Mark “The Fight Shark” Miller Fight Blog – Week 6: “I’m Back”

K-1 and MMA fighter Mark “The Fight Shark” Miller is doing a weekly blog leading up to his miraculous comeback this weekend. He will step back into the ring for the first time in six years, and become the first fighter ever to do so after having open heart surgery.

“I'm about to lose my mind, you've been gone for so long… I'm running out of time…”

So this is it.

Tomorrow I drive into Hollywood to pick up mine and Shelby's Russian Visas. I come home, get a light sweat on, run a few errands, and pack. I have given my last few interviews, finished my last sparring session, and on Wednesday morning, very early, I will be departing for Russia.

Now there is nothing to it, but to do it. I cannot begin to explain the emotional back and forth I am, and have been experiencing. I am so beyond overjoyed to be able to come back to what I love, to what I have always felt I was meant to do.

Before I launch too far into this I want to clear something up. I recently was a featured article on AOL Sports, and I understand a lot of comments were made regarding my health, questioning if my coming back is truly a good idea.

I can say this: my surgery was performed at the Cleveland Clinic, and was done by the greatest specialists and surgeons in the world regarding my particular kind of condition. I was cleared to fight, told I was at no more risk than any other fighter, by these same specialists. That said, there should be no concern of any kind regarding my safety any more than there is concern for any other fighter.

I am not risking my life any more than I would be had I not had the surgery, and I am at no risk. In fact, my heart is stronger now than it ever was when I fought before.

That said, I am so glad, so grateful that I have been fortunate enough to return to this sport. I have been touched by the outpouring of love and support I have received from my fans, so many of whom are also survivors, and have shared their brave stories with me, which help to drive me on.

I have been supported endlessly by my children, my friends, and my coaches. I hope for nothing more than to do exactly what I have promised, which is to give you all the very best “me” that I can. I range from tears to laughter very easily these last few days. My emotions run close to the surface.

I feel volatile, and fragile, and tightly wound, like a white hot magnet coil. To those who have understood my sharpness, I thank you. To those who have encouraged this instability, who have doubted or prodded at me lately, your spite has also served as fuel to this fire I have inside, albeit, far less noteworthy.

I daydream about fights to come. I want the K-1 gold crown, I want to be on It's Showtime's main card, I want to fight for United Glory every time if they will have me. I will take these things given the chance. I will take it all. I am standing with some of the best this Saturday. I fight for one of the best promotions in the world, and am honored to be a part of the first YouTube pay-per-view ever.

I know my future is golden, brilliant. I am lucky, lucky to have this chance, lucky to have all of the fans I do, lucky to be fighting again, and with such good people.

But what I will do this Saturday has nothing at all to do with luck. I bring skill, and I bring love to this fight. Love of life. Love of this sport. Violent passion for it.

I thank you in advance Nikolaj, for allowing me to express my greatness. Without our opponents we are nothing as fighters. I thank all of you for following me, for listening, and reading along, and I hope you keep following me as I have s much more that lies ahead. I thank my kids, Benny, Patrick, and Ronan for your love. I thank Shelby and her family for their continued support. My eye is on the prize… I've been gone for so long…

And I am visualizing every step of this fight, every way it could go, and I am prepared.

Watch, watch closely… I've been gone for so long. But now… I'M BACK.