Former US Marine Mark Miller is at home in Chicago and has just finished lunch before getting ready to proceed with this interview. The Red Bears welterweight representative is fired up and looking forward to taking on his Pitbulls counterpart, Delson Heleno, on February 23 at Atlanta, Georgia.

For a man who has already carved an impressive name in MMA – with victories over such names as Amir Khillah, John Shoemaker and Travaris Hunter, it’s surprising that Mark first became involved in a fighting discipline less than seven years ago. “I started in Muay Thai when I was 20. I just liked it the most of all the styles that were out there – such as jiu jitsu, boxing, wrestling and Muay Thai. I thought it was the most useful and brutal as far as the striking goes,” says Miller.

It was during Mark’s time in the military that he took up the Muay Thai, and continued to hone his martial arts skills while moving across America and the globe. “I joined the marines when I was 19 and I served my enlistment and got out when I was 22 – that was from ’99 till 2002.

“I was based in Camp Pendleton, California, where I was a heavy machine-gunner. I went overseas on a float, and visited a bunch of different countries including Australia, which I traveled to twice. When I came back from overseas duty I got re-stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina.”

Mark says that after arriving on the East Coast, he began training in MMA with some of his marine buddies: “I saw some guys training at the gym I was working at, so I asked them about mixed martial arts because I’d always been interested in it. I was familiar with the sport from seeing the old UFCs, and they told me I could start training with them. They wanted to train me in the basics, and then I was going to go to a school in town that they both went to. But they made sure I got the fundamentals down before I went there.”

Mark, you didn’t serve in the marines with the Condors member, Adam Lynn, did you?

“No. I’ve seen him on the internet, and I think I saw him on that Warrior Nation show, where they were doing a profile on a couple of fighters, and I believe his manager was one of the ladies they were featuring, so I do know who he is.”

He was a heavy machine-gunner also.

“Oh, wow.”

Adam came to Brisbane twice; is that where you were stationed in Australia?

“No, I was in Darwin both times.”

How did you come to be with the Red Bears team?

“I’ve been training here in Chicago with Gilbert Grappling and Dino Costeas Jiu Jitsu. Dino is Andrei Arlovski’s coach, so we train together and it came through his management that they were starting a Chicago-based team, and they asked me if I would be interested in fighting for them. I took it up right away.”

Does it feel odd being an American in a Russian team?

“No, not at all. If we’re on the same team, it doesn’t matter where we’re from or what color we are or look like or anything: We’re all fighting for the same team.”

You’ve won fights through arm bars, rear naked chokes and by KO; does your fighting formula consist mainly of kickboxing and BJJ?

“Yeah; mostly I like to keep fights on the feet because I think fans want to see striking more than anything, but I train jiu jitsu, train wrestling… I do like to keep the fights on the feet, although if it does go to the ground, I’m confident there. I’ve won fights from submission and I train with great jiu jitsu guys, so it’s nothing I’m worried about, and if I feel a guy’s getting the better of me on my feet, then I’m going to shoot the takedown and put him on his back – strike from up top.”  

When you do elect to take them down, do you tend to go more for shoots than wrestling takedowns?

“Right: I usually take down off strikes or take them down from a clinch off the ropes, and when it does go to the ground, I prefer to strike from there also. If it’s on the feet – I’m pounding, and if it’s on the ground – I’m pounding.”

Your only loss was by decision, so it doesn’t sound like you have a glass jaw or you’re easily submitted, does it?

“Definitely not. Knock on wood, but I’ve never been rattled sparring or in a fight, and I’ve been punched and kicked in the head by some pretty big guys. Many mornings I’ve woken up with a sore jaw, but I’ve still had a clear head.”  

You’re known as an aggressive fighter: Do you like to take the action to your opponent?

“I usually like to keep the pressure on because I feel if I do keep the pressure on them, they can’t think or set up what they want to do. So if I keep punching them in the face, picking them apart, and staying active, it doesn’t give them much of a chance to set up what they want to do.”

What do you do for cardio and muscle endurance – mainly running or weight-station circuit training?

“I like to get most of my endurance work in the ring. I tend to stay away from the weights, but if I use weights, it’s usually for explosive Olympic lifts. I do cleans, a lot of medicine-ball throws, and plyometrics like jumps… As far as muscle endurance, I do bodyweight exercise – dips, push-ups, pull-ups… I don’t really do too much weights.”

Are you looking forward to taking on Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls?

“Oh, yeah; I’m looking forward to the fight.”

What do you know about Delson Heleno?

“I know he’s extremely good at jiu jitsu… I know that he’s an aggressive guy…He’s a little taller than I am, but that’s never a problem for me. I know he’s big and strong, and I think this will be his first fight at 170, so we’ll see how he handles it. I know that I’m ready to go to war and he better be ready to go to war also, because I’m ready to go, and I’ll never back off.

“There are only two things ever going to happen in a fight: either you win or you lose, so there’s no reason to back off. There’s no reason to be scared, and there’s no reason to back off.”

What will be your strengths?

“My strengths will definitely be my striking, my aggressiveness, and my endurance.”

Will you feel comfortable with him on the ground?

“Yeah; I roll with great jiu jitsu guys and I’m pretty good at avoiding submissions… I know he’s a world-champion jiu jitsu guy, so I’m going to have to be extra sharp at avoiding submissions, but I’m ready for it.”

Mark, is there anything you’d like to add?

“I always want to thank the fans for their support and for making MMA the best sport in the world. And thanks to the IFL – it’s because of them that MMA is going to continue to grow: because of the way they are taking care of the fighters. They’re making MMA more appealing to everybody.

“I’d also like to say hi to all the guys at Gilbert Grappling, Glen Hudson’s Muay Thai, POW kickboxing, JABB Boxing, Mike Garcia and Dino Costeas.”

Sponsors?

“West Loop Gym.”

Former US Marines Mark Miller and Mike Corey are relaxing in Moline, Illinois, two days before they take on the Tiger Sharks. And Mark is explaining to Knucklepit why he originally signed up for the marines.

“I really didn’t have a reason, honestly – I just thought it would be cool… something to do… serve the country, see the world… and I just thought it would be an exciting thing to do. My job in there was to shoot machine guns, so it was pretty good fun,” says Miller.

It appears a lot of marines wind up getting into mixed martial arts: Adam Lynn, Josh Odom, Mike Corey… For Miller, the explanation is simple: “I think it’s looking for the next adrenaline rush.”

Mark first competed in MMA after he was training at a gym and it was mentioned that their representative at the 185 spot for a fight in Florida had dropped out, and they wanted to know if Miller would fill in. The people at the gym told Mark they thought he was ready to fight and that they believed he had a good chance of defeating his opponent if he accepted the bout.

After accepting the challenge, Mark headed down to Florida and won his bout by arm bar in the first round. His MMA career has continued to flow on from there. Now representing the Chicago-based Red Bears in the IFL, Miller says he has not had the opportunity to train with team coach Igor Zinoviev, but that is all expected to change after they take on the Tiger Sharks.

“We have not trained with Igor because of location differences. He’s still living in New York and we’re all in Chicago, so we haven’t had a chance to train with Igor at all yet. The first workout we’ll get with him will be in about half an hour.”

Mark, in an interview with Igor earlier today, he said he intended changing that and was looking forward to training with all of you, as a team.

“Yeah, absolutely, and I look forward to it because the man’s a legend and I look forward to learning from him.”

Does your formula still mainly consist of Thai boxing, wrestling and BJJ submissions?

“It’s mainly boxing, Thai boxing and then wrestling and jiu jitsu, yeah – that’s basically everybody’s formula these days.”

Do you expect to be getting into a bit of the sambo with Igor?

“I don’t know; I’m sure he’s going to try to throw in some sambo leg locks. When we work out with Andrei (Arlovski), he likes to throw in those sambo leg locks, so I’m sure by the end of the night we might see a couple of those.”

Mark Miller (Red/Yellow Trunks) of the Red Bears delivers a blow to the head against 
Brad Blackburn (Orange Trunks) of the Tiger Sharks during their IFL welterweight bout
presented by the International Fighting League 
at The Mark of the Quad Cities April 7, 2007 in Moline, Illinois.

What’s the mood like in Moline at the moment?

“You know, not much has been going on right now – we just checked into the hotel, did our interviews and we’ve been hanging out in our room most of the day. Not too much goes on around these parts, mostly watching the corn grow, I think.”

Then the corn gets sent down to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.

“Yeah, down in Tennessee, and everyone gets drunk.”

Your bout with Brad Blackburn should be a pretty electrifying fight.

“Ah, that’s exactly what I’m thinking: I foresee an exciting, fast-paced fight… It’s definitely going to be a scrap in there.”

Do you see it going the three rounds?

“It’s possible. But if it does, it’s going my way. And if it gets over early, it’s going my way. I’m prepared either way: My conditioning’s great and I’ve gone the distance before; I’m ready to do it again. I like fast-action fights – I don’t mind standing and banging for the whole time; that’s fine by me.”

Have you studied Brad much?

“No, not really: The last fight I had I studied and I had a game plan; then within the first few seconds the game plan went out the window, so I had nothing to fall back on. This time I’m just basically going in there… This is a street fight – I don’t know him, he doesn’t know me; we’re going to throw it out.”

It seems most other fighters these days share your view, scrapping the idea of a game plan, and they just go in there armed with their skills.

“Exactly, and make the plan up as you go, I guess.”

What will your strengths be against Brad?

“My striking, aggressiveness, endurance, and my God-given hard head.”

Mark, is there anything you’d like to add?

“I just want to say hi to all my training partners and friends, and everybody at the gyms I train at, which is POW kickboxing, Gilbert Grappling, Glen Hudson’s Muay Thai, JABB Boxing, Mike Garcia and Dino Costeas, and all my training partners and coaches.”

Sponsors?

“West Loop Gym.”

Mark Miller's MMA record now stands at 9-2 after he defeated Brad Blackburn.

Mark Miller of the Team Red Bears poses during the International Fighting League official weigh-in at the Knuckle Up Fitness Gym on February 22, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia.