(Photo courtesy of FundaFighter’s Facebook page.)

On June 22nd, 2012, Dan Miller returned to the octagon for the first time in nearly a year against Ricardo Funch at UFC on FX 4. Winless since 2010, it looked like Miller’s UFC future could possibly be hanging in the balance if he did not turn in a successful performance in front of his hometown crowd. But as is the typical attitude of the Miller family when approaching any fight, Dan left it all in the octagon, battering and blistering Funch en route to a third round guillotine choke win.

As it turns out, the victory was more than just a step in the right direction for Dan’s MMA career, it was an indication of where things were headed in his personal life as well.

As you all know, the reason for Miller’s prolonged absence from the octagon last year was that of his infant son, Danny Jr., who had been diagnosed with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease, a condition that would require a $100,000 surgery and $10,000 a month in medication for at least the first year in order for Danny to stand any chance at recovery. The response from the MMA community was almost immediate, with everyone from the Firas Zahabi-founded FundaFighter program to former CP Sergeant-at-Arms Mike Russell establishing avenues for MMA fans around the world to contribute to Danny Jr.’s cause. Unsurprisingly, the most significant donations to the Daniel James Miller Foundation came from UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and president Dana White.

Well, Potato Nation, we are proud to report that not only was Danny Jr.’s surgery a success, but he is recovering smoothly as well, and has regained kidney function for the first time in over two years.

The Miller family’s reactions are after the jump.

The toughest fighter you’ll see all day. Pic via Daniel James Miller Foundation.

As you know, we’ve been following an unfortunate story regarding UFC middleweight Dan Miller‘s son, Danny Jr., who is suffering from polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and needs a kidney transplant. The transplant itself is going to cost $100,000, not to mention the additional $10,000 per month in medication for at least one year that is only partially covered by his insurance. We’ve been asking for your help with donations, and you have been generous to the cause so far.

The struggle is by no means over, but we’re pleased to learn that Daniel James Miller has a kidney transplant scheduled for late-January, according to MMAJunkie.com. The surgery was made possible by significant donations from UFC co-owners Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White.