Fightshark Mark Miller

If you said you had a tougher life than Mark "Fightshark" Miller or overcame more with any comparable strength and determination, let's just say I'd be pretty skeptical. Once upon a time, Mark was considered to be the future of American kickboxers. He was a rising star. Then things went bad and then from bad to worse. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and was told he needed open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve. Soon after his surgery, he lost his father, mother and brother one after another. But Mark was determined to compete again despite the open heart surgery, an eight year lay-off, the horrific personal tragedies and the fact that by combat sports standards, Mark was not a young man. 

Mark returned in 2011 to fight Nikolaj Falin at United Glory 14 in Russia. A victory in and of itself to be sure but to hell with moral victories. Mark wanted an actual victory. And nine seconds and one right hook into the fight, he got it. His next fight was against Sergei Kharitonov. Widely regarded as one of the very best in the world. Mark lost but taking that fight as his second fight back is certainly a testament to his fearlessness and fighting spirit. In other words, Mark Miller has balls of steel. 

While training for his next fight, Mark became ill -Bronchitis that turned to pneumonia and Mark being as tough as he is didn't realize how serious it was until it was too late and he wound up in the hospital fighting for his life. Mark is also a Type 1 diabetic. This means that between that and his heart condition, he is uninsured and uninsurable. While Mark is home now, the results of a kidney biopsy have revealed that he's suffering from renal failure. In other words, he needs a kidney transplant.

I honestly can't imagine what Mark is going through. The amount of suffering he's been through and the strength and perseverance it takes to come back and fight again is monumental and now, after a mere 3 fights since his return, he will not even have that anymore.