Mike Jackson is set to face UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich in Caged Aggression 36, his first bout after leaving the UFC, and Miletich’s first MMA bout since 2008.
Mike Jackson is set to return to the ring since his departure from UFC. His first post-UFC bout will be against Pat Miletich, a UFC Hall of Famer who has not competed in over a decade. The match is scheduled to take place at ‘Caged Aggression 36’, a two-night event slated for October 13 and 14 at the RiverCenter in Davenport, Iowa. The fight is being hyped as “a highly anticipated and controversial battle of skill, age, and ideology.”
Promotor Mike Goodwin has confirmed that the bout will be conducted with full sanctioning, consisting of three five-minute rounds. Jackson is returning to action after an unusual three-fight stint at UFC, including a win against CM Punk that was later nullified to a no contest, and a disqualification victory over Dean Barry at UFC Vegas 52 in April 2022. However, his final bout in the octagon saw him defeated in just 93 seconds by Pete Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 62 in the same year.
Contrary to his UFC career, Jackson engaged in an intense rivalry with retired MMA veteran Jake Shields after parting ways with the promotion. This competition went as far as an unplanned fight with Shields at the UFC Performance Institute earlier this year. Moreover, in an exchange with Shields in January, Jackson had expressed his desire to fight Miletich, citing social media harassment from the 55-year-old fighter. Miletich, when approached for a comment, stated he was open to a bout with Jackson, although he did not believe it would happen, famously saying that Jackson “didn’t want the smoke.”
The bout between Jackson and Miletich is now confirmed, marking Miletich’s first MMA bout since December 2008. Miletich is an esteemed fighter, known to have fought ten times for the UFC, with a successful record of 8-2. His illustrious career includes winning the UFC welterweight title and being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2014.