Jim Miller says his new UFC deal was never signed, days before UFC 334

Jim Miller says the five-fight contract Dana White announced in May was never signed. He told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn in an interview posted on Tuesday. According to MMA Junkie, he has no contract or bout agreement for Saturday's fight with Terrance McKinney at UFC 334.

"At the moment I think it's just all verbal."

The fight is still on. It's on the prelims at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 14, according to UFC.com. It will be Miller's 48th UFC fight, the most in the promotion's history.

We found no public response from the UFC or White as of Wednesday. Fight week media and the post-fight press conference are White's next chances to address the contract.

What White said in May

Miller submitted Jared Gordon at UFC 328 in Newark on May 9. Afterwards, White told the press conference, per UFC.com:

"Tonight was the last fight on his contract, and we just signed him to five more fights."

White said matchmaker Sean Shelby wanted a four-fight deal and he made it five. No terms were released, and outlets such as Cageside Press reported a signed extension on White's word. Miller's account contradicts that, though his "I think" leaves some room.

Miller has been here before. Before UFC 276 in June 2022, he told BJPENN.com that "the UFC is having me fight out my contract." He reportedly signed a new deal the day before the fight, according to Cageside Press, then beat Donald Cerrone.

Bantamweight Elijah Smith told Ariel Helwani on Tuesday what his manager had told him about his own expiring deal. "They're not doing anybody's contract that's outside of the top 15," Smith said, per MMA Mania. That is second-hand, and the UFC hasn't confirmed it.

We think the bigger issue comes after Saturday. Miller plans to retire after his 50th UFC fight, BJPENN.com reported. If he's right that the deal is only verbal, he has nothing in writing for those last two fights.

The fight

Miller is 39-19 with one no contest, and 28-18 (1 NC) in the UFC. Both his bout count and his win total are UFC records, per the list of UFC records. He turned 43 in August, according to AP. The Gordon win, a first-round guillotine, ended a 13-month layoff.

McKinney is 18-9, and 8-6 in the UFC. None of his UFC fights has reached a decision. King Green stopped him with one second left in the first round in July. Green also beat Miller, at UFC 300.

Miller is the underdog again. He opened at +169 and sits around +164, with McKinney near −200. With the bookmakers' margin removed, the market gives McKinney about 64%, per our fight page.

Miller has paid off as an underdog lately, winning at +178 against Damon Jackson in November 2024 and at +215 against Gordon in May. Staking one unit at the closing price, he is up 4.11 units over 13 UFC fights with odds since 2020, according to his CageOracle page. That is a small sample.

On Just Scrap Radio, he said the booking was "one of the easiest matches Sean could make" and that he accepted within about 90 seconds, per BJPENN.com. He called McKinney "a dangerous, exciting fighter." The prelims start at 7 p.m. ET.