Author: By E. Spencer Kyte

Erick Silva’s official record shows that he lost to Carlo Prater at UFC 142 earlier this year, and while that’s factually correct, it still doesn’t feel quite right. It feels like it’s missing an asterisk, an explanation.

It feels like Jon Jones’ loss to Matt Hamill.

Like the UFC light heavyweight champion’s bout with the now retired former Ultimate Fighter standout, Silva’s bout with Prater was technically a loss, but most people view it as a dominant performance marred by a controversial decision.

The pair of Brazilian welterweights squared off in January before another raucous crowd at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Prater making his UFC debut as a late replacement for an injured Siyar Bahadurzada, while Silva was returned for his sophomore outing in the Octagon after needing just 40 seconds to stop fellow first-timer Luis Ramos five months earlier at UFC 134.

As he did in his first outing, Silva wasted little time, taking the center of the cage, and dropping Prater with a hard knee to the midsection, following his crumpled opponent to the canvas, unleashing a flurry of strikes on the way down.

Prater squirmed, trying to avoid Silva’s blows. A shot landed on the nape of his neck, drawing a warning from referee Mario Yamasaki. Silva continued to pour it on, looking for the finish. Punches continued to land, some tiptoeing the border between being legal and illegal as Silva rained down strikes, and Prater continued to try an evade his opponent’s barrage.

Just 29 seconds into the contest, Yamasaki stepped in, and waved off the fight. Prater lay battered on the canvas while Silva celebrated what he thought was his second impressive win in the UFC, but it was not meant to be. He was disqualified due to illegal strikes to the back of the head, a decision few in attendance agreed with, including UFC President Dana White, who said the organization would treat the performance as a victory for the talented 27-year-old, and book his next fight accordingly.

“(I was) very disappointed,” Silva said of the outcome of his January encounter with Prater. “But even (though) I disagree with the decision, I understood that Yamasaki’s decision — he really thought that was the right decision. I don’t think about that anymore (though); just my next fight.”

The controversial decision in his last contest has done nothing to lessen the buzz that follows the Brazilian prospect, who returns to action Friday night in a bout that could go a long way to showing just how high up the welterweight rankings Silva will be able to climb in the future.

Silva meets Charlie Brenneman in the co-main event of UFC on FX 3, an event headlined by the flyweight tournament semifinal rematch between Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and “Uncle Creepy” Ian McCall. While Brenneman isn’t the biggest name in the welterweight division, the former NCAA Division I wrestler is a sizable step up in competition for Silva, and has all the tools to bring his rapid climb up the rankings to a halt Friday night in Sunrise, Florida.

Wrestling has often been a weaker point for Brazilian fighters, with analysts pointing to Brenneman’s proficiency on the ground as a possible stumbling block for Silva, but “Indio” doesn’t seem all that concerned.

“I (have had a) lot of training, and confidence in my coaches and my teammates,” said the soft-spoken Silva through an interpreter. “I have training partners that always went good against wrestlers, like Rafael Feijao, Anderson Silva and Ronaldo “Jacare” (Souza). I have listened a lot (to) their advice.

“Professionally, I’m more focused in my training than before,” continued Silva, who carries a 13-2 record with one No Contest into Friday’s meeting with the 15-3 Brenneman.

Considering he’s needed less than 70 seconds to leave a pair of opponents laying on the canvas, looking up at the lights thus far, the prospects of a more focused, more prepared Silva should be something that makes the rest of the welterweight division a little nervous.

Excited to compete outside of his native Brazil for the first time in his career, Silva has a chance to further justify the heady praise and lofty expectations that have followed him from his days as a dominant force and welterweight champion in the Jungle Fight organization through to the Octagon. It’s also a chance to put the lingering controversy from his last fight behind him.

A man of few words, Silva says that while some may still want to discuss the results of his fight with Prater, his sole focus is Friday’s matchup with Brenneman, and preparing as if his entire career rests on this contest.

“I don’t listen (to) what other people say; I only think (about) my next fight as if it were my last fight.”

Win or lose, Erick Silva isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

There is something magnetic about the heavyweight division.

No matter how much talent resides in the lighter weight classes or how frequently the mighty mites of the sport put on incredible displays of technique and conditioning bouncing around the cage and punching each other in the face non-stop for 15 minutes, there is still something uniquely enticing about seeing a pair of heavyweights staring each other down across the cage.

While the various other divisions within the UFC have consistently boasted deep, talented ranks, the heavyweight division has experienced good times and bad. Even now, with the division deeper than perhaps it’s ever been, the need for identifying prospects and putting them through the paces to see if they have what it takes to contend with the best heavyweights in the business is both daunting, and crucial.

Finding solid additions to the roster is challenging enough, yet alone coming across a six-foot-four-inch, 240-pound collegiate wrestler with Golden Gloves credentials who is athletic enough that he got a look from Major League Baseball once upon a time. That’s why people have been paying close attention to Stipe Miocic’s arrival and advancement in the UFC heavyweight division.

The 29-year-old Strong Style Fight Team member entered the UFC having generated a great deal of buzz in earning six consecutive stoppage victories on the regional circuit. None of his foes lasted to the third round; three didn’t make it out of the first.

His potential was put to the test in his opening appearance in the Octagon in a matchup against durable veteran Joey Beltran at UFC 136 in Houston, Texas. He went to the cards for the first time in his career, but as he had in his previous six bouts, Miocic came away with the victory.

Four months later, the Croatian-born Cleveland native showed the power that made him such an intriguing prospect on the regional circuit when he needed just 43 seconds to dispatch fellow unbeaten up-and-comer Phil De Fries in a Knockout of the Night-winning performance in February.

“It’s awesome. I really can’t say much,” Miocic offers, truly at a loss for words when asked to explain how his two-fight tenure in the UFC has been. A staccato burst of expression is all he can muster. “It’s fantastic. I’m excited. It’s been great, and keeps getting better. Keep winning, that’s the name of the game.”

The chain reaction of changes to the UFC 146 fight card resulted in Miocic being presented with a third opportunity to step into the Octagon by filling the opening opponent slot opposite fellow undefeated prospect Shane del Rosario in the former Strikeforce standout’s UFC debut.

Getting the call on short notice doesn’t give Miocic any reason for concern, and he’s well aware that del Rosario is going to be looking to make a strong first impression when they collide Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“I’ve been training, so I’m in shape. He’s a gamer; he’s a tough dude, and I’m sure he’s going to come to fight. My coaches have been breaking videos down, but it’s hard to say (what’s going to happen) because he’s been out of the cage for a year-and-a-half after a terrible accident.”

After pushing his record to a perfect 12-0 with a first-round submission win over Lavar Johnson in February 2011, del Rosario’s car was struck by a drunk driver, forcing him to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Daniel Cormier, and press pause on his promising career until now.

Each win thus far has increased the attention on Miocic, and should he emerge from his meeting with del Rosario with a zero still holding down residency in his career loss column, the spotlight is sure to get even brighter. That kind of scrutiny can be unnerving for some, regardless of age and experience, but the former Division I All-American from Cleveland State University isn’t worried about succumbing to the pressures or buying into his own hype.

“(The key is) just having the right people behind you — coaches, family, and friends — and not worry about the hype,” says Miocic. “Just keep doing what you’ve been doing; the reason you got there.

“I just take it in stride, (and try to) keep getting better each fight. I have my coaches on me, telling me stuff to keep working on. I have no say in who I fight — they give me the call, and I’m fortunate and thankful that they’ve given me this fight at UFC 146. (It’s a great opportunity), but you’ve got to keep getting better, and keep winning. That’s what people want to see.”

Miocic gives a great deal of credit to the team of coaches and fighters he trains alongside as a part of the Strong Style Fight Team, a group that includes former UFC competitor Forrest Petz, and Bellator veterans Chris Lozano and Brian Rogers.

“We’re hard workers, and we’re a close, tight group with great coaching. (Head coach) Marcus Marinelli is phenomenal. He helps us get better at our games, and uses things that are going to help us, not just give us stuff that we should try. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, and he’ll think of something that would work in our arsenal.”

The 8-0 heavyweight prospect already possesses a solid arsenal, with his weapon of choice being the big right hand he used to halt De Fries’ unbeaten streak in Omaha, Nebraska earlier this year. After getting tagged with a couple early shots, Miocic seemingly decided, “Enough is enough” and went on the offensive, an explanation he agrees to with a laugh before elaborating.

“I just started off slowly, and I can’t do that. I thought he was going to take me down; I didn’t think about his hands too much. He hit me, but (it wasn’t anything) I wasn’t prepared for; I think I can take a punch. And then I hit him with the right hand.”

Simple as that — “and then I hit him with the right hand.”

That’s why heavyweights draw casual and hardcore audiences alike, and why the upcoming battle of the unbeaten prospect between Miocic and del Rosario might be the most intriguing fight on the all-heavyweight main card at UFC 146.

Miocic is eager to get back into the cage and test himself against his toughest opponent to date. But where some fighters are worried about living up to the hype, the talented heavyweight prospect is focused on one thing and one thing only.

“It’s going to be a war; I’m looking for a three-round war, and I’m expecting him to be tough as nails, but I’m going to get that W no matter how it ends. Decision, submission, knockout, I don’t care — just get that W.”

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Looking over Josh Barnett’s resume, the list of men he’s faced in his career is a mix of heavyweight royalty and tough, talented fighters a notch below the elite. After accumulating 31 wins over a 15-year career, you might be tempted to think that getting motivated is a challenge or that the end of the road is within sight for the 34-year-old catch wrestler.

Think again.

“I really like the sport, and I like training,” explains the articulate, well-spoken heavyweight. “When I’m not training for fights, I’ll often play with other martial arts like Silat or Panantukan, whatever I can get my hands on. I enjoy the movement, and the challenge of learning something new, and adding to the skills that I already possess.

“When it comes to the fighting, the prime motivation is that I want to be the best in the world. I’ve still got years left to do this, and I’m not gonna stop until I can’t do this anymore. When that athletic window is over, I’ll know it, and I’ll at least be able to say that I have no regrets.

“And (it’s also) because I really enjoy fighting,” adds Barnett with a slight laugh, echoing the sentiments shared in the “I Am A Fighter” video he recently filmed for Showtime. “I enjoy the violence, the combat. I like being in there having this guy trying to hurt me, and having the free rein to do whatever it takes to put this guy into the floor.”

Saturday night in San Jose, the guy he will be trying to put through the floor is undefeated former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier, as the pair square off in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Having already dispatched both Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov in dominant fashion, Barnett is one more win away from being the last man standing in the Strikeforce heavyweight ranks.

Achieving that feat will be no easy task.

Brought into the tournament as a replacement for Alistair Overeem in the semifinals, Cormier earned his place opposite Barnett with an impressive first round knockout victory over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Many viewed the Brazilian heavyweight as the favorite following his opening round dismantling of Fedor Emelianenko and Overeem’s removal from the competition, but Cormier used his superior movement and improved striking to rock the former Elite XC champion before earning the stoppage just ahead of the four-minute mark of the opening round.

It was the type of performance that elevates a fighter from prospect to contender, and while Barnett is acutely aware of the dangers Cormier presents, defeat is not an option when your mission is to establish yourself as the best heavyweight in the sport today.

“I’ve gotta win this tournament, and I’ve gotta beat Daniel, but it’s not just Daniel — I’ve gotta beat everybody that I get into the ring with. I can’t really allow for…”

Barnett’s voice trails off as he stops to put his thoughts on losing together.

“Not that I ever allow for losses to have any precedent or any sort of space in my life — I know that that is something that you have to accept — but I really try my utmost to keep that so far from even acceptance because I don’t want to allow the concept of losing, anything other than complete and utter victory to be foremost in my mind at all times.”

Save for Barnett and Cormier, the Strikeforce heavyweight division has been boarded up, though the Grand Prix champion will remain in the organization for at least one more fight after Saturday night.

For the most part, the best of the best in the big boy ranks reside in the UFC. It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of seeing Barnett return to the Octagon seemed impossible, but UFC President Dana White has said that he’d be ready to have Barnett join the rest of the former Strikeforce fighters on the UFC roster at the conclusion of the Heavyweight Grand Prix, win or lose.

Barnett last fought in the UFC more than a decade ago, departing after being stripped of the heavyweight title he won from Randy Couture following a positive post-fight drug test at UFC 36.

While most would assume returning to the UFC would be one of the chief goals of a fighter determined to establish himself as the best in his weight class, Barnett says not so fast.

Though he allows the current MMA landscape makes it very difficult for a fighter to considered the best in their respective weight class while competing outside the UFC — “Yes, to a degree, this is true.” — Barnett’s focus is on who he beats, not where he beats them.

“To beat all those guys is very important, and this may seem contradictory, but it’s not important to get back to the UFC. It’s important to be the best fighter I can be, and be as confident and devastating in the ring as possible, and the rest will work itself out.”

Comments like that are part of why Barnett remains an intriguing figure in the heavyweight ranks 15 years into his career. Not only does he deliver entertaining fights and pile up victories, the part-time pro wrestler also isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind, before he’s stepped in the cage or after he’s had his hand raised in victory.

“The inherent similarity is there, and it’s plain for all to see,” says Barnett of the relationship between wrestling and mixed martial arts. “It’s just that most fighters don’t have much personality or lack the ability to put it out there in a very interesting way. Not my fault.

“I’m gonna go out there and put my feelings out there, let the world know what I’m thinking, create interest, and give them something to hate or love, but nonetheless care about, and I don’t see any other way to really be the best I can be without bringing that part of the equation into play.

“I don’t think it’s for everyone — everyone’s going to find their own way to do it — but just gimme a mic, gimme a camera, and a room full of people, and that’s all I need. The stage is set.”

It is for Saturday night in San Jose, where Barnett will look to add another name to his impressive list of vanquished foes, and take another step towards reaching his goal of conquering the heavyweight division.

The man known to many simply as “Mayhem” is at a crossroads in his career.

Expected to enter the UFC opposite veteran Aaron Simpson at UFC 132 last July, Jason Miller was instead handed the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to coach Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite former TUF winner and top five contender Michael “The Count” Bisping.

Rather than having to work his way up from the middle of the pack in the 185-pound ranks, Miller was being given a shot at jumping to the head of the line. After more than three months of televised bickering between the two, fight night arrived, and the highlight of “Mayhem’s” performance was his entertaining walk to the cage.

Bisping dominated Miller, earning a stoppage win just past the midway point of the third round. Though it was the 44th fight of his career, Miller looked like a newcomer inside the cage, throwing awkward strikes, and fatiguing quickly.

The criticism came fast and furious, and from every direction, including the top of the UFC. Dana White openly pondered whether or not to keep Miller on the roster, and called the contest one of the most lopsided fights he’s ever seen. While many have pressed him for an explanation, the verbose 31-year-old veteran has refrained from saying much — if anything — about his performance.

“Nobody cares about your excuses,” blurts out Miller before the question is completed, knowing it will end at his decision not to discuss his December outing against Bisping. “The point is get in there and do it right, you know? I threw that fight away, and it was my fault. I’m not going to cry about it — I’m going to look forward, and win the fight on the 26th.”

After serving as one half of a highly anticipated main event in his UFC debut, Miller is back in the middle of the pack for his second outing, aligned with former Ultimate Fighter finalist C.B. Dollaway on the preliminary portion of UFC 146, the company’s annual Memorial Day weekend event.

Miller has no problem with the flood of criticism that flowed following the Bisping debacle, and not only did he completely understand White’s reaction to his performance, the former “Bully Beatdown” host has told the UFC President that if he offers up a similar showing against Dollaway, he’s calling it a career.

“Everybody likes to kick a guy when he’s down, but I don’t give a damn,” says Miller of the critical response to his performance from fans and media. “If I’m man enough to stand in front of my mom and the rest of the world and get my ass kicked, I think I’m strong enough to take some criticism from a guy who never laced on some gloves.

“I told (Dana) if I put on a show like that again, I’m quitting,” Miller says flatly. “That was ridiculous. That wasn’t me out there; that wasn’t me. I threw that fight away, and so it’s up to me to go ahead and really make a statement on the 26th. The best thing that ever happened to me is me getting beat up by Michael Bisping because I’ve approached my entire career in a completely different light.”

Like Miller, Dollaway will enter the Octagon with his back against the wall. After earning five wins in his first six post-TUF appearances, the 28-year-old Arizona native has dropped back-to-back contests, getting stopped by Miller’s teammate Munoz last March before falling to Jared Hamman last summer.

Though Dollaway has a 5-0 edge in UFC wins and five times as many appearances in the Octagon, Miller is thoroughly unimpressed with what his opponent has accomplished to date, and sees himself staving off early retirement with relative ease.

“I just look at who he’s fought in the past, and I look at — you know — I look at who he’s fought in the past, and how I match up with them, and I know that… this should be an easy night for me. On top of that, I trained my ass off. I’m not gonna make this a personal thing with the guy, but at the same time, I’m not gonna pretend to respect him.

“There’s a stark contrast between me and him. You can see that I’m mentally tough, and I’m a bit of a masochist, so I’ll take the abuse, and go through it. When the going gets tough, this guy quits, and I’m gonna make him quit.

“I shredded the fat out of my training camp,” Miller continues, explaining why things will be different this time around. “I was getting hung up on gimmicks, and having too many people crowded into my training camp. The good thing about losing a fight is that you lose a lot of quote-unquote friends. I got rid of the people who weren’t doing anything for me, and now I’ve focused on the core group of training partners who are going to make me successful.”

While the sarcasm and snark are ever-present, Miller’s brusque tone speaks volumes as well. Even if he sounds like he’s joking most the time, he’s acutely aware of how pivotal this fight is for his career.

With the loser of this fight possibly receiving a handshake and best wishes in their future endeavors, Miller knows nothing else matters other than coming away with the victory, including where this bout is in the lineup on fight night.

“I don’t give a damn (where I’m at on the card). When I’m inside the cage, I finally get to have fun. All the stupidness is over — all the cutting weight, every day going to practice, not eating what I want to eat, not drinking what I want to drink, you know what I mean? All the suffering is over. That’s supposed to be the performance part, so I don’t care where it is on the card. I don’t care if I’m fighting him in the back parking lot, Structure C; I’m going to fight just as hard.

“I’m going to knock his fart-face off, and I’m going to send him packing. There’s no way around it.”

It took 40 fights and nearly ten years for Carlo Prater to make his way into the UFC Octagon.

A veteran who has fought throughout North America and in his native Brazil, Prater had made a name for himself by taking tough fights on short notice, alternating between welterweight and lightweight throughout career, and his UFC debut would be no different.

When Siyar Bahadurzada was forced from his UFC 142 matchup with rising welterweight star Erick Silva, Prater was tabbed to replace him. Short notice or not, it was the opportunity the 30-year-old Brazilian had been working towards his whole career.

The bout lasted just 29 seconds, and while the record shows a victory for Prater, it wasn’t the type of outing he was hoping to have in his UFC debut.

Silva came out like a rocket, dropping Prater almost instantly, chasing him to the canvas with a torrent of lefts and rights in an attempt to finish the fight. As Prater tried to avoid punishment, Silva connected with a couple of borderline strikes, receiving a warning from referee Mario Yamasaki. Silva continued to land, and seconds later, the fight was over, but instead of a second consecutive UFC win in under a minute for middleweight champion Anderson Silva’s talented protégé, Prater took home a disqualification win, much to the dismay of the pro-Silva crowd assembled at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

“I didn’t want that,” says Prater, discussing his inauspicious UFC debut. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t want it either, but it is what it is; it happened. I was feeling an incredible amount of pain shooting down my arm at the time, and I wanted to get checked out. I didn’t care if I had won or lost; I just wanted to be well again.”

Four months later, the 30-10-1 Prater is prepared to return to the cage opposite Canadian TJ Grant in a lightweight contest he plans to use to make a much better first impression.

“I’m anxious with this fight to be able to move past that. It was an unfortunate incident, but I just use it as fuel to my fire. As soon as I was medically cleared, I got back to training down here, and have just ramped it up to another notch.

“I’ve hired different people (for this camp). I’m working with a whole slew of different professionals down here. I’m in incredible shape right now, very focused, and just looking forward to showing everybody why I was contracted in the first place.”

Don’t let Prater’s sub-30 second UFC debut fool you — the Brazilian is a talented and experienced fighter, having shared the cage with the likes of Melvin Guillard, Spencer Fisher, and Carlos Condit over the course of his career. A black belt in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and luta livre, Prater has been tough to finish throughout his career, while collecting half of his wins by submission.

Yet after suffering through a seven-fight stretch that yielded a 2-5 record, Prater knew he needed to make some changes.

“I’d say me being more a part of my son’s life (had a huge impact),” he explains. “I moved back down to Brazil, and he’s been a tremendous motivation to me over the last year-and-a-half. I take great pride in being able to be a father full-time, and that’s incredible motivation for what I do Monday through Saturday — being able to look at myself at the end of a long day, and say I did the best I could.

“I think (it also) had to do with me surrounding myself with more helpful relationships. I had a lot of relationships — friends, people around me outside of the gym — that just weren’t really pushing me as a professional. I needed to get serious at some point, and I had to take a long, hard, introspective look in the mirror, and get down to the core of what I am and what I do.

“I love combat; I love the huffing and puffing when I’m tired, and bloody, and so is he. I love the challenge of knowing I beat a man, and he was trying to beat me. I had to get away from certain influences and friendships. Other than that, I just focused more and more, listened to my trainers more and more, and do what they ask me to do. It was a shift in mindset and a shift in focus.”

Since dropping a unanimous decision to recent UFC newcomer Reza Medadi in October 2010, Prater rattled off four consecutive finishes to earn the call to replace Bahadurzada against Silva in January, showing the skill set that he hopes to put on display a week from today when he steps into the cage with Grant on the undercard of the UFC’s third event on FUEL TV on May 15th.

Though his controversial debut has been a dominant part of the narrative leading up to the card in Fairfax, Virgina, Prater prefers to heed the words of one of his trainers, and use this contest as the catalyst to a lengthy, successful stint as a member of the UFC lightweight division.

“I like to bring up something that my trainer always tells me. He’s like `Look man, your career starts now. You’re 0-0. Each fight is your first and your last fight.’ You have to look at it like that.

“When you’re fighting for the UFC, you’re no longer 30-10 or 5-1 or whatever your record was previously; you’re 0-0, and that’s every UFC fight you go into. After any fight, you can get canned, so that’s just something I always keep in the back of my head. I want to put on an incredible performance, and that’s what it is — it’s motivation more than anything.

“I relish this pressure,” continues Prater, who handed Carlos Condit the first loss of his career more than seven years ago. “I love fighting for the largest fighting organization in the world. As far as I’m concerned, I’m going to retire one day several years down the road as a UFC fighter. I have no plans on leaving the UFC ever; I want to make it my home, and make it a long, fruitful partnership for as long as I can. I want to be a UFC fighter for a long time to come.”

To keep that dream alive, Prater will need to deliver on against Grant, a tough Canadian veteran who earned a first round submission win over Shane Roller in his lightweight debut back in October. After struggling in his debut, Prater is confident his second appearance will prove he deserves to be inside the Octagon with the best the sport has to offer in the lightweight division.

“The last one was very much just me doing what I’ve done so many other times — taking hard fights against tough up-and-comers in a variety of weight classes on short notice,” admits Prater. “I’ve done that so many times in my career that I have that `screw it’ mentality, but it’s hurt me over the years, taking these really tough fights on short notice.

“And then you’re approached by the largest organization in the world, and every fighter’s dream is to fight for the UFC, including mine, so of course I was dying (to accept the offer). They could have offered me Jon “Bones” Jones, and I would have jumped at it; not that I’m saying I could beat Jon “Bones” Jones. I just feel one hundred percent more confident for this fight, knowing that I’ve put in all the work that needs to be done.”

After accepting a nightmare pairing with Silva on short notice for his debut, Prater has put in a full camp in preparation for his first fight in the UFC’s 155-pound ranks, and Grant profiles as a much better matchup for the Brazilian.

“I think that we’re going to match up well; it’s going to be a dynamic fight. He trades well, he’s a good grappler, and I’m the same. We’re both experienced and well rounded; we’re both cool and calm under pressure.

“It’s going to be a good fight — I can just tell. I think it’s going to be an exciting fight for the fans, and hopefully we put on a great performance, the card goes quick, and we get shown (on the broadcast).

“I’ve invested every cent that I have in this camp,” says Prater in closing. “I’ve taken no shortcuts. Everything I’ve ever been told I should do, I’ve done. I’ve got such a clear conscience at this point. I really like where I’m at right now, and I just want to be able to show everybody that I belong in the UFC, and I deserve to be in the lightweight division with the rest of the great fighters in the weight class.

“I’m going to go out there, give it my all, and let my training do the talking. I’m just really looking forward to May 15.”

Timing is everything.

Last year, as Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard remained locked into a trilogy atop the UFC lightweight division, a collection of fighters with championship aspirations built their cases for being next in line.

Among that group was Whippany, New Jersey native Jim Miller. A scrappy, blue-collar-to-the-core contender, Miller had put together a seven-fight winning streak since losing a decision to Maynard at UFC 96. The only other loss of his career came a little more than three years earlier against Edgar in a battle for the Reality Fighting lightweight title.

Injuries pushed back Edgar-Maynard 3 until October. In the interim, Miller was booked with another of those emerging contenders, former WEC champion Benson Henderson, in the co-main event of a Fight Night event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Though it played second fiddle to a welterweight fight between Chris Lytle and Dan Hardy, most everyone viewed Miller-Henderson as the real main event. UFC President Dana White had announced a victory would elevate Miller to the top of the list of challengers — a chance to rematch one of the two men that had beaten him previously in a battle for the lightweight title. All he had to do was get through Henderson.

It wasn’t meant to be. Henderson controlled Miller throughout their three round encounter, sweeping the scorecards and halting Miller’s seven-fight winning streak at the same time. Henderson would go on to earn a title shot later in the year, and he completed his climb to the top of the division with a victory over Edgar at UFC 144 in February.

Along the way, the large crop of contenders that had bottlenecked at the top of the division back in the summer had been whittled down substantially. Henderson had dispatched Clay Guida after defeating Miller, while Joe Lauzon upset Melvin Guillard, ending his solid run of success. In December, Nate Diaz collected his second consecutive win since returning to the lightweight ranks, halting Donald Cerrone’s steady climb up the rankings with a performance eerily similar to those his older brother Nick had been putting forth in recent years.

Miller returned in January opposite Guillard, a pairing that would allow the winner to bounce right back into contention. Headlining the UFC’s maiden voyage on the FX network, Miller made the most of his opportunity, surviving an early power shot from Guillard that planted him on his backside to choke out his enigmatic opponent just over two minutes into the very first round.

The victory earned him a pairing with Diaz on the top of the UFC’s third show on FOX, a shot at the lightweight title going to the victor.

“You know, timing definitely does come into play,” says Miller in his standard laid-back drawl. “There were a couple guys there that if the title situation didn’t get as backed up as it had that could have fought — myself, Melvin, even Cerrone with five impressive wins. It’s just the way that it works out some times.

“Losing in August doesn’t erase the nine prior wins that I have in the UFC; those are still there. I’ve done that work, so it might not be as long of a streak now, but I’ve still beaten all the guys that I’ve beaten.”

If Miller seems unaffected by the twists and turns in the road to the lightweight title, it’s because the 28-year-old married father of two has never made what he does in the cage out to be anything more than a job. Training and stepping into the Octagon is his version of a 9 to 5, and though he’s very good at what he does, Miller refuses to let his career define him.

“I’ve always been that type of person where I never got too carried away with it,” he explains. “I try to have a lot of things going, and do a lot of stuff. I’m real close with my family, and I always knew that no matter what I do — fighting is just a sporting event, and a job for me. The situation with my nephew is one of those times where it solidifies that there are bigger things than getting into the Octagon.”

Daniel James Miller Jr. is the son of UFC welterweight Dan Miller, Jim’s older brother. The two-year-old boy was born with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and is awaiting a kidney transplant. Having already had both of his kidneys removed in order to prepare for the transplant, Danny Jr. undergoes daily dialysis treatment, and will be on anti-rejection medications for the remainder of his life.

“He’s doing all right; he’s been a lot better lately,” Miller says as an update on his nephew’s condition. “They’ve finally got him infection free. Hopefully he’ll be back home soon, and they can get that transplant.”

Watching your nephew battle through that, it’s easy to understand why the ups and downs of a career in the cage don’t seem to faze the lightweight half of New Jersey’s Fighting Miller Brothers.

On a different level, it’s the same reason being one half of the headlining act in his home state doesn’t get much of an emotional response from Miller either. Whether he’s fighting as part of the main event in East Rutherford or the first fight of the night in Butte, Montana, the workmanlike lightweight with a 21-3 record is still going to approach the task at hand the same.

“As a fight, it’s the same thing,” says Miller matter-of-factly. “When I think of it as fighting my opponent and what it’s going to be like that night, it’s the same as any other thing — the door closes behind me, and my vision doesn’t extend beyond that cage. I’m still getting locked inside of a chain-link fence with another guy who has been training for months to punch me in the face.

“There has been a larger media presence because of being on FOX and being the main event, and in this area, so there is more to it than normal, but that’s what I want.”

Some fighters make no effort to hide their contempt for the media obligations that accompany being a UFC fighter. As he explains the taxing and sometimes frustrating schedule of events that awaits him during Fight Week, it’s clear that Miller would prefer to be anywhere else during his final few days of weight cutting, but the consummate professional will take his seat at the pre-fight press conference, and fulfill his obligation with a smile on his face.

After all, it’s a requirement when you rise to the position of potential title challenger and main event fighter, and that’s a position Miller is happy to hold at this point in his career.

“There’s been some media and stuff, but it hasn’t been a burden. Fight week is definitely going to be a little more hectic, and that’s when it counts; that’s when it will have an effect. Even the first couple days are easy, but it’s the day before weigh-ins when it starts.

“That’s usually when there is a decent amount of media going on, and that’s when we start feeling it. We as fighters usually do a good job of hiding it because it starts to take a toll on you, and you start to feel a little miserable. When the weight starts coming down, you’re a little bit anxious, a little bit antsy, and a little short, but it’s all part of the job.”

While making nice with the media is a piece of what he does for a living, stepping in the cage with Diaz on Saturday night is where he’ll really earn his keep, and potentially the title shot that has eluded him thus far.

The younger half of the Diaz Brothers has looked impressive since dropping back down to the 155-pound ranks following back-to-back losses in the welterweight division in the first half of 2011. Precise boxing, high punch counts, and a slick ground game have fueled his successful return; the same recipe that has turned his brother Nick into one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today.

Though he admits that Diaz will be a difficult challenge once the cage door closes, Miller is buoyed by the fact that the talented trash talker who won Season five of The Ultimate Fighter has struggled against opponents with a skill set similar to the one he will carry into the Octagon on May 5 at the IZOD Center.

“Nate is a very tough fight for anybody in this weight class; he’s as tough as they come, and very well trained. His boxing in his last fight was awesome, and cardio-wise, his volume of punches that he threw was pretty incredible to watch. He’s good on the mat too, so it’s a tough fight.

“I have some similar characteristics to guys that have beaten him, so that keeps my confidence up to where I know I just have to go in and fight my fight, do what I’m capable of, and put it to him because he has shown that little bit of weakness. It’s about trying to capitalize on that.”

Miller will be ready to put in an honest day’s work come fight night, just as he has in each of his previous 12 trips inside the Octagon. As for how he intends to deal with the trash talk that is likely headed his way in the days leading up to the fight, and once he and Diaz are alone in the cage?

“I honestly haven’t worried about it. I just completely disregard it, so it doesn’t matter to me. It’s not going to get a rise out of me.”

Listening to trash talk isn’t part of the job description.