Las Vegas, NV – A veteran of the game UFC lightweight Jim Miller takes on a late-replacement opponent when he steps into the octagon with Alex Hernandez at UFC Vegas 69 on Saturday night.
Miller (35-16) was originally set to face Gabriel “Moggly” Benitez at the UFC APEX, but when Benitez pulled from the fight Hernandez stepped in to take his place.
“I was actually just talking to some of my coaches a few weeks even prior to Moggly pulling out. I have like 4 kind of goals in camp and they’re ranked. Number one is stay healthy. I need to get to the fight in order to fight. Stay healthy, be in shape, be sharp and prepared to fight my fight,” Miller told Cageside Press among other media on Wednesday.
“And then at the bottom is prepare for a specific opponent.”
Miller has had to deal with his fair share of opponents pulling out from fights against him so a short-notice change doesn’t worry him much.
“Because time and time again fighters get hurt leading up to fights, or at least that’s what they tell me. I just focus on being the best version of myself that I can be in the time that I’m allotted and whatever happens happens,” Miller said.
Waiting to reschedule the fight was not an option for Miller who has hopes of having his 45th professional fight at UFC 300.
“I look at every fighter in front of me as just an opportunity. It’s a skillset, it’s an opportunity to show off my skillset. Coming in on a week-and-a-half I’m appreciative that Alex stepped up,” he said.
“It’s a tough game we play and sometimes you’ve got to do stuff like take fights on a week-and-a-half notice. It’s ballsy, and I like it, and I appreciate it, and I’m excited for Saturday night.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Jim Miller above. Miller takes on Alex Hernandez at UFC Vegas 69 on Saturday night at the UFC APEX.
