NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jim Miller used a submission victory Saturday night to add to his record totals for UFC fights and career victories in his first return to the cage since his teenage son beat a rare form of childhood cancer.
A New Jersey native, Miller defeated Jared Gordon in a lightweight bout at UFC 328 with a rear naked choke at 3:29 of the first round and his family cheering him on from the Prudential Center. The 42-year-old Miller extended
his record with 28 career wins in 47 fights under the UFC banner.
Miller also earned his 20th finish, second most in UFC history.
Wyatt Miller, 14, was diagnosed last year with rhadbomyosacroma, a rare type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in soft tissue and is more common in childhood. Wyatt underwent two courses of chemotherapy and five weeks of proton radiation at Rutgers University Cancer Institute and was eventually given a clean bill of health.
“My son went through some really difficult times the last couple of months,” Miller said inside the octagon. “He ended up kicking the (heck) out of cancer. He’s all good today. He’s cancer free. One of the things I told him when he first got diagnosed was, Millers have been called a lot of names over the year, but fragile’s never been one of them. He fought his way through it.”
His son’s cancer scare kept him out of the cage for 13 months, an eternity for a fighter who made a habit of competing multiple times a year. Miller lost to Chase Hooper in his last fight at UFC 314 in April 2025.
Khamzat Chimaev puts his middleweight crown on the line against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event. Joshua Van defends his 125-pound championship against Tatsuro Taira in another title bout in UFC’s 11th stop in Newark, New Jersey.
The 24-year-old from Myanmar has won six straight fights and nine of 10 since he signed with UFC — no win bigger than his championship victory in December against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323.
UFC held its last major card before its June 14 show at the White House to fete President Donald Trump, a proud proponent of cage-match politics. The show is timed for Trump’s 80th birthday and as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump, who frequently attends major UFC events, was not expected Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
___
AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts
___
AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts
