THE MARK MILLER INTERVIEW
October 31, 2009 by Matt
The Mark Miller Interview by Rea Frey
Chicago native Mark Miller looks like a typical fighter. With a myriad of tattoos on his arms, a solid build, and his nose and ears marked by his relentless pursuit on the mat, this laid back fighter approaches everything with ease. He’s just as likely to make you laugh as he is to put up his thick fists in a mock old school boxing style and land a quick left hook to your chin. With a record of 14-5, Miller will make his Strikeforce debut November 7 against local fighter Deray Davis (5-1-1) in one of the preliminary bouts. Best known for his stint on season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter, this heavy-handed fighter is heralded for his strength and his stand-up game.
Fighting
“Coming up as a kid, I was always a boxing fan,” Miller says. “I always liked watching Mike Tyson smash people in the face. Then, Ultimate Fighting came out, and I thought, ‘Man, that’s some cool shit. I want to do that one day.’ I remember telling one of my friends, ‘One day, I’m going to fight on TV like those guys.’ And I did.
“I started boxing in high school for fun. When I joined the military, I saw some guys training MMA one day on base at the gym. I asked them if I could start working out with them and they let me. I picked up everything pretty fast. I ended up training with them all the time while I was there. Six months later, they asked me if I wanted to fight. A promoter in Florida had a guy drop out of a fight, and they needed a replacement. With a week’s notice, I took the fight. I won in the first round by submission, which doesn’t happen often with my fights. I’m not really a submission guy. From there, I kind of fell in love with fighting, and I’ve been fighting ever since.
“I fought on and off for fun for a couple of years. I was working construction and got laid off for the winter, and in order to make extra money, I just started fighting more often. I kept winning fights. I won some Midwest titles. People were just telling me, ‘You should do this instead of working full-time. You only have a window in your life where you’re able to fight.’ So, I kept fighting, and I kept winning. Then, I got offered a fight for the IFL. That was three years ago. Since then, I’ve been fighting full-time. I like fighting in front of big crowds. That’s a rush.”
“Stand-up is definitely my favorite part of MMA,” he continues. “I love boxing. I never really wanted to be a boxer, though. The whole idea of getting punched in the face the whole time didn’t really appeal to me that much with boxing. I like having the options of kicking and kneeing. I like the stand-up, because I think it’s more exciting for the fans, and it’s more exciting for me. I never really shoot takedowns, but I have the option, if I felt like it.” He shrugs and laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever shot a takedown in my life.” Then why not be a boxer? “I’m too short to be a boxer,” Miller says. “If I was a boxer, I’d have to fight at 147. That’s not happening. Not as long as Taco Bell exists.
“I think the future of MMA is that it’s going to be the biggest sport around. I have mixed emotions about it, actually. As the sport grows, it means better money for the fighters and a better way to make a living, but it also means a massive influx of douche bags. It’s already started. You can go out to any bar on any given weekend and see guys with their MMA shirts on who ‘fight’ UFC. It has its pros and its cons. So, if I had to give local fighters any advice, it would be to take your time. Really learn the sport before you just jump into it. It’s not always about sparring everyday. Take the time to learn the techniques. Evolve as a fighter. Don’t just jump into it. Especially if you’re young. You’ve got all the time in the world. Don’t just take a couple of classes, fight in a local show, win a fight and then tell everybody you’re a UFC fighter. Take your time. Keep your mouth shut. Work hard in the gym. In time, if you dedicate yourself, it will all pay off.”
The Ultimate Fighter
“I never had any desire to go on that show. The idea of living with fifteen guys in a house was so erotic – I mean, no, it never really appealed to me to be on a reality show,” he laughs. “But, I remember they had the tryouts here in Chicago, and a couple of my buddies were going. Me and my friend Kevin, who I ended up fighting on the show, we actually went together. I don’t know how many times we said to each other, ‘Dude, let’s just get the hell out of here.’ It was a fifteen-hour day, there were over 1,000 people there. It was a long, boring process for maybe five minutes of exposure the whole day. We stuck it out, though, and we both ended up getting calls for second interviews. They flew us out to Vegas. We did our interviews and our physicals, and then we both made the show, and lo’ and behold, we both fought each other, which was pretty stupid, I thought. But, I guess if you’re looking for good television, that’s a good way to go about it. Overall, in the house, it was boring as hell. There were no books, no radio, no TV, no music, no anything. And I’m not a kid. I’m a grown man, so I don’t really get into the drama. I don’t sit there and talk about people and play pranks on people and complain and cry. A lot of guys complained a lot and said they couldn’t take it. I was like, ‘Come on, you knew what you signed up for. Deal with it.’ I pretty much kept to myself, but I was close to a couple of guys there. But, I didn’t get involved in any drama.
“I learned a lot of good things from the coaches out there, so it definitely helped me,” he says. “I think certain things I’ve learned will help me – but they aren’t things my coaches haven’t told me before – now, I’m just starting to realize them. Like, I need to relax. I want to turn every fight into a brawl and a street fight, and that’s when I end up doing stupid things and rushing into things. Whereas if I just relax and use my skill, instead of trying to rely on piss and vinegar, I feel like things will turn out a lot better.
“Unlike most fighters, I really don’t have a goal, though. I never set out to be a fighter. I kind of fell into it. I know I said when I was little that one day I would fight on TV, but it wasn’t something that I worked for and worked for. I just kind of fell into it when I lost my job and kept fighting. So, I really don’t have any goals, I just like to fight.”
Training
“My training is usually the same formula: conditioning in the morning and training at night. Depending on the opponent, I try and focus on certain things a little more. It varies from fight to fight. For this upcoming fight, I’ve been focusing a little bit more on my wrestling and not even my defense, but my takedowns too. I’ve been getting a lot of good wrestling work in, and I’ve actually been taking people down, which is not something I’ve done in the past. People get pretty surprised, even in practice, when they see me taking people down. I’m not saying I’m going to shoot a takedown or anything in this fight,” he jokes. “That’s not going to happen. I guarantee it’s not going to happen, but if I could get a body lock slam, I’m taking it. I want to slam somebody,” he says, pounding his fist into his open hand.
Cutting Weight
I’d like to go back in time, find the first person who cut weight, and punch him right in the face. You’re just making life miserable for the future! I don’t cut too much weight, as compared to most guys. I don’t want to win fights because I’m bigger than someone. I fight at 170, but I don’t walk around more than 15 pounds heavier. It’s a pretty easy cut. A lot of guys walk around at 190 and up if they’re fighting at 170. I’d rather just worry about getting better as a fighter than making weight.”
“I just want to say thank you to my friends, family and training partners,” he concludes. “Team Dino Costeas and West Loop Gym. If it wasn’t for all my coaches and training partners, I wouldn’t even be where I’m at today, so I think they deserve all the credit.”
Watch the action Saturday, November 7 on CBS when Mark Miller joins Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers, Jason Miller, Jake Shields, Gerard Mousasi, Thierry Sokoudjou, Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum on what promises to be an exciting card at the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois.
JOACHIM HANSEN SIGNED JERSEY GIVEAWAY
October 27, 2009 by Matt
Chicago’s MMA is giving away a signed Joachim Hansen jersey, courtesy of Tri-Coasta and MMA Warehouse. To win the jersey, all you have to do is follow MMA Warehouse and Tri-Coasta on Twitter. Tri-Coasta is quickly becoming one of the top brands in MMA clothing, and MMA Warehouse is the leading retailer of MMA clothing and gear.
Here are some pics of the jersey (click for full-size):
Special thanks to Mika, Matthew and John at MMA Warehouse for their help and Tri-Coasta and Joachim for the jersey. Have your Twitter follows in by 11:59pm, Monday, November 2nd. Leave a comment below to let us know you entered and be sure to use a valid e-mail address so we can contact you if you win. One winner will be chosen at random from qualified participants. And while you’re at it, you might as well follow us on Twitter too! Good luck!
THE SPIDER DOESN’T STOP TILL HE GETS ENOUGH
October 25, 2009 by searstapper
Anderson Silva is one of the best finishers in mixed martial arts. His highlight reel is a spectacular collection of unforgetable knockouts. But Silva isn’t just a “Killer Finisher”, he’s a “Killer Starter” too! Check out this collage of ring entrances from his fights in Japan. Silva has stated before he is a big Michael Jackson fan, and how the King of Pop was an influence in his own life. Anderson is not only “Dangerous” but he’s “Bad.” Alright, that does it for the Michael Jackson puns, watch the video.
Silver Star Anderson “Spider” Silva UFC 97 Walkout Tee (Black, Red, or White)
ANDREI ARLOVSKI HOOKS UP WITH GREG JACKSON
October 25, 2009 by searstapper
After suffering two successive highlight reel knockouts, Andrei Arlovski packs his gear and hops a flight from Chicago to Albuquerque, NM to work at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts under renowned trainer Greg Jackson. Is this a sign he’s ready to make another MMA run? Check out the first of a series of video blogs he’s posted on youtube.
VIDEO: CHICAGO FIGHT TEAM HEAD COACH ROBERTO RAMIREZ ON TAYLOR VS. MOORE
October 25, 2009 by searstapper
Chicago Fight Team head coach Roberto Ramirez leads Louis Taylor’s training camp. The local middleweight will face Nate Moore on the undercard of the November 7 Strikeforce event at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. Ramirez talked to Chicago’s MMA reporter L.J. Tabano about Louis’ preperation for the fight.
Low-res video. Reporter had equipment issues during taping.
UFC 104 LYOTO MACHIDA POST-FIGHT PRESSER
October 25, 2009 by Matt
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida talks to the press after his controverial decision victory over Shogun Rua at UFC 104.
Silver Star Lyoto Machida UFC 104 Walkout T-Shirt
UFC 104 SHOGUN RUA POST-FIGHT PRESSER
October 25, 2009 by Matt
Shogun Rua talks about the controversial loss to Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at UFC 104 in Los Angeles.
CURRAN MATCH SET FOR XFO 34
October 24, 2009 by searstapper
The “Big Frog” makes his return to the XFO cage this December. Jeff Curran will take on Japanese bantamweight Tomohiko Hori for the main event of XFO 34.
UFC 104: LEG KICKS
October 24, 2009 by Matt
The Card with weigh-in results:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)
- Champ Lyoto Machida (202.5) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (204.5)
- Ben Rothwell (265) vs. Cain Velasquez (238)
- Spencer Fisher (155) vs. Joe Stevenson (155.5)
- Anthony Johnson (176)+ vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170)
- Josh Neer (156.5)* vs. Gleison Tibau (157)*
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
- Ryan Bader (205) vs. Eric Schafer (205.5)
- Patrick Barry (237) vs. Antoni Hardonk (249.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Not televised)
- Yushin Okami (185) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
- Rob Kimmons (185) vs. Jorge Rivera (185)
- Razak Al-Hassan (204.5) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (205.5)
- Stefan Struve (243.5) vs. Chase Gormley (262)
The Odds:
UFC 104 News:
- Does the Rothwell/Velasquez Winner Deserve a Title Shot? MMA Junkie
- UFC 104 Free Picks/Predictions Sports Untapped
- UFC 104 Picks from The Pain Palace
- Meet the Machidas Bloody Elbow
- Today is Ultimate “UFC Unleashed” Day MMA 4 Real
- Spencer Fisher is Jonesin’ to Punch Joe Stevenson MMA Mania
- UFC 104 Breakdown: Velasquez vs. Rothwell MMA Fanhouse
- UFC 104: Struve and Gormley and the Rough Road Ahead UFC.com
WHAT’S HOT IN MMA GEAR: MACHIDA, SHOGUN & FEDOR
October 21, 2009 by Matt
With UFC 104 right around the corner and Strikeforce coming to town, we’re going to take a look at what’s hot in the world of MMA gear in clothing. Machida, Shogun, Fedor, Tapout’s “The Ultimate Fighter” and Topps — yes, Topps — are all the rage right now.
Lyoto Machida
Is there anyone out there that does not like this guy? He has a huge fanbase. Being undefeated and the UFC Light-Heavyweight champ will do that for you.
 Bad Boy Lyoto Machida 98 Walkout T-Shirt |
Silver Star Lyoto Machida UFC 104 Walkout T-Shirt |
Shogun Rua
Shogun gear is flying off the racks. His comeback to the UFC has been brilliant. He earned “Fight of the Night” honors against Mark Coleman and “KO of the Night” against Chuck Liddell. Now he’ll battle Machida for the belt.
Bad Boy Walk Out Shirt |
 Bad Boy UFC 104 Shogun Long Sleeve Walk Out T-Shirt |
 Bad Boy Limited Edition Shogun Vale Tudo Shorts |
 Bad Boy Shogun 97 Walkout T-Shirt |
Fedor Emelianenko
The Last Emperor will battle Brett “The Grim” Rogers right here in Chicagoland. I’m still stunned that Fedor will be fighting just minutes from my home.
 Affliction Fedor Signature Series Tee |
 Affliction Fedor Emelianenko Signature Series Emperor Tee |
TapouT/Ultimate Fighter
Tons of Ultimate Fighter gear being sold. I wonder though — who will have the most sales? Will it be Rashad or will it be Rampage? Rampage doesn’t seem to be gaining any fans these days, and Rashad is getting it done on TUF.
Topps UFC Cards
The ultimate in MMA geekery! But each box comes with a special mat card or an autographed card.
Topps 2009 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Round 2 Trading Cards Retail Box
