Before he was able to pay his bills with fighting, Jason "Mayhem" Miller says he had a stretch of quite interesting jobs.
"I was fired continuously from jobs like being a porn store clerk. I worked at an illegal chop shop. I was a bouncer at a Vietnamese bar where I continuously got pepper sprayed," Miller tells MMAFighting.com.
That is not all. Miller, who constantly blurs the line between reality and fiction, claims one more job on his resume.
"I was a pimp, at one point," says Miller, adding "it's not as much fun as it sounds."
While pimping wasn't easy for Miller, it seems that fighting is. On Saturday, Miller (19-5) will face IFL standout Tim Kennedy at HDNet Fight's Reckless Abandon in Houston.
Miller and Kennedy [a late replacement for recently injury suspended Sean Salmon] will reprise their 2003 fight at Extreme Challenge 50 in Utah. That night Miller choked out Dennis Kang (27-9-1) before losing a decision to Kennedy (8-1), the eventual tournament victor, in the semifinals of the 8-man tournament.
On Saturday both men will be fresh, and Miller has something to prove.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold," says Miller, "with whipped cream and strawberries."
Through his unique way of keeping things surreal, and his exciting fighting style, Miller has found immense popularity. The Mayhem Monkeys, his large, warped version of an Internet fan club are perhaps the most dedicated fan following of any MMA fighter. When asked about the Mayhem Monkeys, Miller, who always seems to be joking, had the following to say:
"I almost don't want to talk about them. The Mayhem Monkeys are a vicious breed of internet predator, the kind that Chris Hansen can't even catch."
Serious for a minute, Miller says has come a long way since his worst memory in MMA.
"After one fight I went to the hospital under a fake name to get my face stitched up," Miller says, "When I left, I just drove my van a few blocks, parked and went to sleep, because that was my house."
Miller says that he lived in his van for approximately a year before his alleged stint in pimping landed him at the home of a female friend.
"I'm not proud of it," says Miller of his past,. "It's unfortunate that it happened. I don't recommend that any other people do that."
Miller is best known for his hard fought decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in 2005 at UFC 52 in Las Vegas. Aside from Pierre, the 26 year old has faced other top competition. Miller owns a victory over Robbie Lawler, whom he submitted to become the Icon Sport Middleweight Champion in February 2006. Mayhem lost the Icon Belt when he was KO'd by Frank Trigg in December of last year.
Nowadays Miller resides in Hollywood. With his fight career blooming, as well as a show on Sirius Satellite Radio, and working with the Triumph United clothing line, Miller is a busy man.
"I have a lot of fires burning," says Miller, "but I wouldn't want it any other way."
Regardless of the distractions, Miller says that when it comes time, he focuses all his energy on fight preparation. "When I'm training for a fight, I'm training for a fight. There are no excuses come win or lose. I put all my effort into training."
Miller trained at Team Quest in Temecula in preparation for his fight against Kennedy.
"Training camp is like a long hallway with boots and bats," says Miller. "It's like you're running down the hallway and every now and then you get hit in the face with the bat or booted in the balls."
It is statements like Miller's portrayal of training that separate him from the majority of his fighting counterparts. He is never afraid of saying something ridiculous, hilarious, or often times both. Miller is politically incorrect at a time when a majority of pro athletes are preoccupied with their image.
Not that Miller isn't conscious of his image. It's just that his image is, simply put, weird. His ringside entrances are a testament to that. Miller has ran the gamut with his entrances; doing things like throwing fake cash in the air and break dancing, or donning a "Jason" mask and knife. Its all part of his larger than life persona, and it all seems to be working out for him.
Miller's prediction for how the fight with Kennedy will go down attests to his lunacy.
"I think Tim's going to come out like a Mac truck, and I'm going to have slow him down, much like Spiderman would."
Taking the bait, the question is asked.
How would Spiderman do it?
"With webs," answers an incredulous Miller, "don't you watch anything?"
Saturday night, the MMA world will definitely be watching "Mayhem," wondering just what it is he will do or say next.
"I was fired continuously from jobs like being a porn store clerk. I worked at an illegal chop shop. I was a bouncer at a Vietnamese bar where I continuously got pepper sprayed," Miller tells MMAFighting.com.
That is not all. Miller, who constantly blurs the line between reality and fiction, claims one more job on his resume.
"I was a pimp, at one point," says Miller, adding "it's not as much fun as it sounds."
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Miller and Kennedy [a late replacement for recently injury suspended Sean Salmon] will reprise their 2003 fight at Extreme Challenge 50 in Utah. That night Miller choked out Dennis Kang (27-9-1) before losing a decision to Kennedy (8-1), the eventual tournament victor, in the semifinals of the 8-man tournament.
On Saturday both men will be fresh, and Miller has something to prove.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold," says Miller, "with whipped cream and strawberries."
Through his unique way of keeping things surreal, and his exciting fighting style, Miller has found immense popularity. The Mayhem Monkeys, his large, warped version of an Internet fan club are perhaps the most dedicated fan following of any MMA fighter. When asked about the Mayhem Monkeys, Miller, who always seems to be joking, had the following to say:
"I almost don't want to talk about them. The Mayhem Monkeys are a vicious breed of internet predator, the kind that Chris Hansen can't even catch."
Serious for a minute, Miller says has come a long way since his worst memory in MMA.
"After one fight I went to the hospital under a fake name to get my face stitched up," Miller says, "When I left, I just drove my van a few blocks, parked and went to sleep, because that was my house."
Miller says that he lived in his van for approximately a year before his alleged stint in pimping landed him at the home of a female friend.
"I'm not proud of it," says Miller of his past,. "It's unfortunate that it happened. I don't recommend that any other people do that."
Miller is best known for his hard fought decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in 2005 at UFC 52 in Las Vegas. Aside from Pierre, the 26 year old has faced other top competition. Miller owns a victory over Robbie Lawler, whom he submitted to become the Icon Sport Middleweight Champion in February 2006. Mayhem lost the Icon Belt when he was KO'd by Frank Trigg in December of last year.
Nowadays Miller resides in Hollywood. With his fight career blooming, as well as a show on Sirius Satellite Radio, and working with the Triumph United clothing line, Miller is a busy man.
"I have a lot of fires burning," says Miller, "but I wouldn't want it any other way."
Regardless of the distractions, Miller says that when it comes time, he focuses all his energy on fight preparation. "When I'm training for a fight, I'm training for a fight. There are no excuses come win or lose. I put all my effort into training."
Miller trained at Team Quest in Temecula in preparation for his fight against Kennedy.
"Training camp is like a long hallway with boots and bats," says Miller. "It's like you're running down the hallway and every now and then you get hit in the face with the bat or booted in the balls."
It is statements like Miller's portrayal of training that separate him from the majority of his fighting counterparts. He is never afraid of saying something ridiculous, hilarious, or often times both. Miller is politically incorrect at a time when a majority of pro athletes are preoccupied with their image.
Not that Miller isn't conscious of his image. It's just that his image is, simply put, weird. His ringside entrances are a testament to that. Miller has ran the gamut with his entrances; doing things like throwing fake cash in the air and break dancing, or donning a "Jason" mask and knife. Its all part of his larger than life persona, and it all seems to be working out for him.
Miller's prediction for how the fight with Kennedy will go down attests to his lunacy.
"I think Tim's going to come out like a Mac truck, and I'm going to have slow him down, much like Spiderman would."
Taking the bait, the question is asked.
How would Spiderman do it?
"With webs," answers an incredulous Miller, "don't you watch anything?"
Saturday night, the MMA world will definitely be watching "Mayhem," wondering just what it is he will do or say next.
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