Jim Miller Prepared To Put Friendship With Frankie Edgar Aside For Shot At UFC Title

Source: The Fight Business

Jim Miller has plenty of history with both UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and current No. 1 contender Gray Maynard.

And while Edgar and Maynard will settle their feud later this year in the third meeting between the two, Miller (20-2) must remain focused on his upcoming opponent and not talk of a title shot looming on the horizon.

This Sunday, from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Miller meets former WEC champion Ben Henderson at UFC on Versus 5.

A win over Henderson will be eight in a row for Miller and give him a 10-1 mark during his stint in the UFC, something that both him and his brother, Dan, feel make him the next in line for a shot at the crown.

"A win over Ben would make me the fastest to 10 wins in the UFC," Miller said. "I would hope I would start getting the recognition those other guys that hold those streaks have get."

Dan, who is a middleweight for the UFC, echoed those statements.

"He has beaten just about everybody and deserves it (a title shot)."

But, when asked who he'd rather fight for the title, Miller had interesting reasons.

"I am friends with Frankie. He is a great guy and we trained together pretty regularly. He made me a better fighter," Miller said. "So I am loyal in that aspect because he helped me advance my career. It is nothing personal, but if we have to fight, we have to fight. The last one was a fun fight and I am sure it would be exciting."

Miller and Edgar fought at Reality Fighting 14 in 2006. Edgar claimed a decision victory, handing Miller his first career loss after five wins.

Maynard and Miller met at UFC 96 in 2009. Again, Maynard claimed a decision victory.

"As a contender, I am a little bit more bitter about the fight I had with Gray," Miller said. "I made some mistakes in my training leading up to that fight, and personally, I would rather fight him."

First, though, Miller knows he needs to take care of Henderson, who is also a very accomplished fighter as evident by his 13-2 record.

"It is going to be a tough fight," Miller said. "I feel like I have the advantage in most areas. I am going to put pressure on him, try to beat him up and break him."

UFC on Versus 5 takes place this Sunday, August 14 from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Don't forget to check back on Sunday for FightLine.com's live coverage of the event.