After Foot Injury, Jim Miller Back in Gym With Hopes of Late Year Return

Jim Miller barely made mention of it when it happened or even since then, but during his UFC on FOX 3 main event match with Nate Diaz in May, he suffered what turned out to be a fairly significant injury. During the May 5 bout, Miller tore an extensor muscle in his foot. The soft tissue aids in flexing the foot upwards along with extending the big toe.

The injury left Miller in crutches and a walking boot, and now, nearly three months later, he will slowly begin his journey back to the octagon. Miller has just been cleared to return to light workouts this week, his manager Mike Constantino told MMA Fighting.

Constantino said that Miller would get back into his gym routine slowly, starting with pad work and light jiu-jitsu before seeing how the muscle responds. If all goes according to plan and Miller is cleared to handle the stresses of a 6-to-8 week training camp, Constantino is hoping to see him back in the cage around November or December.

"I would like to get him back in before the end of the year," he said. "He’s just easing his way back into it all. He had significant time off, so the first step is just to get him back in the gym consistently and then we’ll try to set something up."

Miller has long been regarded as one of the toughest men on the UFC's lightweight roster, once boasting a seven-fight win streak. He's also been one of its most durable, fighting 13 times since his debut with the promotion less than four years ago.

Prior to his defeat at the hands of Diaz, all of his losses had come to either onetime UFC champions (Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson) or No. 1 contenders (Gray Maynard). After Diaz defeated him in May, UFC president Dana White said Diaz would be the top contender and challenge for the belt after Henderson and Edgar rematch on August 11.

Miller holds a 21-4 overall record, with 10 wins in 13 career matches in the UFC's octagon.