FloCombat Gym Stories: Pat Miletich Throws Rory Markham to the Wolves
FloCombat Gym Stories: Pat Miletich Throws Rory Markham to the Wolves
Rory Markham's first day at Miletich Fighting Systems went according to plan—until head coach Pat Miletich threw him to the fire.
Rory Markham is a true veteran of mixed martial arts and a longtime member of the famed Miletich Fighting Systems team headed up by legendary fighter and equally legendary coach, Pat Miletich.
The always exciting Markham forged a solid career in the sport, with the most notable phase taking place while fighting for coach Miletich on the Quad City Silverbacks team in the IFL. The Silverbacks were two-time IFL World Team Champions.
In our newest installment of gym stories, Markham recalls his first trip to Miletich Fighting Systems, where he met the legend himself and trained with a who’s who in MMA his very first day on the job.
“I went out to Miletich’s for a trial week,” Markham said. “I was about 20 years old. We were in Gold’s Gym at the time. I was so nervous, wondering to myself what was going to happen and what I was going to do. Well, up walks Pat. He looks like a bent over shark. He tells me I’m staying at the Best Western and that he will see me at the 5:30 amateur practice at the other gym.
“I had a great practice. I was sitting on the sidelines and in walks [Robbie] Lawler, [Jens] Pulver, [Tim] Sylvia, [Rich] Franklin--I mean everybody. I was thinking to myself how incredibly cool this sight was, just to watch them practice. They were drilling, where one guy wrestles and the other tries to defend the takedown the whole time while he’s punching you. It is one of the hardest drills in MMA. I’m sitting there watching Robbie, Jens, and Matt perform.”
Then, a curveball came Markham's way.
“The godfather, Pat Miletich, walks over to me and says, ‘Why don’t you jump in that group over there?’ I was pooping my pants just being there, and now I’m going to wrestle these guys," Markham said. "I don’t know how to wrestle. I’m lucky I know how to box. So I jumped in there and just got thrashed. I had watched Robbie’s fights about 100 times before I went down there, so I was awestruck. But the kid that I had gone out there with, he was there for the week trial as well. He asked, ‘Mr. Miletich, where should I go?’ and Pat said, ‘Just stand there and watch.’ So I knew at that point that there was some separation and that I could really do this.”
The always exciting Markham forged a solid career in the sport, with the most notable phase taking place while fighting for coach Miletich on the Quad City Silverbacks team in the IFL. The Silverbacks were two-time IFL World Team Champions.
In our newest installment of gym stories, Markham recalls his first trip to Miletich Fighting Systems, where he met the legend himself and trained with a who’s who in MMA his very first day on the job.
“I went out to Miletich’s for a trial week,” Markham said. “I was about 20 years old. We were in Gold’s Gym at the time. I was so nervous, wondering to myself what was going to happen and what I was going to do. Well, up walks Pat. He looks like a bent over shark. He tells me I’m staying at the Best Western and that he will see me at the 5:30 amateur practice at the other gym.
“I had a great practice. I was sitting on the sidelines and in walks [Robbie] Lawler, [Jens] Pulver, [Tim] Sylvia, [Rich] Franklin--I mean everybody. I was thinking to myself how incredibly cool this sight was, just to watch them practice. They were drilling, where one guy wrestles and the other tries to defend the takedown the whole time while he’s punching you. It is one of the hardest drills in MMA. I’m sitting there watching Robbie, Jens, and Matt perform.”
Then, a curveball came Markham's way.
“The godfather, Pat Miletich, walks over to me and says, ‘Why don’t you jump in that group over there?’ I was pooping my pants just being there, and now I’m going to wrestle these guys," Markham said. "I don’t know how to wrestle. I’m lucky I know how to box. So I jumped in there and just got thrashed. I had watched Robbie’s fights about 100 times before I went down there, so I was awestruck. But the kid that I had gone out there with, he was there for the week trial as well. He asked, ‘Mr. Miletich, where should I go?’ and Pat said, ‘Just stand there and watch.’ So I knew at that point that there was some separation and that I could really do this.”