NEW YORK – Jim Miller sure seems to find himself in the right place at the right time.

The 33-year-old lightweight vet has spent eight years in the UFC – no small feat on MMA’s biggest stage – and he’s found himself on some major cards.

The longtime contender, who looks for his third straight win following a rough 1-4 stretch, was part of the historic UFC 100 card (where he defeated Mac Danzig), he competed at the milestone UFC 200 show earlier this year (and scored a TKO victory over Takanori Gomi), and now the New Jersey native returns at Saturday’s mega-UFC 205 card, which marks the organization’s long-awaited New York City debut.

Miller meets former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves (21-10 MMA, 13-7 UFC), who drops to lightweight, in the featured UFC Fight Pass prelim ahead of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card, which takes place at Madison Square Garden.

So how does he feel about a spot on the UFC’s latest can’t-miss super show?

“Just excitement,” he told MMAjunkie. “This opportunity came by one of the other fighters (Al Iaquinta) dropping out. I had asked (UFC matchmaker Joe Silva) if I could fight by the end of the year, and this is the one he gave me.”

“It’s exciting to be part of history. It’s exciting to be a part of such a big card. I plan on leaving a mark on the card and the event and history.”

Can Miller make it 3-0 in major UFC shows? He’s currently a small underdog to Alves, but he expects – and wants – the best version of his opponent, who faces a likely grueling weight cut.

“It’s never fun cutting a lot of weight,” Miller said. “It always impacts you the following day. So we’ll see how he does. I plan on fighting the best Thiago Alves that’s ever stepped inside the octagon, and I plan on brutally beating him up. Like I said, I’m prepared for the absolute best. … I want the absolute best out of him.”

Check out the full interview above.

And for more on UFC 205, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.