A pelvic injury wasn’t the only thing keeping this UFC 328 star out of commission for the last year or so. The main reason, as he revealed, was his 14-year-old son’s strenuous battle with cancer. His son, however, has won that battle. And now, it’s the father’s turn, as he prepares to make his comeback to the cage at UFC 328, headlined by Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland. 

Jim Miller last appeared in the Octagon back in April 2025 when he dropped a decision loss to Chase Hooper at UFC 314. The 42-year-old, a veteran in the promotion, suffered a pelvic injury after the fight and had to accept the layoff. But it wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did had it not been for his son’s battle with cancer, since his entire focus turned from fighting to taking care of his son. 

“My older son, my 14-year-old son, ended up having some health issues,” Miller told BJPENN[dot]com. “He kicked its a—. We had a really tough six months, the last three months of last year and the first three months of this year. I couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. He’s amazing, he’s an amazing young man, he makes me proud every day.

“He was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a very aggressive and very rare childhood cancer. He had a tumor tucked into his sinus and eye socket. Frontally, location-wise, it was probably in the best spot it could be. It popped right out when he did the biopsy. But he still had to go through the two rounds of chemotherapy and a round of radiation.”

Miller revealed that radiation therapy lasted for five weeks, and his son had to go through it every day at Rutgers,” an hour and a half away from their home. The 42-year-old claimed he was training for a fight when his son’s radiation treatment began. But despite the obstacles, Miller confessed that he loves what he does and was thankful he was beside his son to support him.

On May 9, Miller will face Jared Gordon on the preliminary portion of the card. While it’s yet to be seen whether over a year out of the cage has had an impact on Miller, Gordon hasn’t fought in the last seven months. ‘Flash’ last fought back in September last year when he dropped a third-round TKO loss to Rafa Garcia. 

In any case, during this time of adversity, Jim Miller found stability and peace in one thing and one thing only. 

Jim Miller was ready to exploit every UFC relationship

When he first heard about his son’s diagnosis, he confessed that he was ready to approach the UFC, Dana White, or anyone he thought could help him. However, when the doctors assured him that his son was in good hands, he switched up his schedule to give his son the maximum time he could. 

But throughout this journey, only one thing could keep his sanity intact. And that was training. 

“For my own sanity, I needed to get in there and train,” Miller said. “And I’ve been in the gym for months now, not full-on fight camp, but it is healing to choke somebody sometimes.”

Thankfully, his son overcame the cancer, and now, Miller is headed to UFC 328. He will be looking to secure a win. Not just to bounce back from his last loss, but for his son, who defeated the toughest opponent anyone can face. 

It’s tough enough to suffer on your own, but when your family is suffering, most people feel helpless. Jim Miller and his son have overcome that adversity, and all that is left is to overcome an opponent this weekend.