Bloody Elbow recently spoke with Miller who discussed the pitfalls of crafting a fight camp to accommodate specific fighters and styles, concerns with upcoming sponsor changes and how featherweight superstar, Conor McGregor would fare at LW.
Tonight, the UFC on FOX 15 event kicks off in New Jersey and has all the makings of being an epic card. Among the more compelling matches is Jim Miller vs. Beneil Dariush. Dariush ended up being a late replacement for the injured Paul Felder, but presents a better challenge for the much more experienced veteran.
Bloody Elbow recently spoke with Miller who discussed the pitfalls of crafting a fight camp to accommodate specific fighters and styles, concerns with upcoming sponsor changes and how featherweight superstar, Conor McGregor would fare in the lightweight division. Here's what he had to say:
Miller, who was originally slated to fight orthodox striker, Paul Felder, says his training didn't need to be changed much at all to accommodate new opponent, Beneil Dariush, who happens to be a southpaw grappler.
To be honest, I didn't have to alter any of my training. I train to be better. I've had opponents pull out so many times that I just don't feel you should be training for a specific guy 100%. We were working on a couple things for Felder, but it only made up 15 or 20% of my training. Most of it was about being the better athlete. Getting in the strength and conditioning and working on my strengths and weaknesses is what we've focused on.
I think training specifically for one thing or one fighter's style has hurt some guys, because opponents change all the time and styles change all the time. I made that mistake with Gray Maynard. I expected him to come in throwing looping punches and all he did was throw a right hand down the pipe and beat the hell out of me for 15 minutes. That was a mistake on my part. Now, every time I'm getting ready for a fight, I'm preparing as if my opponent is the best in the world in every aspect, whether it be striking or grappling. If they can't rise to those standards, I'm gonna find an opportunity and I'm gonna beat him.
With the Reebok deal inching closer and closer to the point where all external sponsors will be shut out, many fighters are left wondering what the exact components of the deal are and how it will affect them. One sentiment being expressed with almost every fighter on the roster is that they have yet to be told a single thing from Zuffa brass. Being kept in the dark can be disconcerting, a feeling Jim Miller knows all too well.
That's the thing that's a little bit stressful. We haven't heard anything. We haven't heard any numbers. In the whole process, from the beginning, we didn't have any form of representation. Don't get me wrong, I trust that everybody at the UFC had our best interests in mind, but it would have been nice to have a little bit of negotiating power in this thing.
I think that it's a good thing for the sport and the company because it makes us look more professional. I know there are a lot of people against it because they're free spirits or whatever, and they want to wear what they want to wear, but none of the other major sports have a policy where you can wear whatever the hell you want.
If you look at the numbers that have been released, I think a lot of fighters are going to take a hit, and I don't necessarily agree with how it gets divvied up. Joe Lauzon brought up a great point about it. He's not ranked in the Top 15, but he's got a lot of fans that tune in to see him, that buy PPVs because he's on the card.
I hate to throw the women under the bus, because through no fault of their own, there are some that are ranked that only have a handful of fights. For them to possibly be in a position to make more money than a guy like Lauzon or some of these other guys that have been around for a long time and have been in some great fights, well, it kind of burns a little bit. We just have to remember that this is new. They're just starting this program, so there's a learning curve here. I'm confident that it will end up being a good thing for the sport.
Conor McGregor is the biggest name on the male side of the UFC roster. With his recent musings about eventually making a jump up to lightweight, there have been quite a few fighters that are more than happy to welcome him to the division. Miller finds the fight intriguing, but also feels that the lightweight division would be too much for the Irishman.
I think he's a very talented fighter. You watch his fights and it's hard to deny that he's a great athlete. I think there are a few guys that are ranked ahead of him, that have earned a shot ahead of him, but title fights are all about who is gonna sell the most tickets, so obviously, he ranks right up there at Number 1.
I don't think moving up to lightweight would be a very good option for him, to be honest. That said, it would definitely be a fight that would interest me. Like I said, I think he's a talented guy, but he has to get past Aldo first, and I don't see that happening either. I'd love the opportunity to fight him, but it would have to be at lightweight, because I'm sure not built for 145 any more [laughs].
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