Miller recently recounted a bout from earlier in his career where he fought at featherweight as evidence of why he’ll be sticking around in his current divisional home for the foreseeable future.

“I fought at 145 my fourth fight and I walked around at about 162 pounds before that fight. And if you go and look at the photos of that fight – it was Reality Fighting: Battle at the Beach – it looks like my veins are gonna pop out of my skin. And I was walking around at 160 pounds,” said Miller during an interview on this week’s episode of MMA Uncensored. “I was disgustingly vascular. It was a decently tough cut, I’m fifteen pounds heavier than that now…it would take too much effort.”

Rather than challenge himself with the physical toll of changing his diet/routine up the 28-year old Miller will opt for in-ring challenges instead, his next coming on May 5 in headlining action against Nate Diaz at UFC on FOX 3.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“It’s not about the title shot, it’s about winning the title, and being the best and being known as the best and having respect from everybody that you are the best,” said Miller about the May 5 match-up in his latest video blog promoting the bout.

Miller was on the cusp of receiving a crack at the belt before but a loss to Benson Henderson – the current lightweight champ – set him back. Now, with a submission victory over Melvin Guillard in two, he is one win from getting back there.

Check out Miller’s latest “Fighter Diary” interview in the player below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“I know Nate pushes a good pace, so I want to be ready for anything,” said Miller in a video from his sponsors promoting the bout. “I really want to make a statement.”

Miller is training alongside the likes of Charlie Brenneman at the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey.

Watch the complete video below where the talented 155rr shows us some of the things he is currently working on and discusses the upcoming match-up with Diaz:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The bout, along with the date and venue, were announced by UFC president Dana White on his Twitter account.

Miller was just in action this past Friday when he submitted Melvin Guillard in the main event of the first ever UFC on FX show. The win got Miller back on track after he dropped a unanimous decision to current top lightweight contender Ben Henderson last August. The New Jersey native has won eight of his last nine bouts, which includes victories over Charles Oliveira, Mark Bocek, Gleison Tibau, Josh Neer, and Mac Danzig. Miller has only lost three times in 24 professional bouts, all by way of decision.

After struggling in the UFC welterweight division, Diaz dropped back down to 155 this past September and turned in one of the best performances of his career, submitting Takanori Gomi in the first round of their UFC 135 contest. The younger Diaz brother followed that up with a unanimous decision win over Donald Cerrone in a war that earned the pair Fight of the Night honors, which was his eighth event bonus in 14 UFC bouts.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Perhaps no one was more familiar with the inherent danger in getting decked than Jim Miller was in his headlining bout with Guillard at UFC on FX, especially after absorbing a few stiff shots. Miller spoke about his submission win over “The Young Assassin” as well as what it was like to be in the Octagon with someone so explosive.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t find out how hard he hit but…yeah, he hits pretty freakin hard,” laughed Miller in a video interview with the UFC after his victory.

However, talked turned to the evening-ending sequence when Miller worked his way into an advantageous position during an early scramble.

“As soon as I can get somebody’s back I’m pretty good at throwing the Velcro on and sticking to em,” the 28-year old explained. “So then it was just a matter of working the arm underneath his neck and securing the choke.”

Miller was awarded Submission of the Night for the finish, his eighth win out of nine total fights.

Check out the complete interview below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC

Fight of the Night went to another main card match-up in the form of Pat Barry’s battle with Christian Morecraft. The fight didn’t last long but saw Morecraft jump ahead early, even working his way into full mount and what looked to be a convincing Armbar attempt. However, Barry defended as necessary, got back to his feet, and landed a stiff left hook to put Morecraft down to the mat. The affable kickboxer sprung on top shortly thereafter and pounded out the TKO victory. Both men were given an extra $45,000 for their performances.

Finally, Knockout of the Night came early in the evening when Nick Denis dropped Joseph Sandoval less than thirty seconds into their card-opener. The win improved Denis’ overall record to 11-2 and was his tenth TKO.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

In the case of stand-out scrapper Jim Miller, a 20-3 lightweight who headlines tonight’s UFC on FX event, it appears the latter group is onto something. Miller spoke with Five Ounces of Pain during the lead up to this evening’s affair where he offered a frank assessment when asked about his interest in moving over to Strikeforce if it meant an immediate crack at Melendez’s strap.

“Melendez is a great fighter and could come over to the UFC and jump right into the mix without a doubt. I don’t know what’s left for him over there, but I am sure they will find him some quality opponents,” Miller began on the widely respected 155-pounder before talk turned to fighting in Strikeforce.

“Even if the money was comparable I don’t think I would make the move over there,” said Miller. “Once you have been in the UFC you don’t want to go backwards. This is the major leagues of MMA. Nothing against Strikeforce, but the opportunities here are far better. More exposure, more sponsors, bigger crowds and obviously more challenging fights.”

What the future holds for Miller remains to be seen though his present focus is clearly on beating Melvin Guillard tonight in Nashville. Action starts on FX at 9:00 PM EST with prelims coming on Fuel TV a few hours earlier.

It is likely Melendez will eventually face the winner of a scheduled bout between K.J. Noons-Josh Thomson who face off in early March.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC on FX 1 is rumored to be going down January 20 from Nashville, Tennessee. It will be the first of several live cards scheduled for FX as part of the new UFC-FOX Network television deal.

Miller and Guillard were right near the top of the UFC 155-pound division rankings, however, both men suffered tough losses this past year. Miller was stopped by Ben Henderson via decision in August, while Guillard suffered an opening round submission defeat to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136.

This marks the third fight scheduled for UFC on FX, as Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft and Josh Neer vs. Duane Ludwig were announced earlier for the card.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

All four men spoke to media today through a conference call about their upcoming bouts and Five Ounces of Pain was on the line plucking out interesting soundbytes and other relevant nuggets of information.

Read below and find out whether or not the 170ers plan to keep things standing the entire time, how Henderson feels his BJJ matches up with Miller’s high-level grappling ability, and more!

Chris Lytle:

- Is expecting a great fight against Hardy
- Even a dominant win over Hardy won’t change his interest in eventually running for political office
- Considers himself a “nomad” when it comes to training rather than staying at one specific location / Doesn’t have time to open his own gym with family duties and a full-time job as a firefighter
- Joked that he’s hoping to hurt Hardy’s hand with his “thick skull” and jokes that Matt Mitrione has helped him with that
- Explains that the UFC put him/Hardy in the main event for a reason and it’s going to be an exciting fight, no “dry humping”

Dan Hardy:

- His move to Las Vegas has been smooth and he feels this has been his best training camp yet / Felt he needed to take himself out of his comfort zone / Has been sparring at various gyms including ring-time with Evan Dunham and Gilbert Yvel
- “I feel I’ve made a lot of improvements overt the past four weeks. I’m seeing improvements myself and hearing the same from other people. Regardless of where the fight goes I’m ready for it and I want the opportunity to show people what I can do.”
- Says he learned a lot from the GSP fight and blames his own arrogance for the loss to Carlos Condit
- Acknowledges the additional pressure from having lost three in a row but won’t focus on it too much / “I love being part of the UFC – part of this sport, part of this world. Yeah, there’s definitely pressure but I’ve gotta kinda go with the flow. I can’t force it too much. If I think about it too much it’s going to bring me down.”
- “I just don’t like having boring fights. I want to have fun fights and for me Chris Lytle is the kind of guy I look up to, the kind of guy I want to fight like. Fighting him is an honor. I know he’s gonna bring it, he’s gonna test me, and he’s gonna try and win the fight. And that’s exactly what I want.”
- Has changed his look for the fight to get a “fresh start”
- Was annoyed by Anthony Johnson’s decision to impose his wrestling after promising to stand but isn’t concerned about that being the case with Lytle

Ben Henderson:

- Isn’t thinking about any contendership implications
- Won’t take the fight personally with Miller, who had dissed WEC lightweights, but remembers the quote
- Says it’s the biggest fight of his career
- “The UFC has the toughest 155 pounders in the world and I’m excited to be here, to showcase the things that I do.”
- Has no idea what’s next for him after UFC Live 5 and doesn’t really care / “If you’re on the right track and you get your hand raised that’s all that really matters.”
- Feels they have similar styles and expects it to either be a fifteen minute war on the ground or a stand-up battle if their grappling neutralizes the other’s

Jim Miller:

- Like Henderson, Miller also isn’t looking beyond next weekend or at a potential title-fights in the future
- “I want a tough road. I want to fight all the best guys.”
- Thinks the WEC guys have won as many as they’ve lost and the biggest win they’ve had was Henderson’s win over Mark Bocek / Felt some WEC lightweights were disrespectful to the UFC’s 155ers
- Has not been told that if he beats Henderson he’ll get a shot at the belt

News of the bout was first reported by The Asbury Press and has since been confirmed by the UFC.

Miller is currently on a seven fight win streak with his most recent victory coming against Kamal Shalorus at UFC 128. In 22 professional fights, his only losses have come via decision to the aforementioned Edgar and Maynard. He’s slowly been working his way up to the top of the division and is looking to stake his claim as the top contender with a victory over Henderson.

As for Henderson, a victory over Miller would get him one step closer to a UFC Lightweight Title shot that alluded him last December when he lost to Anthony Pettis. After a very successful WEC career, Henderson made his UFC debut at UFC 129, picking up a decision victory over Mark Bocek.

UFC on Versus 5 is scheduled for August 14 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Also on the card is a welterweight showdown between top strikers Duane Ludwig and Amir Sadollah.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

An Intimate Look at Josh Koscheck’s Training/Life (FIGHT! Magazine)

Greg Jackson Talks About Nate Marquardt’s Recent Win Over Rousimar Palhares (MMAScraps.com)

WEC Officials Comment on Donald Cerrone’s Inflammatory Comments (MMAConvert.com)

A Japanese Trailer for EA Sports MMA (MiddleEasy.com)

TUF 12 Contestant Talks Comparisons to Mike Tyson (MMAFighting.com)

Dustin Hazelett fighting Mark Bocek at UFC 124 (CagePotato.com)

Kevin James, a.k.a. “Paul Blart”, Starring in MMA-Related Movie (Versus.com)

Aaron Simpson Fighting Mark Munoz at UFC 123 (WatchKalibRun.com)

UFC Lightweight Jim Miller Talks About his Present and Future (Heavy.com)

Reports from MMAJunkie.com stated both fighters have been approached about the match up, with one of the two verbally agreeing to the bout.

Tyson Griffin is coming off a two-fight win streak in which his last bout was by a devastating TKO over Hermes Franca. The Extreme Couture fighter has racked up an impressive 6-1 record over his last seven bouts, with his only loss in that span coming by way of a very close decision at the hands of Sean Sherk.

Jim Miller is also coming off of two straight wins over Steve Lopez and “The Ultimate Fighter 6” winner Mac Danzig. The 15-2 fighter has only tasted defeat once since joining the UFC late last year, losing a decision over highly ranked Gray Maynard.

Although not officially announced, UFC 108 is rumored to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with an anticipated match-up between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was recently able to confirm the bout through sources close to the fight.

UFC 103 will be taking place from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on September 19 and will air live on pay-per-view.

Miller was recently left without an opponent for UFC 103 after Thiago Tavares was sidelined due to a knee injury suffered while training before Lopez was tabbed by the UFC as a replacement in the bout.

Miller has established himself as a legitimate contender in the UFC’s 155 pound division after putting together victories over the likes of David Baron, Matt Wiman, and most recently, Mac Danzig at UFC 100. His sole defeat in the octagon came in the form of a hard fought decision against fellow title contender Gray Maynard at UFC 96. The AMA Fight Club trained fighter holds a career record of 13-2, with nine of his wins coming by way of submission.

Lopez last saw action in October of 2008. He has a fought in a variety of promotions, putting together a career record of 12-1 with his only loss coming by way of split decision. He’s known as a well rounded fighter with dangerous striking ability. The bout against Miller will be a significant jump in competition for Lopez, but with a record of 12-1, it seems like a necessary leap.

The bout was previously confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight.

Both men will be looking to bounce back from recent defeats in the octagon in a match-up where the loser could very likely be sent on a short vacation from the UFC.

Danzig put together two victories in the UFC after being crowned the winner of the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, but has fallen short in his last two trips to the cage against Clay Guida, and most recently Josh Neer in February. The twenty nine year old Xtreme Couture fighter finds his back against the wall at UFC 100 as a third consecutive loss would make his future in the UFC extremely questionable.

Miller has gone 2-1 since he joined the UFC in the latter portion of 2008 with wins over David Baron and Matt Wiman before falling short in his third trip to the octagon against the highly rated Gray Maynard. Miller’s only other loss in his fifteen fight career came at the hands of Frankie Edgar in November of 2006.

A full list of the expected bouts for UFC 100 are below.

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves
Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
Mark Coleman vs. Stephan Bonnar
Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Jonathan Goulet
Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller
Jon Jones vs. Jake O’Brien
CB Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor
Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty

Gray Maynard (6-0) vs. Jim Miller (13-1)

This fight is not an easy one to predict.

You have a fighter in Miller with tremendous submissions and good wrestling who is matched up against a fighter in Maynard who is a tremendous wrestler with good submissions.

I’ve long contended that Miller will eventually emerge as a top ten lightweight. The Jersey-based fighter is 2-0 since coming over to the UFC from the IFL and has recorded notable wins in the Octagon over David Baron at UFC 89 and against Matt Wiman on one week’s notice this past December at “UFC Fight for the Troops.”

But as big of a supporter as I am of Miller, Gray Maynard is simply a bad matchup. He’s not just a bad matchup for Miller, he’s apparently a bad matchup for everyone as the UFC has a great deal of trouble trying to secure opponents for him.

I think Miller is one of the best kept secrets in MMA but the world may not get to see that on Saturday. I can’t help but wonder whether Miller will suffer the same fate as Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 13.

At UFN 13, Edgar was simply no match physically for Maynard. Despite being a top ten-caliber lightweight, Edgar was unable to compensate for the difference in size and strength. While Miller is a little bigger than Edgar, the difference in size is very slight.

In reality, we’re going to be watching an average sized lightweight in Miller trying to hold off a small welterweight in Maynard. Unless Miller catches Xtreme Couture product in a triangle or catches him on the chin, I just think Maynard’s size and strength will prove too much.

Prediction: Maynard via unanimous decision.

Replacing Edgar will be another New Jersey based fighter, up and coming lightweight prospect Jim Miller.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news exclusively after speaking with a source close to one of the fighters.

Miller currently trains out of the AMA Fight Club and possesses an impressive mixed martial arts record of 12-1-0. Miller holds victories over Nuri Shakir, Chris Liguori, and Bart Palaszewski. Incidentally, his sole loss came against Edgar, the fighter he is replacing.

Formerly of the IFL, Miller made his UFC debut at UFC 89 in October, where he submitted French fighter David Baron with a rear naked choke at 3:19 of round 2.

Wiman, an alum from the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality television show on Spike TV, has been on a roll as of late and saw his profile in the UFC’s lightweight division increase greatly following a second round knockout over Thiago Tavares at UFC 85 in June.

Prior to appearing on TUF, Wiman had fought once before in the UFC, losing to Spencer Fisher at UFC 60. However, since appearing on the show he is 4-0 inside of the Octagon.

“UFC Fight for the Troops” will air as a live three-hour special on Spike TV and is being promoted to raise funds for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a charity founded to help brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces recover from traumatic brain injuries.

In addition to Wiman vs. Miller, co-featured fights will include bouts between Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet. The undercard will feature five veterans of both the Navy and the Marines.

A few weeks ago, FiveOuncesOfPain.com reported that brothers Jim Miller and Dan Miller had signed exclusive four-fight contracts with the UFC.

Jim Miller currently trains at the AMA Fight Club and possesses an impressive mixed martial arts record of 11-1-0. Miller holds victories over Nuri Shakir, Chris Liguori, and Bart Palaszewski. His sole loss came to UFC lightweight contender Frankie Edgar.

Miller joins Matt Horwich, Andre Gusmao, Mike Massenzio, Brad Blackburn, Rory Markham, and Reese Andy as IFL fighters to join the UFC ranks in recent weeks.

David Baron, a native of Bois Collombe, France, possesses a mixed martial arts record of 16-2-0. In August 2006, Baron squared off against PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi losing by submission late in the first round. Since leaving the now defunct Japanese promotion, Baron has gone 5-0 scoring victories over Jason Ball, Johnny Frachey, Abdul Mohamed, Niek Tromp, and Hayato Sakurai.

UFC 89 is scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2008 in Birmingham, England and will feature a main event of Michael “The Count” Bisping and Chris “The Crippler” Leben.

Both Millers had valid contracts with the IFL, with Dan Miller holding the promotion’s middleweight title. This site reported last week that the UFC was in the process of acquiring the IFL, but an acquisition had yet to be finalized.

To date, no official statement about a possible acquisition has been made by the UFC or the IFL so it’s uncertain how the UFC could reach a contract agreement if at least limited assets had not been acquired.

Junkie’s report, which quotes AMA Fight Club’s Mike Constantino, both the manager and a trainer for the Millers, indicates that a debut date has yet to be set for either fighter.

Update: FiveOuncesOfPain.com spoke with Keith Kizer, the Executive Director for the Nevada State Athletic Commission, earlier this afternoon. According to Mr. Kizer, Belfort’s suspension ended in July of last year, increasing the possibility he will get licensed in California. However, Mr. Kizer indicated that Belfort has not yet satisfied the required $10,000 fine that was imposed at the time of his suspension. There are plans to notify the California State Athletic Commission that the fine has not yet been paid. Also, Mr. Kizer indicated that Belfort’s decision to compete in the UK for Cage Rage even though he was still under suspension by NSAC is only likely to affect him if he applies for license again in Nevada.

Affliction: Banned is quickly becoming MMA’s version of Woodstock.

As if the July 19 card wasn’t already stacked enough, the promotion’s website is indicating that a middleweight bout between former UFC fighters Vitor Belfort and Terry Martin has been added to the card.

According to the Affliction website, the Belfort vs. Martin bout is not guaranteed to be broadcast.

The 31-year old Belfort has not competed in the U.S. since losing to Dan Henderson at PRIDE 32 in October of 2006. After the bout, Belfort tested positive for a banned performance enhancing drug.

Belfort, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, ignored a suspension imposed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and went to the UK to compete for the Cage Rage promotion, where he compiled a 2-0 record.

There has been no public report that has indicated Belfort has satisfied his suspension with NSAC. It remains to be seen whether the California State Athletic Commission would ignore NSAC’s suspension, assuming a deal has not been reached to reinstate Belfort.

Following two consecutive losses in the UFC, Martin tried his hand at professional boxing. There have been conflicting reports in regards to Martin’s status and whether he was on hiatus from the UFC or had been released. However, it is pretty apparent that he no longer has a valid contract with the UFC based on his involvement with the Affliction show.

Martin is also scheduled to appear on Monte Cox’s Adrenaline MMA show scheduled for this Saturday at the Sears Center in Chicago.

Already known was a matchup between Jeff Monson and Mike Russo but agent/promoter Monte Cox has informed MMARated.com that EliteXC fighter, Aaron Rosa, will be fighting on the card as well as IFL fighter, Bart Palaszewski. The Illinois-native Palaszewski will be facing former UFC fighter, Jeff Cox.

Also, former UFC fighter Terry Martin will face Daiju Takase in a middleweight battle.

Along with those two fights, the rest of the fight card looks like this according to MMA Rated’s post:

• Jeff Monson vs. Mike Russow

• Tony Fryklund vs. Brian Gassaway

• Terry Martin vs. Daiju Takase

• Rory Markham vs. TBD

• Aaron Rosa vs. TBD

• Bart Palaszewski vs. Jeff Cox