Does UFC veteran Jim Miller suffer from Lyme disease?

Jim Miller's battle with Lyme disease started eight years ago. The UFC lightweight veteran revealed he didn't initially know he was suffering from it but said he was bitten by a disease-carrying tick in the spring of 2013.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease is reportedly caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii, carried primarily by black-legged or deer ticks.

Symptoms of Lyme disease include rashes, migraines, fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, neck stiffness, and in severe cases, neurological problems. For a professional fighter like Jim Miller, the effects of Lyme disease were devastating.

In a 2018 interview with MMA Junkie, Miller described his experience with Lyme disease as being drained of energy and having "brain fog." Needless to say, those symptoms interfered with Miller's ability to train and compete inside the octagon. Miller said:

"The journey that I’ve been on, it’s tough for me because I don’t want people to know,” Miller told MMA Junkie after his UFC 228 win. “I don’t want them to know what I’m going through. I don’t want them to experience it themselves, I don’t want them to have a loved one experience it. And the most messed up part is that my Lyme disease is not that bad, comparatively, to some people I’ve met. It sucks, and the last six or eight months I’ve felt pretty damn good. I’ve been able to train in a way that gets me ready to do my best inside the octagon. That’s something I hadn’t been able to do in a long time."

Watch Jim Miller talk about his struggle with Lyme disease:

Miller also shared that it was Lyme disease that derailed his career back in 2017. That year was the beginning of his four-fight skid against fellow contenders Dustin Poirier, Anthony Pettis, Francisco Trinaldo, and Dan Hooker.

---

Jim Miller defies Father Time

Thankfully, Jim Miller is no longer struggling with the effects of Lyme disease. The 38-year-old snapped a two-fight losing streak with an impressive knockout over newcomer Erick Gonzalez at UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont.

Miller, who holds the record for most appearances in the UFC, says retirement isn't something he considers at the moment. According to 'A-10,' his goal is to become the only fighter who competed at UFC 100, UFC 200, and UFC 300.