Just a few months past his 25th birthday, Ty Miller has run into the same problem a lot of fighters his size have. Standing at 6’2″ in the welterweight division, with his body maturing, getting down to that 170lbs limit has been increasingly harder. Luckily for him, he’s got a batch of people around him who have been there and done that.
“Yeah, it’s been getting harder. But, you know, everyone does the same shit, though.
Everyone cuts like 20 to 30 pounds. So if they can do it, I can do it, too, man,” Miller explained. “And I got, other fighters like Tim [Means] and my coaches, Jon Judy and Matt Priest, kind of to help guide me on the weight cuts and stuff.”
And it’s not just a team that has been through that. The aformentioned teammate and mentor, UFC’s Tim Means, has a similar size and fought at welterweight as well.
“I have a little bit to relate to with Tim, you know, because we have similar frames and sizes,” he said. “He kind of helps me with the nutrition part and the weight cutting part, things like that.”
Miller has grown up in this gym watching Means and other FitNHB stars like Carlos Condit and Ray Borg. However, with his chance coming on Contender Series this Tuesday, the shoe is on the other foot.
“Yeah, it’s kind of funny. I was thinking about that just the other day. I feel like I’m kind of in Tim’s shoes now, you know, where he was kind of that guy in the UFC and on the up,” Miller said. “It it really helps, man. And the coaches that help them get there – like Tom Vaughn, Arlene Sanchez, Jon Judy, Matt Priest. All of them can help coach me and they already have like a good idea on how to work with a frame like mine.”
In order to fully complete that shift, he’ll need to get a big win on Tuesday. He fights Jimmy Drago, a fighter who likes to bring action as well. With that kind of matchup on the way, there is only one thing on his mind.
“I’m looking for a knockout, man,” he said. “And I think it’s going to go that way.”
That fight with Jimmy Drago can be seen as part of Dana White’s Contender Series Week 1. The card begins at 7pm EST on ESPN+.
