Jim Miller will not hang up the gloves in his expected fight at UFC 300.
The 40-year-old has fought at UFC 100, UFC 200 and is expected to return at UFC 300 following his scheduled bout against Gabriel Benitez on Jan. 13 at UFC Fight Night 234 in Las Vegas. Even though UFC 300 in April seems like a perfect stage to end a distinguished career, Miller (36-17 MMA, 25-16 UFC) assures he’ll fight again.
“As of today, that’s the second fight of 2024,” Miller told MMA Junkie. “Years ago, when I mentioned, ‘Hey, I may get to UFC 300 and call it quits,’ I was in a very different place. The way I feel right now, I’m definitely playing it by ear, but I will let you guys know. I will let you guys know when it’s the last one.
“I’m excited to take on that training camp and know it’s my last one. I’m not the type that steps away and then comes back. As of right now, it’s not the last one.”
Miller says he’s figured out a way to be able to prepare for UFC-caliber fights at this stage in his life, which has been key to his longevity. He plans to fight in January, then again in April at UFC 300, and do a fight close to or hopefully in his home state of New Jersey.
“It really comes down to can I live the life? Can I train five, six days a week, and get through that?,” Miller explained. “Believe it or not, the fights are kind of the easy part. It’s that daily beating yourself up, trying to get in better shape day to day. That really wears on you.
“I feel like I have it figured out at the moment. After 300, I think the thing is to fight close to home again. Fight in Newark. … I’d like to fight close to home so my friends and family can come for one last one. We’ll see how it goes. It’s fight by fight.”
