This past weekend, a 57-year-old Pat Miletich (29-8-2) made his comeback to MMA versus Mike Jackson at Caged Aggression 36 in Davenport, Iowa.
The Hall of Famer had not competed in the sport since 2008, and unfortunately for his hometown crowd in Davenport, it showed. While Jackson (2-2) has much less experienced than the UFC pioneer, he is almost 20 years younger, and has participated in high level competition much more recently.
Things started off in a dominant fashion for Miletich, who dropped Jackson with a hard right hand and took control of his opponent in top side position. Despite a strong start, Miletich’s cardio certainly is not what it used to be, and the legend retired on the stool, failing to answer the bell prior to the third round.
55 year old UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich (@patmiletich) dominated Mike Jackson early in bitter grudge match. Mike ultimately won via decision when Pat abruptly quits on the stool in between rounds at Caged Aggression 36. pic.twitter.com/pI5pA2MoMT
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) October 16, 2023
Age may not be the only factor contributing to Miletich falling short in this contest, as he has also been facing troubles in his personal life. Back in September, the founder of ‘Miletich Fighting Systems’ was arrested for a third time on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.
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Miletich (29-7-2) had ten fights with the UFC between 1998 and 2022, and had competed versus notable opponents such as Mikey Burnett, Carlos Newton and Matt Lindland.