A resolution for 2024: Turn Jim Miller’s hot take on The Beatles around on him. Have him pick a charity. Put it to a fan vote. Hit Jim’s dollar amount for the charity, and he’ll walk out to The Beatles at UFC 300. Make it happen.
Wait. Did I say that out loud just now? Ooops. Sorry. But screw it – let’s roll with it, Junkie readers.
Jim Miller, he of umpteen UFC records already, and no doubt a bunch more before he’s done, doesn’t seem to *hate* The Beatles, per se. But he certainly doesn’t get the global fascination and adoration with the British band for the past 60-plus years, either.
Translated to the MMA world, Miller’s take on the Fab Four would be like saying Georges St-Pierre was an OK fighter and all, but overrated because nearly half his wins were decisions. So that spot on MMA’s Mt. Rushmore? Forget it, GSP. And that’s just crazy talk.
This past week, Miller told MMA Junkie Radio he’s not about to soften his stance on The Beatles. He acknowledged their contribution to pop and rock music, but said he just doesn’t get it.
“They’ve got some really good songs, and they left a huge mark on rock ‘n’ roll and all that stuff,” Miller said. “The problem is, there are radio stations around me that play the ’12 o’clock Beatles block,’ and it’s like, they only have three good songs.
“Some of the other stuff is nonsense – they were on LSD when they wrote this stuff. It’s just gibberish. Now granted, it’s 2023 and there’s a lot of stuff on the radio that’s just gibberish. But I just feel like the quality of the music, and maybe the message of their music, more importantly, has been exaggerated because of the impact they had. I don’t think that their music is as powerful (as people think).”
Disclaimer: I’m older than Miller, but not by a ton. I wasn’t born yet when The Beatles broke up, so it’s not like I grew up on them and I’m of some older era of music and don’t groove on the new stuff. Hell, Miller usually walks out to songs that were from before he was born as it is.
I’m of the opinion that one of his regular walkout songs, “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)” by The Hollies, is about the most under-appreciated ’70s rock song there is. Give me that every day of the week and twice on Sunday over “Smoke on the Water” or “American Woman.” Miller clearly knows his sh*t walking to that over the years, or “Iron Man” by Sabbath or “Bad Moon Rising” by CCR. The man loves his classic rock, and that’s appreciated.
It just seems like he’s going to want to dig his heels in on this thing the way The Beatles “Dig a Pony.”
“I’d say they’re on the verge of great, but they’re not the greatest,” Miller said.
So we have all the facts, The Beatles had more than 60 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart over a six-year stretch, and 20 of those were No. 1 singles. They had 14 No. 1 albums in that same stretch. And invariably, they appear at No. 1 on more lists of music’s all-time greats than anyone else.
It’s just that Miller isn’t into it. He’s allowed to be wrong.
But he’s also not a “Fool on the Hill,” this whole Beatles thing aside, of course. For the right amount, he’d gladly make the walk to the cage at the upcoming historic UFC 300 backed by the boys from Liverpool. He’s not sure what song, though.
“I don’t know if there’s any (price). What song? I don’t know. I don’t know if it works (for a walkout song).”
What about for $100,000? Is there a song, then?
“Oh no, I’d take that in a heartbeat,” he said.
So here’s the deal, Mr. Miller: If you want to be in The Beatles business for one night only, and you’ve got a cause near and dear to you, name your price, and let’s get it in front of the world somehow. Hit your number for the charity, and the readers can vote on which Beatles song you walk to.
(And don’t worry … we absolutely will NOT let one of the songs be “I’m a Loser.” But maybe “When I’m 64,” since we collectively suspect you’ll still be fighting then?)
Gauntlet thrown down. Will the challenge be accepted?
Miller (36-17 MMA, 25-16 UFC) returns to work next week at UFC Fight Night 234 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He’ll try to build on a 23-second knockout of Jesse Butler this past July when he takes on Gabriel Benitez (23-10 MMA, 7-6 UFC). Miller has won four of his past five fights, including a pair of performance bonuses.
If he’s able to make the turnaround from UFC Fight Night 234 on Jan. 13 to fight at UFC 300 on April 13, he’ll be the only fighter to have fought on the cards for UFC 100 in 2009, UFC 200 in 2016 and UFC 300.
