Cole Miller: 'I'm just punching a clock'

UFC featherweight, Cole Miller speaks to his frustrations with his current position within the UFC.

As 2016 ticks to a close, mixed martial arts is in a very interesting place. The UFC has been sold to a still, mostly unknown group led by WME-IMG and fighters are openly questioning their value to the promotion. As more men and women test the free agency market; fighters are now having open conversations about their frustration with leadership in the UFC. Cole Miller may not be the biggest name on their roster; but his comments during an interview with Sherdog show some clear anger and angst towards the largest promotion in the industry.

Miller isn’t the most prominent name in the featherweight division. With nearly ten years in the promotion, he’s put together a 10-8-1 tenure. He’s been on the shelf since June and was even in the conversation to welcome B.J. Penn back to active MMA competition, but that fight fell through. To make matters worse, his next fight was scheduled for UFC Fight Night 97 in the Philippines but that event was canceled.

“It’s crap,” Miller said in reference to waiting for another fight. “I come and here and do a full training camp. Nine weeks away from my family and I think I profited $400, $500 bucks so that worked out pretty good for me. So now I have to do a second training camp to get paid for one. I don’t want to be here right now. It doesn’t make me want to fight harder for my family. It makes me want to fight less. It makes me want to quit and get a job at Starbucks. “

Miller was visibly upset during the interview and his anger was palpable. It mirrors the type of comments that men like Al Iaquinta and others have referenced in their struggle to find leverage in their careers. Many fighters, such as recent winner Ryan Bader, are testing the free agency waters in an attempt to have more control over their position. Miller wasn’t sure on his next moves.

“I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to do this training camp. I don’t want to do this session. Straight up, I don’t want to be here. Right now, I’m like anyone else going to work on a Monday and they don’t want to. I’m just punching a clock,” Miller said. “This is the last fight on my contract. I don’t even really think they want me fighting for them. Just by the way I’ve been treated. It’s not how you take care of your people. They will probably let me go even if I win.”

Miller is set to face Mizuto Hirota at UFC on Fox 22 on December 17.