The windshield wipers are working at a frenzied pace and it's just enough to stay ahead of the torrent hitting the glass. It's been this way for the past 25 minutes. The storm is simply relentless.

What started out as patches of mountain mist coming up around The Poconos unleashed into a full-on frog strangler by the time the tires of the SUV hit Northwestern New Jersey. In five minute intervals the radio broke into national weather alerts and rolled off a list of counties that had little to no bearing on a car full of travelers.

Yet, while the information fell to the wayside, the length of the broadcast and the piercing screech of that unmistakable static did enough to keep the tension right where it needed to be.

And just when it seemed as if the rain would carry on without end, the storm broke just enough for everyone to catch their breaths. It was right about then when a text message came through.

"Someday you are going to be able to tell your grandkids about the time you came to New Jersey and Jim Miller braved a power outage and a vicious storm but still put dinner on the table."

While my offspring's offspring was far out of scope, the point of the message stood true. The type of weather hovering overhead was of the variety that made folks in this part of the country batten down the hatches, but gale force winds and lightning weren't going to stop Miller from seeing things through.

The UFC lightweight staple is ironborn. He's forged from salt-of-the-earth, blue-collar stock that is commonly found in the place where the Rust Belt ends and Appalachia begins. Even with all the talents he possesses as a fighter, his work ethic shows through as one of his strongest attributes, and that's a testament to lineage.



Miller is as naturally stubborn as he is tough, and those elements combine to make him a man who gets things done at all costs.

And while family tragedy and personal illness would also hit the table that evening outside of Sparta, first and foremost was a well-balanced dinner he'd prepared.

After a quick detour caused by a downed tree on Route 15, we finally arrived at the destination. The rain had let up completely by that point, but the thick of trees shading Miller's house swished around under the weight of the wind.

No sooner did the car door shut when the front door of the house popped open and Miller's eldest son, Wyatt, came out to properly greet his guests.

"Hey guys," he said with a smile. "What took you so long?"

****

After a round of hugs and handshakes, the Miller house kicked into high gear.

Half of the children were playing in the living room while the other half were taking turns jumping off the deck in the backyard. Where some parents are of the helicopter variety, that's not how Jim and Angel run things.

They know their kids have Miller blood and bones, and that mettle is proven and certified.

Scattered conversations line the dining area and kitchen, which sets the perfect welcome as Mike Miller walks through the door. A mountain of a man, therefore he has to maneuver through the doorway, and when he does so the sling on his arm becomes visible, and the closer he gets, it becomes clear having to wear it at all is a pain in his ass.

As it would turn out, the Miller patriarch had a misstep during a recent project where he fell off a ladder and hit the ground, landing on a small boulder in the garden. The impact broke three of his ribs in two places and tore his shoulder to pieces. Nevertheless, Miller was able to get to his feet and literally attempted to walk it off, and had he been able to bend over or breathe, most certainly would have attempted to rub some dirt on it.

Fortunately for the Miller family, Dan was able to get there quick, with Jim soon to follow, and his two sons convinced him to go to "the damn hospital."



With the focus of the conversation on personal health, things shifted to the youngest Miller brother's recent bout with Lyme disease. He had been battling the affliction for the better part of two years but only recently revealed his condition following his win over Takanori Gomi at UFC 200.

"The last thing I wanted was for anyone to think I was making an excuse," Miller said. "I tried my hardest to just fight through it and had some poor performances because of it. My body just wasn't right, and it was so frustrating to not be able to do what I knew I was capable of. But that's before I really knew what was going on with me. It was all very hard to deal with."

On top of being one of the most active fighters in what is arguably the most competitive division under the UFC banner, Miller is a family man and a businessman to boot. He and Dan had opened their own gym to keep their training closer to home, and Jim's disease began to wreak havoc in all areas.

"I've been fighting for a very long time, so I'm used to everything hurting a bit, but I can deal with that," Miller said. "But I would wake up in the morning and my entire body would just light up with shooting pain. I'd tough out the spell and go about my day and out of nowhere would lose all of my energy. When that happens, you can't focus, and it affects your mood toward everything.

"I have a career where I have to train constantly. I have a family. I have a business to run. I have all of these things that need my attention and I'm leaning up against the wall. It was a nightmare, and I'm so happy to finally be coming out on the other side of it."

Even though Miller made his situation public post-UFC 200, there were visible signs of changes in the lead up to Las Vegas. He'd sounded rundown in pre-fight interviews before bouts with Michael Chiesa and Diego Sanchez, and hindsight revealed good cause.

If simply getting out of bed is a struggle, then surviving a full practice must have been hellish, but verbalizing it sounds like an excuse, and Miller would never allow himself that out.

Yet, two weeks out from facing Gomi, there was a noticeable difference in his delivery and the scope of the message he sent across the wire. Things were turning around, and the momentum had already been building.

The energy that pulsed through that particular conversation was an extension of the man who stormed through Indianapolis on a whirlwind trip where he became a karaoke sensation and came off the top rope with a double axe-handle at a local professional wrestling show in Lasalle, Illinois, in late April. 


Miller was feeling like himself again going into UFC 200, and the results showed that night inside the Octagon. The nasty, rugged, fierce and, most importantly, capable version of the lightweight fixture reemerged, and Gomi paid the price.

"To be honest, it was a bit tough to roll through Gomi like that because I have admired him for so long," Miller said. "He was one of the first guys I watched that made me fall in love with the sport and it was an honor to get in there with him. That said, there was nothing that was going to stop me that night.

"I'd been stepping in there in a lesser state for almost two years, and that night I felt the way I should always feel. I know I can beat any 155-pound fighter in the world when I'm at my best, and getting my hand raised after getting a first-round stoppage was invigorating. It felt great to be back."

****

Miller may be coming out of his illness, but he won't shy away from the damage done by the rough patch in his career. He's a man who takes a tremendous amount of pride in what he's been able to accomplish inside the cage, and simply being a tough customer isn't enough to quell his ambitions.

In the same turn, Miller is also a realist. He knows how the game works and is determined to reestablish himself as a major player in the lightweight mix. The only way to move forward is to win, and that's what he'll be looking to do against Joe Lauzon Aug. 27 at UFC on Fox 21.

"This was a fight the UFC really wanted and it was a helluva lot of fun the first time around so why not?" Miller said with a smile. "Joe is a tough guy who always shows up to fight and I'm the exact same way. We put on a great show in our first go and I have no doubt this next one will have fans talking the same way.

"I'm hoping for another great scrap and bloodbath, but I'd like less of mine to be on the canvas in Vancouver."



With that statement the lighter side of Miller takes over and holds court for the rest of the evening. The whimsical version Miller has put on display in recent months has been a smash-hit with fight fans who were led to believe he was a no-nonsense country boy who lived in the woods and only wore clothes fashioned in Mossy Oak.

While his affinity for camouflage may be true, there is so much more to Miller beyond the fight game.

"My career and my family are pretty much the only two things I take seriously," Miller said. "I like to keep things pretty light, and I think that throws people off if they don't really know me. The guys at the gym certainly know because I'll bust out in full song and dance at the end of a training session because training pretty much sucks and you have to break things up.

"I'll go one step further and also add karaoke to the list of things I take seriously. I'm a powerhouse on the microphone and really could have been a sensation during the Journey and WHAM years, man. But that's just another struggle, you know? Being born in the wrong time and all. I could have been blowing away the masses with my power vocals, but instead I have to punch people in the face for a living.

"I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all," he added. "Wait...I don't know if that sounds right so don't put that in there. Sh*t. I shouldn't have said that, because now I know you're going to put it in there."



Miller's foresight would prove true, but perhaps those are the mystic powers one develops in Parts Unknown when The Ultimate Miller is summoned. The following day the beast would be unleashed and captured on video for a legendary cameo appearance, but that magic was still a dozen hours away.

In the here and now the night had grown long and a syrupy post-storm darkness had closed in on the rural New Jersey countryside. The storm that raged prior had faded, but the tailwinds remained as invisible tree branches sang out overhead.

There was a calmness that lingered, and it was peaceful in the moment goodbyes were exchanged on the front porch. The destructive force that ran through hours before was gone, and everything appeared to be returning to its normal state.

Miller's temperament was fitting in that moment, as everything in his life also felt as if it had returned to where it should be. He was tranquil and appreciative, yet already looking ahead at what comes next.

He was Jim Miller again, and the fight game is better off for it. He's sacrificed and endured, bled and achieved, all for the love of this thing we all share. Through it all Miller has stood tall and he believes the proper conditions for a comeback are all in place.

The calm before the next storm arrives.

"Things seem OK now," Miller added. "But this is how things look before a tornado shows up."

Leaving things on a light hearted note. That's who Jim Miller has been all along.