EXCLUSIVE ChokeHimOut Interview: Mark Miller
Interviews
Interviews
Recently chokehimout.com caught up with IFL welterweight fighter Mark Miller who took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with us. Mark is scheduled to fight Jay Hieron for the Welterweight Championship Belt on April 4th at IFL's New Blood New Battles. Here's what Mark had to say...
C.H.O: You joined the Marines at 19 years old. How did this help you in MMA?
MM: I started training toward the end of my enlistment in the Marine Corps, but I had always been into sports and lifting weights. I was always disciplined in as far as working out whether it being football, track or just lifting weights on my own. I have always had a good hard work ethic when it comes to training. The Marine Corps more or less helped me discover MMA and that?s why I started training it. As far as the work ethic, it's something I have always had.
C.H.O: What sports did you mainly focus on in high school?
MM: Mostly football. I did some boxing in high school also but it wasn't competitive, it was more just a workout type of thing, just something to do. I was big into lifting weights and power lifting when I was younger. I did track and field but I didn't really focus too much on that, I did it mostly to get out of gym class in high school.
C.H.O: Your upcoming opponent Jay Hieron is a very experienced wrestler. Did you have any wrestling experience at all in high school?
MM: No I didn't wrestle at all during high school. Looking back I wish I would have but at the time I really didn't want to. Yeah I'm aware that he has a strong wrestling background, but once you're in the MMA game you kind of have to a little bit of everything so I am prepared for that.
C.H.O: What made you want to train in jiu jitsu?
MM: When I first started training I started a little bit in everything and I kind of geared more toward the feet because for some reason it was more natural to me. I also knew that you can't be a one dimensional fighter so you definitely have to practice all the ground game that you can. I started training with some great grapplers here at MidWest.
C.H.O: What are doing right now to prepare for your upcoming fight with Jay Hieron?
MM: I'm really not doing anything different. I try not to look at it as a huge fight, I take every fight the same. I'm going to go out there if it's a title fight or if it's a fight out in the ally and I'm going to fight as hard as I can no matter what. I try not to put to much pressure on myself thinking about it to much. I think it tends to psych people out. It plays with your nerves when they get in the ring and think 'My god this is a huge title'. I just train hard every day and I'm well prepared so there's no second guessing.
C.H.O: What part of your game are you working on the most right now?
MM: I pretty much have an equal balance between wrestling, stand up and jiu jitsu. I try not to neglect any of them. As far as this fight, I think I have been focusing a little more of my jiu jitsu off my back just because I am usually a top game guy but I know that Jay has a strong wrestling background so I can expect him to look for a takedown. In a perfect world I can avoid every takedown but you know it's not a perfect world and takedowns happen and hopefully I'll be ready for it. I've been working a lot of stuff off my back so I'm ready.
C.H.O: First round. Is it going to be bang time or are you going to be looking to defend the takedown and use more of a jiu jitsu game?
MM: I guess that's up to him. If he wants to stand and bang let's do it, I welcome it definitely. I will definitely be trying to throw some leather no matter what. If he looks for the takedown I will have to be more tentative on my feet to be ready to defend the takedown. But if he comes at me swinging then I think it would be a fun fight for the fans.
C.H.O: Do you have any problems making weight?
MM: I don't usually walk to heavy, I'm usually around 183 to 185, that's about as big as I get. I'm just naturally about that size. I'm kind of a smaller guy for welter weight but I'm not into the cutting thirty pounds to fight and be bigger than the guy I'm fighting. I think I would rather focus on being better than the other guy than being bigger.
C.H.O: How many hours a day are you training for this fight?
MM: I usually train about 4-5 hours a day. You have to give your body a rest. Some of these guys say they train 4 times a day. Unless they have something in their medicine cabinet that I don't, there's no way that the human body can take that much day in and day out. You can't treat your body like a machine, you have to listen to it and give it rest. You take care of your body, your body takes care of you. I try and train hard and rest enough to where the next session I can train just as hard as the first one.
C.H.O: Now you just had a daughter. How old is she.
MM: She will be two weeks tomorrow.
C.H.O: How is having a new child playing into your training for this fight?
MM: I keep them separate. When I'm in the gym I'm a fighter, once I step out of the gym I'm a dad. I'm not putting any added pressure on me like 'Now I have to fight for a family'. Like I said before, I am fighting 100% no matter what. It really hasn't been that much of a distraction. I mean I am a happier guy now so maybe it's less stress on me (laughs).
C.H.O: What's in the future for you?
MM: Hopefully I will be wearing the belt if all goes well next Friday. I will keep fighting as long as my body lets me. I want to continue fighting and once I'm out of the fight game I would like to continue to train or maybe get into a management game. Probably more along the lines of coaching, I'm not much of a business guy.
C.H.O: Anything you want to say to the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan right now?
MM: I just want to say keep up the good work and we all appreciate what your doing. Stay safe and keep up the good work.
Article by Tuesday on Mar 26, 2008