Mark Miller (kickboxer)
| Mark "Fightshark" Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Jason Miller September 17, 1971 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Other names | Fightshark |
| Nationality |  American |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 220 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 | Maurice Smith Buddy McGirt |
| Years active | 1996-2012 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 24 |
| Wins | 15 |
| By knockout | 11 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 1 |
Last updated on: October 6, 2012 | |
Mark Jason Miller[1] (born September 17, 1971) is a retired American kickboxer who competed in the heavyweight division. He is also a published author and artist.
Biography and career
[edit]Early life
[edit]Miller grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and became involved with martial arts through his love of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris films. His father took him to a boxing gym at a young age, and he also practiced Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, and Taekwondo as a child and teenager. He began competing in amateur boxing at the age of 18.[2]
Miller graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in economics and political science in December 1993.
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, suffering his first loss as a professional. 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. He then took on Dewey Cooper in August 2001 at K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas and lost by TKO in the 2nd round. 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 August 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 tests due to a heart condition. According to cardiologists, Miller had a 15% cardiac output due to a damaged aortic valve.[4] In September 2007, he had open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve to repair 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]
10 months later, again in Moscow, Russia he faced Sergei Kharitonov at United Glory 15 in a fight where he gave up 46 pounds. Despite a strong early start, he succumbed to a massive right hand at the end of the first round losing by KO.
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] Due to suffering kidney failure in 2013, this would end up being the final fight of his professional career.
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 July 2014 by Ecco Press, an imprint of HarperCollins curated by chef and author Anthony Bourdain. The book, co-written with Miller's girlfriend at the time, 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] As of 2024, the memoir has a 4.7 out of 5 in reviews on Amazon Books. Miller had successful kidney and pancreas transplants at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in June 2016.
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".