Following his decision loss to CB Dollaway at UFC 146 and immediate firing, a somewhat depressed-sounding Jason Miller went on MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour to discuss his uncertain future, and the retirement that he promised if he lost to Dollaway. On the one hand, Miller seemed like he’d come to terms with his failure in the UFC and departure from MMA:
“I feel a little bit free, in a weird way…I know that sounds strange when I’ve devoted my entire life to fighting. I feel like life is unlocked for a whole new set of adventures…I don’t have the need to super-impress one person in particular and make them happy. I can focus on making myself happy. I don’t have the pressures of a commissioner chasing me around with a piss cup. I don’t have the pressures of everybody verbally abusing me for every one one of my missteps via social media. I feel like a weight is lifted…Every fighter gives the same answer when they say they’re retired. Pretty much every fighter says ‘I’m retired until I need money.’ But I’m a pretty smart dude, and I have a lot of avenues available to me.”
But at other times in interview, Miller’s down-in-the-dumps vibe came off as alarmingly self-destructive:
Yeah, I said I would [retire] and so I am. I didn’t get the job done and that’s what I’m saying. I’m done for right now. Who knows what the future holds but at the same time, what’s the point?…I’m looking for the next thrill. I’m thinking of just getting a life-insurance policy to be donated to charity and then just taking on some ultra-hazardous activities. Like, I’m gonna go jump off a bridge. [Helwani: “But jump off a bridge the safe way, right?”] With a condom on? Yeah, I was joking…I’m gonna BASE jump.
As for the “crazy shit backstage” that allegedly clinched his firing from the UFC, Miller explains that it was the result of a poorly-timed run-in with “Babysitter to the Stars” Burt Watson:
“It was my mask. Burt suddenly started yelling about my mask. I had a gas mask for the troops underneath my paper bag, and Burt started telling me right as I’m walking out for the fight. I’m trying to get focused instead of arguing about a paper bag. Maybe it was my fault for, I don’t know, I thought we had an understanding once I start walking out to the cage that now I’m working, but obviously we’re not on a playing field of mutual respect. I wish I would have heard about it before so it would be easier to deal with. But here I am walking to the cage, and suddenly I started getting yelled at. I’m like ‘what, I’m trying to focus here’.”
And so, Mayhem Miller rides off into the sunset, hopeful for what lies in front of him, even if it’s a tragically botched jump off a bridge. He didn’t quite go out on top, but at least he went out on his own terms, opting to skip the humiliating end-stage of many fighters’ careers where they’re fighting unknowns on regional cards and still getting KTFO’d. Personality goes a long way, but it’s not much of an advantage in a cage-fight; we support Miller’s retirement decision and look forward to his next cable-TV hosting gig.