UFC legend Pat Miletich is returning to competition 15 years after his last appearance in the octagon to settle a grudge with a former student.
Miletich, who defeated Mikey Burnett to win the inaugural UFC welterweight title in 1998, announced his return to action to face Mike Jackson this fall. The two will be fighting on the Caged Aggression 36 card in Iowa, which is perhaps the only state that would sanction this fight with no restrictions.
Miletich worked Jackson’s corner at UFC 225 when Jackson defeated CM Punk by unanimous decision. The decision would be overturned when Jackson tested positive for marijuana post-fight. The relationship between the two soured, with both men trying to make a fight happen.
Pat Miletich should not be competing
Bad blood makes people do crazy things, and even though Miletich is an MMA legend, he has no business fighting again. Since his MMA career ended, Miletich became a renowned coach and teaches law enforcement hand-to-hand tactics.
When the competition bug was too much to ignore, Miletich lost a kickboxing match to retired boxing champion Michael Nunn in 2021. Nunn was five years older than Miletich, and now he wants to try his luck against a fighter 17 years his junior.
As hard as it is to believe, this fight is likely to go off without a hitch. For fans who don’t believe MMA is susceptible to freak shows and clown fights, then don’t seek out the news this October when Miletich and Jackson trade blows.
