One look at Pat Miletich’s resume and it should come as no surprise that Pat Miletich is one of the most renowned trainers in mixed martial arts: he is the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, he is the longtime coach of UFC champions Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia as well as former UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver, he has founded the extraordinarily successful Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa, he has instructed military and law enforcement personnel, and he lays claim to being one of the first coaches of the inaugural International Fight League event.

“I don’t want the fights to be exciting,” says Miletich of his Quad City Silverbacks’ upcoming bouts against Carlos Newton’s Dragons at the IFL at the Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon on November 2. “I want my guys to all go in there and knock them all out in the first round.”  

The Silverbacks—made up of light heavyweight Mike Ciesnolevicz, lightweight Bart Palaszewski, welterweights Rory Markham and Ben Uker, middleweight Ryan McGivern, and heavyweight Ben Rothwell—hold the distinction being the first victors in the IFL, and while Miletich admits that Newton’s team could pose a threat based on the cumulative experience between veterans Ivan Menjivar, Keith Wisnewski, and Joe Doerksen, he feels his team holds the advantage. “They’re young, hungry, tough guys. Guys that have been with me that were ready for that step up in competition,” says Miletich of how he chose the team initially. “I wanted (to build) a team that could dominate the IFL for years.”  

With the advent of the IFL team, the expansion of Miletich Fighting Systems academy into dozens of national and international affiliates, and the reputation that accompanies home to two current UFC champions, Miletich has turned potentially overwhelming prospects into manageable endeavors.

Miletich says the caliber of fighters in his gym accounts for how he has managed the workload while still churning out quality athletes. “We have a lot of guys who are very experienced and know how to train, but I’m always going to give them my insight,” said Miletich via phone, who cites boxing coach Matt Pena as an important piece of the equation. “A lot of the guys (in at my gym) are so experienced that they can coach each other.” 

It’s safe to say he’s happy to be focused on coaching instead of the added pressure of training for a fight, a situation in which he found himself leading up to his bout with Renzo Gracie in September. “It didn’t help obviously,” he says. “I’ve been a coach for a long time, I was coaching even when I held the UFC world title. When you’re younger (training and coaching simultaneously) is a lot easier to do, but time catches up with you.” 

A recurring neck problem that initially swayed him to take a leave of absence from fighting struck Miletich again three weeks prior to his bout with Gracie. He plans on visiting a specialist in Pennsylvania this winter to rectify the problem, after which he will decide whether or not he plans to put on the gloves again. “I’d love to do it again,” says Miletich.   

But for now, Miletich seems content with coaching and the IFL. “If you’re in the arena (during the IFL), it’s just like a college football game,” says Miletich. “The hometown goes nuts for their team; the roof comes off these arenas when the teams fight.”