Mark Miller (kickboxer)
| Mark Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Jason Miller September 17, 1971 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Other names | Fightshark, Meat Missle, The Shark |
| Nationality |  American |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 230 lb (100 kg; 16 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Style | Kickboxing, Muay Thai |
| Fighting out of | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Team | Iron City Gym Team Fightshark Golden Glory |
| Trainer | Jim Gardner Rick Roufus |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 24 |
| Wins | 15 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 1 |
Last updated on: October 6, 2012 | |
Mark Jason Miller[1] (born September 17, 1971) is an American kickboxer who competes in the heavyweight division.
Biography and career[edit]
Early life[edit]
Miller grew up in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and became involved with martial arts through his love of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris films. His father sent him to a boxing gym at a young age, and he also practiced Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Uechi-ryu and Taekwondo as a child. He began competing in amateur boxing at the age of 18.[2]
He later began Muay Thai and trained and fought in Thailand.[3]
Career[edit]
Mark Miller made his debut in the K-1 promotion in August 2000 at K-1 USA Championships 2000, where he lost to Tommy Glanville via unanimous decision. He re-matched with Glanville in May the following year at K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Preliminary USA, and avenged his loss with a split decision victory. In February 2002, he took part in the Grand Prix at K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Preliminary North America and lost to Canada's Giuseppe DeNatale in the first round. This was to be his last bout in K-1.
In 2006, Miller was set to compete in a bout for the S-1 Muay Thai promotion in Miami, Florida. However, he failed the Florida Athletic Commission's medical test due to a heart condition. According to the specialists, Miller was having a fifteen percent cardiac output along with an enlarged heart.[4] In 2007, he had heart surgery due to the condition.[5]
He made his return to the ring on May 28, 2011 at United Glory 14: 2010-2011 World Series Finals in Moscow, Russia against Nikolaj Falin. Miller knocked Falin out with a right hook nine seconds into the first round. Following this match, Miller joined the famous Golden Glory gym in the Netherlands.[6]
He faced Koichi Pettas at Glory 2: Brussels on October 6, 2012 in Brussels, Belgium[7] and lost via KO in the second round.[8]
Kickboxing record[edit]
| 15 Wins, 8 Losses, 1 Draw | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-06 | Loss |  Koichi Pettas |
Glory 2: Brussels | Brussels, Belgium | KO (Right Cross) | 2 | ||
| 2012-03-23 | Loss |  Sergei Kharitonov |
United Glory 15 | Moscow, Russia | KO (Right Hook) | 1 | 1:59 | |
| 2011-05-28 | Win | Nikolaj Falin |
United Glory 14: 2010-2011 World Series Finals | Moscow, Russia | KO (right hook) | 1 | 0:09 | |
| 2002-02-09 | Loss |  Giuseppe DeNatale |
K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Preliminary North America, Quarter Finals | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA | TKO | 2 | 2:07 | |
| 2001-08-11 | Loss | Dewey Cooper |
K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | TKO | 2 | ||
| 2001-05-05 | Win | Tommy Glanville |
K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Preliminary USA | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | Decision (split) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| 2000-08-05 | Loss | Tommy Glanville |
K-1 USA Championships 2000 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
Personal life[edit]
Miller's memoir Pain Don't Hurt: Fighting Inside and Outside the Ring was published in 2014 by Ecco Press, an imprint of HarperCollins curated by chef and author Anthony Bourdain. The book, co-written with Miller's longtime corner woman Shelby Jones, tells of his origins in a troubled family, heart surgery, struggles with addiction, and his kickboxing career. Kirkus Reviews described the book as "thoughtful but unsentimental" and "a force to be reckoned with".[9]
References[edit]
- ^ NSAC report of K-1 USA Championships 2000 Archived 2014-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mark Miller Bio and Photos Archived 2011-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mark Miller and the Iron City Gym Archived 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Finally, the Heart-Champ Makes His Return! Archived 2011-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ HKL Exclusive with Mark "Fight Shark" Miller Part 1: Early Career and Heart Surgery
- ^ Mark "Fightshark" Miller joins Team Golden Glory
- ^ "Glory 2: Brussels final fight card for this Saturday". Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
- ^ Glory 2: Brussels live results
- ^ "PAIN Don't HURT | Kirkus Reviews".