The Tiny Warrior

Don't poke fun. The punches come fast and low. I know from experience. Johnny, sorry about the Willow picture. Please don't kick my ass... again.

As the rest of you may or may not know, Johnny "The Mechanic" Miller is a much better fighter than I am Journalist. A while back I was given a contract to write for the Close-Up portion of The Salt Lake Tribune, but couldn't imagine myself doing local reporting on the side. However, in one serendipitous swipe, Johnny and I each got a chance to shine.

After Becca was kind enough to tranq us, tag us, and drag us (unconscious and tongues lolling) back into their wonderful group of friends, we started catching up. (I joke in an effort to mask my nerdy giddiness at being invited to sit at the cool kid table!)

I realized that Johnny is even more serious about fighting than ever and thought - in the spirit of reacquaintance - to contact the editors of Close-Up and pitch a story about Utah's smallest cage fighter. They loved it.

I sent in the story today and they are running it. They didn't set an exact publication date, but when I know, you'll know. They even fueled my addiction for long-winded prose by accepting the piece 32 words too long.

Headline, photo and editing pending, here is a sneak-peak at the story...

Johnny "The Mechanic" Miller doesn't look like much of a fighter. If you ran into him at the park, you'd probably find the auto-shop manager pushing his daughter on the swings during a rare day off.

Barely tipping the scales at 135, Miller doesn't fit the stereotype of a cage fighter. Despite his vigorous training regiment and healthy appetite, Miller still falls shy of even the Featherweight class.

"Yeah, sometimes it makes it tough for my trainer to line up fights," Miller said. "I almost always end up fighting someone from a heavier class."

These menial details have not curbed Miller's passion for the ring. Trying to convince him that he lacks the build for the cage is like telling Rudy that he's too small to play football.

Does the issue of stature hinder Miller after the bell rings? Apparently not. If anything, his opponents run a greater risk by underestimating Miller and succumbing to overconfidence.

"Watching Johnny step into the cage is like seeing a Geo Metro pull up to the line," explained CJ Mansfield, close friend of the fighter. "You might be guilty of chuckling until the light turns green and you realize there's a v8 under the hood."

Miller's last fight - during Throwdown II at the Mackay Events Center - ended with a victory only four minutes into the first round.

Not all of Miller's fights have left him smiling. The most crushing defeat took place during his first exhibition fight. Strangely enough, the disappointment stemmed from a complete absence of blood on the mat. Miller never got to unleash his countless hours of training because the challenger failed a drug test and forfeited.

"He was devastated," said Becca Miller, Johnny's wife. "What a bummer that was. All that training, starving, and mental preparedness to go without fighting...lame."

“I would love to be the 135lb champ not only in Utah but on the bigger scale,” Miller said about his plans within Utah's Mixed Martial Arts scene.” I want to be the champ at the highest level of competition for my weight class - World Extreme Cage Fighting.”

When asked what compelled him to take up fighting, Miller said, “I grew up in Canada and have always had a passion for doing anything physical and competitive. I got married and settled down in Utah where I met some great friends who were getting into MMA training and invited me to join. After three years a lot of hours in the gym I started to wonder about my abilities. If I’m constantly training with guys much bigger and stronger than me then what kind of threat could someone my size really pose?”

“MMA has definitely increased my self control and my respect for other people,” Miller said about the mental aspect of fighting. “In our gym we pay respects [bow] every time we get on or off the mats, spar or train with each other and every time we enter the ring to fight. It shows that you respect the person and acknowledge that they are giving you their body, time, and energy so that you can learn. I’ve never been a violent person so I don't look for fights outside of the ring.”

“I train at Bernales Institute with Khru Will Bernales and with a lot of the other great instructors,” Miller said about his training process. “Chris Wells (wrestling/takedown) Mike Diaz (Jiu-Jitsu) and a whole lot more. I also train at Mushin self Defense with Khru Brian Yamasaki and Brandon Kiser. Even if I never fight again I will always train with them.”

Miller loves spending time with wife Becca and daughter Olivia. “I think family is the most important thing in life. I really am just a regular guy who happens to have a passion for fighting.”

*** Not yet part of the article, but I also asked Becca:

Becca, how do you cope with watching your husband and father of your daughter climb into the cage?

I think that I can speak for most of our close family and friends, as well as myself, when I say that it is a bit nerve-racking to watch Johnny fight. On the other hand it is a relief to know that everytime Johnny climbs into the cage he is completley prepared both mentally and physically for each fight . Johnny is a very calm and relaxed fighter watching him battle so calmly is very reasuring, I know that he is strong enough for anything!. Johnny is truely passionate about training and fighting, because it is something he loves I completley support him with all of his MMA goals!

-----  Nov. 7 - Update ----

Just got off the phone with the editor running the story. They plan on running it November 14!