LAS VEGAS – Jared Gordon can breathe a little easier knowing he won’t have to dwell too long on his latest misfortune.

Things haven’t been easy for the UFC lightweight veteran, who’s coming off a controversial decision loss to UFC star Paddy Pimblett and most recently a no contest ruling after he was accidentally headbutted and knocked out by Bobby Green in April (the fight was ruled a no contest).

Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) admits things haven’t been going well, and that’s been hurting him.

“I was lost for a little bit after Bobby,” Gordon said at UFC on ESPN 45 media day on Wednesday. “I was really depressed. I was down on myself. I was like, ‘None of this is worth it.’ I was having a pity party for like two weeks, but then I got this call. Everything happens for a reason. Everything aligns the way it’s supposed to align.”

Gordon takes on veteran Jim Miller on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 45, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

Gordon wasn’t originally scheduled to be on the card, but he got the call to fill in for Ludovit Klein to take on Miller (35-17 MMA, 24-16 UFC) on short notice. This was the best thing that could’ve happened to Gordon at this point in time.

“After the last two, I was like, ‘What’s going on here? Why is this happening to me?,’” Gordon said. “And yeah, I was messaging my manager, ‘What’s next? What’s next?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, take a little time off and fight in October.’ I was like, ‘October? That’s like six months away.’ Then two days later he calls me and was like, ‘You want to fight in 17 days?’ So yeah, I was definitely itching to get back in there, and here I am.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 45.