Welcome to your weekly dose of Three Amigos Podcast fun. This episode is loaded with great content, courtesy of our special guest, UFC lightweight fan favorite, Jim Miller. We don’t have a Weight List episode this week, as George Lockhart is working with Conor McGregor in NY City, but we do have a new installment of our popular segment: Sports That Can’t Stop No Double Leg™.
Ordered Listing with timestamps:
Sports That Can't Stop No Double Leg™ - 22:55
Jim Miller – 37:20
Here is a summary of each interview segment, complete with the time stamps for when each interview or special segment begins. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Jim Miller (37:20 mark)
Here’s a small excerpt from the interview encompassing two of our questions:
Three Amigos: Conor McGregor recently said something to the effect of “I’ll do whatever I want, because without me, the UFC would fall apart.” There’s a very good chance he could end up with the lightweight belt, which could absolutely create hold-ups in the division if he decides to defend his featherweight belt first. What’s your take on the way the organization has allowed him to basically do whatever he wants…run roughshod over them a little?
Jim Miller: As an athlete, it’s frustrating—not for me personally, because I’m not right there knocking on the door of a title shot; I’m still a few fights out, but it is frustrating because I’ve been there. I’ve been held up. It wasn’t because of somebody bouncing around, it was because of injury and then the rematches.
This sport is all about timing. If you are hitting that stride, and things happen where your opportunities get delayed, that could be your shot, that could be it. It sucks for the guys that are waiting in the wings. They’re right there, but then everything is getting delayed.
The thing is, he didn’t make himself. [laughs] The monster was created. It’s almost like, ‘Well, now you’ve got to deal with him, too.’ [laughs] It was just us having to deal with him—talking and saying all these things—but now, now the UFC has to deal with him, because now, he’s kind of manipulating them a little bit.
Three Amigos: He believes that winning a second belt is such a milestone that it would taint the achievement if he were made to relinquish one of the belts. Put yourself in his shoes. If you had one belt and the opportunity to win another, would you want to give up one of them? Should he be able to defend each belt at least once, or do you believe he should have to give one up?
Jim Miller: I think it’s just the way it happened, and I personally don’t have a problem with it—as long as the guy has cleaned out his division, but he hasn’t, really. Bouncing up to go to 170 twice with Nate didn’t really make any sense. It’s just the way that it happened, I know, but it’s not right, in my opinion.
If he had fought Nate and then just come down to fight for the lightweight belt, instead of fighting him a second time, that would have been fine, but putting that rematch in there just drug things out even further and that takes some of the luster off things.
He hasn’t defended that featherweight title either, and it’s been a long time. It does kind of suck.
I think the UFC would have been in a much more difficult spot if Frankie had won against Aldo, but it’s still created a bit of a log jam. You’ve got poor Holloway, who’s on this amazing streak, beating the hell out of guys, you know, but what’s he doing? [laughs] Sitting around waiting.
- Thiago Alves discussion
- Thoughts about fighting on the four biggest UFC cards of all time
- Thoughts on having five fights in less than 12 months
- Accepting fights with opponents who weigh in heavy
- What sticks out most to him about this particular training camp
- How he feels about Conor McGregor’s ability to do whatever he wants
- If he feels Conor should give up one of his belts
- Whos should get the next crack at the LW title
- If he’s worried that the new UFC owners’ “cost cutting” measures may affect the fighters
- Thoughts on a professional fighters union
The hosts discuss a variety of topics that include:
- Jon Jones’ 1-year suspension and title stripping
- Oliveira missing weight
- Rashad Evans’ medical issues
- Rockhold’s latest injury and AKA discussion
- Cerrone willing to lead a fighters union
- Tito’s lame jokes
- Bellator’s sinking ratings
- Sports That Can’t Stop No Double Leg™
You can check out the entire show here or via the embedded player below. Remember, if you're looking for us on SoundCloud or iTunes, we're under the MMA Nation name. Follow our Twitter accounts: Stephie Haynes, Three Amigos Podcast, Geroge Lockhart, Iain Kidd and Mookie Alexander or our Facebook fan page, Three Amigos Pod.