fight and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”
As he gets ready to face Bobby Green on Saturday, Miller can’t say for sure how much longer he’ll fight. He feels better than ever physically. With a 5-1 record in his last six fights, who’s going to tell him to slow down?
Miller knows he’ll eventually retire. But that’s not happening at UFC 300. Who knows what other records he’ll set? “As a 40-year-old lightweight, I have more bad days than when I was 26,” Miller admits. “Now it’s about riding that rollercoaster and training through those things and hoping it doesn’t happen on fight night. I know that I can still compete with these guys.”