Tick Boot Camp Podcast
Jim Miller was featured on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast:
About
James “Jim” Andrew Miller is an American mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the UFC lightweight division. Miller currently holds the following records:
- Most bouts in UFC history
- Most wins in UFC history
- Most wins in the UFC lightweight division
Lyme Disease
“Age or wear weren’t ruining [this] UFC fighter’s life — Lyme disease was,” said a New York Post article about Jim Miller.
- In the spring of 2013, after a tick bite, Miller began suffering from Lyme disease, which doctors were slow to diagnose.
- In his early thirties, Miller was clinging to the rails and gingerly stepping sideways downstairs. His body was in constant pain.
- “One of the symptoms is you get muscle spasms and stuff like that. For like three days my left eye was twitching, and I was like, ahh shit.”
- After about a year of worsening symptoms, Miller was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
- “I knew I had it in me. It was just getting things right, getting healthy again. Man, 2015 was not easy.”
- “It wasn’t so much just the physical side of it… mentally it was difficult to deal with. I’m just happy that I kind of got it figured out. I’m not out of the woods yet with the Lyme.”
- “I actually had a second round of it come around, basically right before a big fight,” he said. “I was off medical for a couple weeks, like six or seven weeks, and I started to notice the early symptoms right before a fight.”
- “It was like three weeks, and I was like oh man, I was hurting. But I went back on the medications.”
- “Today, I feel pretty damn good. I’ve been able to train in a way that gets me ready to do my best inside the octagon. That’s something I hadn’t been able to do in a long time.”
- “I’ve had to deal with a lot of bullshit. But I’m excited because I feel good again. I feel like I’m supposed to feel.”
- “I don’t want others to experience Lyme themselves, I don’t want them to have a loved one experience it.”
- Jim is now back in the octagon and recently he fought and beat Nikolas Motta at UFC Fight Night 201 on February 19, 2022. Miller won the fight via TKO in the second round.
Jim’s Youth
Jim Miller started wrestling at the age of four and went on to compete in wrestling in high school. Jim did 1 year of collegiate wrestling at Virginia Tech. Miller had not originally planned on wrestling at Virginia Tech, but his desire to compete again grew and he made the team as a walk-on later into the season. However, Miller did not continue competing for the school because of “disagreements” with the coaching staff and the program.
Early Career
In 2005, Jim Miller began training in mixed martial arts at Planet Jiu-Jitsu in Sparta, New Jersey. His first professional fight was on November 19, 2005 at Reality Fighting 10. Jim signed with the UFC in July 2008.
Personal Information
Jim miller was born and raised in Sparta Township, New Jersey. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Jamie Cruz. Prior to their careers in MMA, Jim and his brother Dan worked in construction with their father. Jim met his now wife, Angel, at his MMA gym in a kickboxing class while performing a circuit there. They marries in 2008. Jim and Angel have 4 children, with their first child born in June 2010.
Championships and Accomplishments
Jim Miller has won many championships and acquired many accomplishments over the years:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Tied (with Donald Cerrone) for most wins in UFC history
- Most bouts in UFC history
- Most bouts in UFC Lightweight division history
- Most wins in UFC Lightweight division history
- Most finishes in UFC Lightweight division history
- Tied (with Charles Oliveira) for most submission wins in UFC Lightweight division history
- Fight of the Night (Seven times) vs. Matt Wiman, Joe Lauzon (2), Pat Healy, Michael Chiesa, Dustin Poirier, and Scott Holtzman
- Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Jason Gonzalez, Roosevelt Roberts and Erick Gonzalez
- Submission of the Night (Three times) vs. David Baron, Charles Oliveira, and Melvin Guillard
- Fight of the Year (2012) vs. Joe Lauzon
- Most fight time in UFC Lightweight division history (6:03:59)
- Most submission attempts in UFC history
- United States Kickboxing Association
- USKBA Welterweight Championship
- Cage Fury Fighting Championships
- Cage Fury Fighting Championships Lightweight Championship (one time; former)
- One successful title defense
- Cage Fury Fighting Championships Lightweight Championship (one time; former)
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2019 April Submission of the Month vs. Jason Gonzalez
- 2019 August Submission of the Month vs. Clay Guida
- Reality Fighting
- Reality Fighting Lightweight Championship (one time; former)
- Sherdog
- 2012 All-Violence First Team