Bizarre Fight Leads to Return of Former UFC Champion

Pat Miletich is coming out of retirement.

The former UFC Champion will be making his return to MMA after nearly 15 years away. Miletich is set to meet ex-UFC fighter Mike Jackson on October 14th at Caged Aggression 36.

Bizarre Fight Leads to Return of Former UFC Champion

Despite Miletich being 55-years-old and not having fought since 2008, Caged Aggression promoter Mike Goodwin confirmed to MMA Junkie that the contest has been ‘fully sanctioned’ with commission approval. 

The bout between Miletich and Jackson is set for three five-minute rounds at a contract weight of 175lbs. The event will take place at the Rivercenter in Davenport, Iowa.

It’s obviously been a good long while since Miletich fought in MMA, but ‘The Croation Sensation’ last saw action inside the kickboxing ring when he collided with Michael ‘Second To’ Nunn in 2020. Miletich would ultimately lose by split decision. 

Long before any of this, Miletich became the first UFC Welterweight Champion in 1998. The MMA pioneer fought the likes of Dan Severn, Carlos Newton, Shonie Carter, Renzo Gracie and many more. Miletich was inducted into the UFC Hall Of Fame in 2014.

Mike Jackson’s UFC career played out much, much differently.

‘The Truth’ made his pro debut in the UFC against Mickey Gall, where he was submitted in less in a minute. Jackson earned his first win over pro wrestling superstar CM Punk but that would later be overturned to a no-contest because of a positive drug test for marijuana.

Jackson’s first and only win in MMA came against Dean Barry in 2022, where he won by disqualification. A KO loss to Pete Rodriguez followed later that year and would close out his UFC career.

While Miletich and Jackson could not be any more different, there is one thing they share… a distaste for one another. 

‘Bad blood’ has been boiling between the two fighters in recent years with Jackson lashing out at Miletich after he attended the capitol riots in January 2020.