Pat Miletich and Mike Jackson used to be close friends -- key words, used to be -- now the men are about to scrap in an MMA cage, and they both have designs on seriously hurting each other!
Miletich and Jackson are fighting October 14 at Caged Aggression 36 in Davenport, Iowa ... and we talked to both men as they prepare to battle.
Miletich, a UFC Hall of Famer (2014), is 55 years old and hasn't fought in nearly 15 years. But, because the guys don't see eye to eye when it comes to life and politics, this was a fight Pat couldn't pass up.
"We got a pretty severe problem and there has to be some retribution for that. Do I hate Mike Jackson? No. Will I pull his arm off? Depends on my mood."
Pat continued ... "I can take him down at will. If I wanna be compassionate, take him down and choke him really quick. That's probably an option, to be honest with you."
Ah, compassion.
As for 38-year-old Mike, he rose to prominence in 2018 when he beat (it was later overturned and ruled a "no contest" over a failed drug test for weed) professional wrestler turned fighter CM Punk.
"If I'm being honest with you, only one objective is for him to be carried out of a stretcher, whether he's unconscious or not," Jackson told us.
"I don't want him walking out on his own like that's my only objective."
Jackson then went on to explain the nature of their beef and how it started (it concerns January 6/The Capitol) ... and it's clear the men have serious issues.
Because of the backstory, MJ says the fight means more to him than CM Punk ... which put Mike on the map with casual fans.
"I know the Punk fight was a really big fight in the MMA sphere given the platform it was on, but personally given where I am currently in my life and what I'm fighting for and all the things that's going on in the social sphere, this fight means way more to me. It's not just a fight."
1 week.