Lightweight focused only on winning
“I hate this idea that you’re the best, because you’re not. I’m the best. I’m the best in the world.”
On June 26, 2011, CM Punk turned pro wrestling on its head, delivering the best promo in quite some time — maybe ever.
Speaking to John Cena directly and intended for everyone else watching, Punk said what I’m sure a lot of highly talented wrestlers have felt over the years as they’ve been passed over for more marketable athletes; guys with better gimmicks who sell more t-shirts and play the game.
CM Punk
In talking to UFC lightweight contender Jim Miller for the fourth or fifth consecutive fight, we traversed the paths of media and pre-fabricated hype and landed at Punk. I told him about Punk’s epic promo, that his message boiled down to “I’m the best in that ring, and none of this other stuff should matter,” and that I think it’s similar to the way he’s carried himself during his current seven-fight winning streak that has yet to produce a title shot.
His response?
“Exactly; I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
While Miller thinks in the same terms as Punk when it comes to climbing the ranks and excelling in the UFC, he’s nowhere near as outspoken as the new anti-hero of the WWE. The 27-year-old native of Whippany, New Jersey says Teddy Roosevelt is one of his heroes, and I can’t help but think how much that makes sense; “speak softly and carry a big stick” is a phrase that applies to Miller’s approach as equally as Punk’s overall message.
He doesn’t talk trash. He doesn’t call guys out after each win, though he’s had numerous opportunities over the last two years. He’s never on Facebook, and has sent just 18 tweets in the month of August, an average of two per day. Instead, he lets his performance in the cage do all the talking.
“Some guys, that’s their niche,” Miller said of his fellow fighters who make frequent use of Twitter, the 140-character social networking tool. “They’re going to play that role, talk a lot of hype and stuff like that; that’s not my thing. I found my way and I’m doing it.
“I’m 20-2 and won seven in a row; something is obviously working. I don’t need to have one of the highest number of followers on Twitter and stuff like that to be the best lightweight in the world. That’s just the way it is.
“I’m going to make more money if I become the champ and defend my title than if I just tweet silly pictures and start having Twitter battles with other fighters and lame stuff like that. I just try to focus my energy to fighting to getting better, not towards dealing with drama. I’ve never been into that type of stuff.”
His amalgamated Punk-Roosevelt approach finally looks to be paying dividends.
Fans have been climbing on his bandwagon in greater numbers following each of his last two victories; stoppages of Charles Oliveira and Kamal Shalorus at UFC 124 and 128 respectively. Even more importantly to Miller, his peers have been putting him forward as a championship contender and applauding his approach as well.
“One of the most meaningful things that happens to me is other guys — other fighters — coming up to me and saying they respect the string of wins I’ve put together, the way I present myself, the way I’ve done things. That really means a lot to me.
“The fact that Clay (Guida) who was fighting (Anthony) Pettis and is right there in contendership said that he thought I should be in line for the title, that meant a lot to me,” continued Miller. “Here’s a guy that is a potential opponent of mine and is doing a lot of the same things that I’m doing, but he’s giving me credit for what I’ve done.
“Why really concern myself with what any of the naysayers are going to say about it because they don’t think I’m popular enough? I’ve got guys who do the same things as me — are in there fighting, making the same sacrifices as me — that hold me in a high regard and have respect for me. That’s what really means a lot to me.”
It would be understandable if Miller were looking ahead and feeling somewhat vindicated because of White’s proclamation — the elusive brass ring finally brought into sight, just one more win away — but he’s not.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me right now,” Miller offered earnestly. “I’ve got a tough challenge ahead of me and I have to get by Ben in order for any of that to happen. Whether Dana says if I win this one I get the next shot honestly doesn’t matter to me right now. I still have to get by August 14. If I win then, maybe talk to me the next day.”
Before we can get to that conversation — and I assured him I’ll call him early next week if he emerges from Sunday with his eighth straight win — Miller must deal with the former WEC champion.
“He’s a well-rounded fighter,” Miller said of his UFC on Versus 5 opponent. “He’s got tools to finish the fight on his feet or on the ground, which makes him a dangerous opponent and gets me excited about the fight. I like the challenge. I like to be pushed. It’s a fight that isn’t easy, but that’s what makes me excited about it.”
Henderson looked good in his UFC debut, coming away from UFC 129 with a victory over Mark Bocek, an opponent he shares with Miller. While he admits he watched the fight and was impressed with Henderson’s performance, he says he doesn’t put much stock into that bout or comparing and contrasting that fight with his own encounter with Bocek from UFC 111.
“Styles make fights. I knew going into the fight with Mark that he was a very difficult fight for me because of the tools he has, being a really high-level grappler. It was probably — it was my toughest fight.
“Match-up-wise, it was a close fight that Mark and Ben had, in my opinion, so you just kind of pay attention to what’s going on, but that’s about it. I can’t really take too much to heart because it was a couple months ago. If somebody judged me on what I was six months ago, they’d be in for a rude awakening when they step into the cage with me.”
Miller applies that same logic to his own training as well.
“It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting — I’m still trying to become a better fighter every time that I’m in the room training; learn something new, develop something new. It doesn’t really matter what my opponent brings. I’m going to train for everybody like they’re the best in the world at striking, wrestling and submissions, and if they fall short, than I’m going to capitalize on that.
“Plus, the way that things go with guys pulling out of fights?” he continued, pausing long enough for the “you’d be crazy not to train that way” to come through clearly without being said. “In my opinion, the excuse of `I was training for a grappler and then I got a striker’; it doesn’t matter. That’s a terrible excuse because you should just be training to get better.
“Guys pull out of fights all the time; it’s the nature of the game, the nature of the training. If you train to get better, whenever ends up happening, whoever steps into the Octagon against you, you’ve just got to be able to deal with it and fight.”
As for Sunday night, Miller says Henderson is going to have a lot to deal with once the cage door closes and offered up a succinct prediction on how things will play out.
“This is the best I’ve been. I’m training more intelligently. I’m training smarter, doing a lot more drilling and pad work to where I’m learning technique and stuff like that. I’m just trying to always learn and become a better fighter. I’d rather be sharp and have new tools than be in good shape and beat up. I feel good. I’ve been working with some new guys and playing around with some new things; it’s been good.
“I’m going to step in there the same way that I always do — I’m going to put the pressure on him. The first punch I throw, the first submission I throw, I’m trying to end the fight, and if it doesn’t, I’m just trying to set up the end. Gas him out, break him, and take something.”
Though he’ll probably come walk out to the familiar sounds of Creedence Clearwater Rival as he and his brother Dan always do, I can think of another song that would be pretty fitting – “Cult of Personality” by Living Color.