Squared contract, Miller took three weeks to travel, visit friends and of course jiu-jitsu, then he was back in the gym for what was a long but productive training camp.
“I’ve never looked stronger or sharper,” said the 26-year-old, who seems too young in her career – and in her life – to have it all like this, but admits she’s still in progress.
“I think the fight, in and of itself, is a roller coaster,” she said. “If someone says they get along all the time, I’d say you’re lying. It’s an emotional rollercoaster for me. I really want to win and I want to prove myself. But also, if I trained hard non-stop for six months, your body would start to break down. So it’s definitely been a learning curve for me to find a healthy middle ground where now I’m heading out there I’m excited I’m strong I’m not burnt out so I had to take a few days off. And learning when to slow down and when to speed up has been quite a journey. And I don’t think I have it yet. However, I think I’m smart enough to know that it’s not just fun. It’s my job.”
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It’s usually a step that takes a few losses on the big stage for a fighter to understand, so the San Diego native is already ahead of the game, and knowing that’s how she makes a living now, she’s willing to make the sacrifices necessary to not be the one on the production line dialing the numbers, but soon to be the one in the executive suite making the decisions with a championship belt on the desk.
“I take this very seriously,” Miller said. “Plus, I want to be the best in the world. When I have that drive and focus, there’s very little I’ll pay attention to other than that. I’m so focused on the fight that I’ve missed family events, people going out to dinner, my friends; I don’t care about any of that as much as I care about winning. I think I kind of became a grandma during fight camp because all I want to do is study and I don’t care to go out. And I’m really grateful for this opportunity. And I will say I have a chip on my shoulder in that I feel like I have to prove myself.
