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Pat Miletich is a legend of MMA and a UFC Hall of Famer. He was the first ever UFC welterweight champion and defended his belt five times. He also founded the famous Miletich Fighting Systems, which produced many champions and stars such as Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Tim Sylvia, and Jens Pulver. He retired from MMA in 2008 after a submission win over Thomas Denny at Adrenaline MMA 2.
Mike Jackson is a former boxer and kickboxer who transitioned to MMA in 2014. He has only four professional MMA fights, all of them in the UFC. He lost his debut to Mickey Gall, who then went on to face CM Punk in his first MMA fight. Jackson then fought CM Punk himself at UFC 225 and won by unanimous decision, but the result was overturned due to a positive test for marijuana. He returned to the Octagon in June 2021 and won by disqualification when he was poked in the eye by Dean Barry. He was released from the UFC after a knockout loss to Pete Rodriguez in October 2021.
Now, these two fighters are set to face each other in an MMA bout at Caged Aggression 36 in Iowa on October 14, 2023. The matchup is one of the most bizarre and unexpected ones in recent memory, as it pits a 55-year-old legend against a 38-year-old journeyman with a 1-3 record.
How did this fight come about? According to Jackson, it all started when he had a viral run-in with Jake Shields at Submission Underground 25 in July 2021. Jackson was commentating for the event and Shields was competing in a grappling match against Carlos Condit. After Shields won by heel hook, he confronted Jackson on the mic and accused him of talking trash about him on social media.
Jackson denied it and said he was just joking around. Apparently, this incident caught the attention of Miletich, who is a friend and former teammate of Shields. Miletich started sending messages to Jackson on Instagram, challenging him to a fight. Jackson initially ignored him, thinking he was just trolling, but Miletich persisted and even contacted Caged Aggression promoter Mike Goodwin to set up the fight. Jackson eventually agreed to the fight, saying he was curious to see what Miletich had left in the tank.
What can we expect from this fight? It’s hard to say, as both fighters have been inactive for a long time and have very different levels of experience and skill. Miletich has not fought in MMA for 15 years and has only competed once since then, in a kickboxing match against Michael Nunn in 2019. He is also dealing with some legal issues, as he was arrested for driving under the influence in January 2021.
On the other hand, Jackson has fought more recently, but has not shown much success or improvement in his MMA career. He is also known for his antics and trash talk, which could either motivate or annoy Miletich.
The fight will likely be a spectacle rather than a technical display of MMA. It could end quickly or drag on for three rounds. It could be entertaining or boring. It could be respectful or heated. It could be anything, really. But one thing is certain: it will be one of the most unique and intriguing matchups in MMA history.