Jim Miller hesitated at first when he was offered Bobby Green at UFC 300.
Miller (37-17 MMA, 26-16 UFC) takes on Green (31-15-1 MMA, 12-10-1 UFC) April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Miller’s hesitation had nothing to do with the stylistic matchup. It’s the fact that Green has withdrawn from three previously scheduled bouts against him – in April 2014 due to injury, in February 2021 after collapsing backstage post weigh-ins, and in July 2022 after failing a drug test.
“I think they wanted him to be my opponent because it’s a good fight,” Miller said on MMA Today. “It’s a good matchup. We’ve both been around for a long time. The first time we tried to make this fight was 2014, so obviously we’ve both been around for a bit. It was a little bit different than most of the time. Usually I get an email or a text message from Sean (Shelby) offering a name and a date. I got a phone call from Sean Shelby, Dana White and Hunter (Campbell), and Dana is like, ‘We’re trying to figure out an opponent for 300. What about Bobby Green?’
“My first initial reaction was like, ‘Ah, come on!’ Don’t give me the hiccups and potentially the missed opportunity to fight on 300 because maybe this fight is cursed – who knows? I’m not a superstitious guy, but like I’ve said, we’ve tried it a couple times. That was really it. Dana was like, ‘We like the fight. What do you think?’ I’m like, ‘Well listen, if you want the fight, I’ll take the fight – but just realize he’s pulled out three times.’ I don’t think Dana had realized that when they originally offered it. I like the fight. I like the style. I’ve been watching Bobby fight for years. So, yeah, it’s a fun fight.”
Perhaps the fourth time will be the charm, but the UFC’s all-time leader in fights and wins prides himself on accepting any matchup, and that’s not about to change.
“The reason I’m Jim ‘F*cking’ Miller is because I don’t say no,” Miller said. “I kind of screw myself sometimes, but yeah, that’s the way it is. They offered the fight, and I’m going to take it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
