Mike Ciesnolevicz:

I was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. on 10-28-79. I grew up in the town of Williamstown, Pa. and attended Williams Valley High School. Shortly before my 15th birthday I became interested in Martial Arts. I remember it like it was yesterday when my dad told me “I can take you up to this local tae kwon do place or I can take you to a guy who will show you how to really fight”. Obviously it wasn’t too hard of a choice for me to make. The guy he was talking about was my first martial arts instructor John Korab who was a former marine, shorin-ryu black belt who helped train the legendary Joe Lewis. John had a reputation of being the baddest guy in my town and after training with him I realized it was a well deserved reputation. The guy had a killer instinct and intensity that I could not comprehend at the time. After about a solid year training in John’s system of fighting I felt pretty confident to handle myself in the street. It was then the UFC came around and changed the way the world saw fighting.

John being the great teacher he was expanded his system and we started learning grappling together. We had about 4-5 solid guys and we would just workout and try to imitate what we saw in the UFC and the Gracie Instructional Videos. We would workout at Jim Carroll’s Carpet and Furniture stores basement on homemade mats. The more I trained, the more I fell in love with fighting. It consumed me and I realized I need to expand and branch out to learn more while I continued to train with John. I started training at a kickboxing gym which was a 35 minute drive, a sambo school which was a 45 minute drive and a judo club which was also about 45 minutes. I was training all the time trying to learn whatever I could to improve. At the judo club I was told about another guy, Ty Dewees who was teaching MMA and had made Ken Shamrock’s Lions Den. I went to Ty and became great friends with him and he helped to develop my skills and confidence a lot too. I learned a lot of valuable lessons training with him and his guys.

Eventually I went to college at Lock Haven University in PA. It was here that I believe I made the biggest leaps and bounds in my training to be where I am now. I really developed the skills necessary to be a complete MMA fighter. I walked onto a D-1 wrestling team and got beat up everyday in practice by guys who were state champs, national qualifiers and all Americans. I never even wrestled in High School but I developed my skills fast and before too long was hanging w/ and beating lots of guys in the room. My coaches Mike Rogers, Doug Buckwalter, Carl Poff, Rock Bonomo, and Joe Eaton all really helped me develop my skills to a competitive level wrestling wise. Also while at Lock Haven I started boxing in the NCBA. I gained a lot of good training and developed my hands even more. I was thrown into the fire early fighting my first 2 bouts against a national silver medalist and then also the naval brigade champion. I lost 2 unpopular crowd split decisions but gained a lot from it in the long run.

Around the same time I was competing a lot in submission grappling tournaments. I competed in numerous events and compiled a solid record of 25-4 in tournaments such as Kipp Kollar’s NAGA and other smaller shows. I now felt I was ready to step in the ring and fight MMA. My first fight was at BAMA 20 Fight Night in NJ. I fought a very accomplished wrestler Phil Mazzuruco. I won the fight by submission and was very excited to fight again. Later that year I fought for Kipp Kollar again in Reality Fighting 5 against Romeo Gray. I would go on to win that fight also by TKO in the first round.

Upon graduating college I decided I wanted to take my training to the next level I visited some top MMA schools and contemplated my options. I felt that Pat Miletich and Iowa was what I was looking for. I now have the highest level of training partners in the world of MMA and a great group of friends. My first fight under MFS was last October in AC, NJ once again for Reality Fighting 7. I fought All American wrestler Todd Going in a tough fight and ended up winning by submission. My record is now 6-0 and I’m very excited for the future with Pat Miletich as my trainer and Monte Cox as my manager. Moving to Iowa was the best move I ever made and I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. A big thanks to my family for helping me to accomplish my dreams!

BAMA Fight Night 20 Shootfighting Champ
Reality Fighting 5 MMA Winner
Reality Fighting 7 MMA Winner
Renzo Gracie Albany Combat Challenge Absolute Champion
Frank Shamrock Ironman Invitational Superfight Champion
NAGA Atlanta Light Hwt. Champion-1st place
NAGA North American Championships 3rd Place
NAGA Battle at the Beach 4th Place
Grapplers Quest Shootout 3rd Place
Philadelphia Grappling Superfight Champion
World Karate Ratings Chambersburg King of the Mat
Submission Grappling Superfight Champion
World Karate Ratings Chambersburg King of the Mat
Absolute Submission Grappling Champion

Prior to Mike's 2009 debut with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Mike is a 9X IFL veteran and the starting 205 lb fighter for the 2x IFL World Championship team the Quad City Silverbacks Champion.

On Friday June 12 2009, Mike was promoted to Black Belt in Miletich Fight Systems.