Silverbacks’ light heavyweight member Mike Ciesnolevicz is sitting at home with his fiancée, Heather, watching the sixth season of The Sopranos on DVD, and getting some fluids back into his system after a hard night of grappling practice.

There are only minutes remaining before Mike’s scheduled interview, when something startles him and he pauses The Sopranos to send off an email: “Bad news, man! My cell phone is out of battery and my dog chewed my charger cord from the wall.”

 A short time later the interview proceeds, and Mike proudly talks about his family. “I actually have three dogs; two of them are my fiancée’s. They are a Queen Elizabeth teacup terrier that looks like a mini fox, and a miniature pinscher/chihuahua mix. They both weigh exactly nine pounds. They are really good watchdogs and bark at the slightest sound outside. My other dog is a pointer mix,” says Ciesnolevicz. “The two little ones are Tater and Daisy; and Panda is about 40lbs. I like them a lot and they have good personalities.”

With Mike’s other great pet love being his cat, Hooter, Ciesnolevicz’s friends and neighbors share a joke that he’s like the cat-and-dog lady in the area. Not surprisingly, Mike can’t recall how many stray cats and dogs he has rescued and paid for out of his own pocket, so they can get a home, be vaccinated, fed… And being a huge animal lover, nothing makes Mike more upset than people mistreating their pets.

“Quick story on Panda: I found her running on a four-lane highway across traffic. I pulled over immediately and called to her. She ran and jumped right in the front seat of my jeep and started licking my face. I knew right there she was a keeper. I actually called the Animal Hospital with her identification number and it turned out she was dropped off by her owners twice before, and this was the third time.

“She is only two years old and one of the sweetest dogs you could ask for. She is housetrained, never had an accident. She sits, speaks, shakes, etc.  I think it was probably meant to be. Heather and I can't believe that such a good dog was basically thrown out on a highway numerous times to be hit by a truck or starve…

“Panda is all around a great dog, she runs and sprints with me, and I can't keep up at all. She also sleeps with us every night,” says Ciesnolevicz.

Mike Ciesnolevicz with Tater & Daisy

But don’t mistake Mike for a ‘softy’ – he’s more like a big man with a big heart. Standing six feet tall and weighing in at 206 pounds, Mike is one of MMA’s most competitive light heavyweights. When he steps in the ring, he is all business. And on December 29, sparks will fly when this tough Silverback goes all out against Wolfpack member Aaron Stark, in the IFL World Team Championship Final.

Mike, what training did you do today?

“This morning I did about 40 minutes of cardio and an upper-body weight training circuit. Tonight we did grappling and some ground and pound training followed by one of Pat's conditioning routines using weight plates.”

Were you happy with your victory over Brent Beauparlant?

“I was happy with the victory, but I made some tactical errors and didn't stick to my game plan very well. I wanted to make it a standup fight but Brent shot off of one of my kicks. Also I actually trained for a southpaw and when he came out orthodox it took me a second to register it.  It did throw me off a bit, but I'm not going to assume things anymore. I'll be prepared for either from now on.”

Do you think it was a very evenly matched bout – both physically and technically?

“Yeah I think so. He was obviously a solid wrestler and he was stronger than I thought he would be. I think we matched up pretty evenly, but of course I believe I have a slight edge on him in MMA. If it was a pure wrestling match he would probably beat me every time.”

Did someone forget to tell you guys you were supposed to be light heavyweights and not going at lightweight pace?

“Credit Brent for that. He came out pretty strong for the first two minutes and pushed the pace on me. Luckily I train with lots of big strong wrestlers and that's something I was prepared for in this fight, so I just stayed calm and listened to my corner.”

Mike Ciesnolevicz with Heather and Panda

Was it a match you needed to win to get your win/loss tally back on track?

“It was definitely a match I needed to win for my team and for myself. It was a great confidence booster to be able to perform like that in a big show and show people that I'm for real. After I lost my first fight in June, in the IFL, I rebounded with a victory in the main event of Extreme Challenge 69 in July. Then I had another setback in the September IFL. But once again, I rebounded with my victory over Brent on November 2nd. I'm looking forward to keeping my win streak going!”

Your MMA record is now at 10-2. It’s sounding very impressive again, isn’t it?

“I would rather have it be 12-0. However, that's the nature of the sport - you win some, you lose some - and you learn from it all and keep moving forward. I learned a lot more from my two losses than I did from my ten wins.”

Was it a buzz to seal the deal for the Silverbacks over the Dragons?

“Oh, for sure. As I stated in the IFL ring, it was probably my greatest moment as a professional athlete so far. It was a culmination of all the hard work and sacrifices up until this point. It was great to be able to give that back to my team and take the pressure off Big Ben Rothwell.”

How have you been faring against your fiancée, Heather, in those tennis matches?

“Well I'm undefeated so far. I haven't let her win yet, but she does pretty well anyway. There are some times when she almost pulls it out. We play outside and it's been as low as six degrees here, so we are taking a break until it gets warmer.”

You and Aaron Stark would have had the opportunity to check each other’s work out at the semifinals, wouldn’t you?

“Yeah, we both saw each other’s matches. It's funny because we both basically won with similar submission holds.”

Did you chat with Aaron in Portland?

“I didn't chat much with him but he seems like a good guy. I congratulated him on his win and shook all the guys’ hands on the Wolfpack. I don't hate those guys at all - it's just a sport and we are professional athletes competing for the same prize. There is a certain level of respect between us and I'm sure they feel the same way. I talked to Devin Cole a few weeks ago out in Sacramento too - he's always been nice to me. I look forward to a great team match-up with lots of sportsmanship between the teams.”

Will Aaron want to take you to the ground?

“On paper I would assume he would want to make it a wrestling match, but I'm prepared for either aspect. The fight starts standing up so I'll take it from there.”

Mike Ciesnolevicz and Heather

How do you think you guys stack up fitness-wise?

“I'm not sure conditioning will be a factor. I know I can go the distance, no problem. My fight with Reese Andy went all three rounds and I took that fight on about 12 days’ notice and lost a close split-decision. I'm confident that Aaron will also be well prepared coming from such a world-class team.”  

Who have you been training with?

“I have been training with the usual MFS/Silverbacks crew, but in addition I have been sparring with pro boxers and K-1 level guys for the standup portion. I mean, some guys really gave me beatings and made me almost want to leave the gym, but I am sticking it out and I have definitely improved. On the ground I have been working out with some really big All-American wrestlers, and made a few trips to train with some world-class BJJ blackbelts to keep my game sharp.”

Have you been focusing more on your ground game for this bout?

“I would say this is fifty/fifty for me. I have been sparring hard twice a week and grappling hard twice a week, plus doing my strength and conditioning routines five times a week. I train for every fight the same. I make sure to be as well rounded as possible and find a way to win.”

What’s the mood like amongst Pat and the Silverbacks leading up to the December 29 IFL Finals?

“We are training the same as we always do. There is a lot of intensity and focus on the task at hand, but I think the main goal is to stay injury-free and get our team to December 29th healthy. I think that will give us the best chance to win. Everyone on our team is already in shape.”

Does the prospect of winning the IFL Championship Ring mean a lot to you?

“Winning that ring really means a lot to our whole team. Every team wants to be the league champions. Also the Silverbacks are 4-0 up until this point in the IFL and we don't want that streak to end any time soon. Even after we win the ring we’ve gotta get right back in the gym as we have a tough test February 2nd with the Anacondas in the 2007 season.”

You have a couple of website addresses: How can fans best find more info about you?

“Really my website www.MikeCies.com hasn't been updated in a while. The best way to check me out is http://www.myspace.com/mikecies. I'm on there all the time!”

Mike Ciesnolevicz and Hooter

Who are you tipping out of Carlos Newton and Renzo Gracie?

“This is a tough one to call for me. I think they match up pretty evenly skillwise. Their first fight was great and I really like them both. They have shown me nothing but respect when I have hung out with them. If I had to bet I would say Carlos because he's younger and might have a slight edge standing, but I would never count Renzo out. I won't be surprised if Renzo catches a submission on him.”

Mike, is there anything you’d like to add?

“I want to thank all the fans of the Silverbacks and the IFL. This is only getting bigger and better for everyone included. I hope everyone gets to the Mohegan Sun December 29th to check out the great fights. Also, check out ifl.tv or get a hold of me through

http://www.myspace.com/mikecies.  I'm fan friendly!”

Your sponsors?

“I have to thank John Palmer at Quad City Suzuki first and foremost. He has done so much for me in the past year. Without him I'm not sure I would be living the dream of being a professional athlete like I am now.

“Also, Full Contact Fighter, scientificwrestling.com, and Nemesis Fight Gear have helped me out along the way too.”

Mike Ciesnolevicz and his corner ready for December 29

It’s News Year’s Day in Iowa, and Silverbacks’ light heavyweight representative, Mike Ciesnolevicz is home after taking part in some dual-purpose celebrations the night before.

“We went to a private party held by my fiancée’s employer, at a place called The Outing Club in Davenport. Monte Cox was there, as were some guys from my team. It was nice – it’s the first time I’ve been there. We had a couple of drinks and some good food,” says Ciesnolevicz.

However, the partying will have to be short lived for the Silverbacks, as they’re scheduled to take on Bas Rutten’s Anacondas in Houston on February 2, 2007. It appears the Quad City athletes have just a couple of days to rest up before facing crunch time again.

“I’m really sore after my fight, so I’m running tomorrow, but I’m not going to start training until Thursday night’s class. I’m in pretty good shape. I’ve got a couple of sore muscles: nothing serious – just wear and tear. It was a pretty tough fight.”

Before Mike’s bout against Aaron Stark at the IFL World Team Championship Final, the Wolfpacker was on a winning streak. And when Matt Lindland won the toss to determine which athletes would fight first, he elected to have Stark face Ciesnolevicz, which Matt thought would hopefully get things rolling for the Wolfpack.

Mike admits Matt’s strategy did put pressure on him: “It actually really motivated me when he picked me, because, the way I had it figured, Matt thought Aaron would beat me and it would get the ball rolling for his team. You want to build momentum early on, and we’ve done a great job of that in the past with Bart and Rory. So when people started saying to me that that was why Matt picked me, it scared me a little bit because I didn’t want to lose the first fight for our team, and it started getting into my head.

“But it also motivated me and lit a fire under me. I didn’t want to be considered the weak link in this team, and I didn’t want guys to think I’d be an easy win for the opposition. But I know he had to pick somebody.

“Matt Lindland actually asked me before the fight if I got upset about it. And I said I did take it personal. He said that he picked Aaron because he was on a roll and that it would be a good match-up – we matched up evenly. Deep down, I still thought he picked me because he thought it was a sure win for the Wolfpack. That’s what I felt at the time.”

Mike, Aaron is a great fighter. You must have been happy with your victory against him.

“Yeah, he was a really good wrestler and very strong.”

The bout ended at 1.03 into the third round. Was cardio a factor?

“I really think it was, ’cause I looked over after two rounds, and Pat (Miletich) said, ‘Hey, he’s over there and he’s cut; he’s breathing heavy. You’re not even tired. I want you to pick up the pace in the third round and put him away. He’s ready to go – he’s tired.’

“I felt like the first round was almost a warm-up for me: I was just getting into my groove, kinda slow. By the third round, I was ready to go. Aaron looked kinda tired when I looked over at him. I think he used a lot of energy in the first two rounds, trying to take me down, and staying on top, wrestling me.”

Did your victory have a big effect on the morale of both teams?

“I think so. I think deep down, their whole team expected to come away with that first win. Pat expected me to win. He said, ‘That guy (Aaron) is probably a better wrestler than you are, but you’re a better MMA fighter, so use your tools, use your striking and submissions…’

“It wasn’t really a surprise to us because Pat knew we could win – we’re in great shape. But I think it affected the Wolfpack more than it affected us. It kinda put them in a hole right away.”

After the Renzo vs. Carlos Superfight, Renzo said he wouldn’t go home with the taste of victory in his mouth. Is the moral of the story ‘Try not to let fights go to the judges at all costs’?

“I think so, because both of fights they had were split decisions, where either guy could have won. And most of the guys on our team thought Renzo lost the fight. But who knows how the judges are scoring it, and it could have gone either way.

“That’s one of the things that happened in my fight: In the third round, after I dropped Aaron with the head kick, I kept hitting him and he grabbed my leg. I thought, man, I’ve got to put this guy away because I didn’t know how much time I had left, and I thought if it went to the score cards I might lose. I think he probably won the first round, and I think the second was a draw or I might have slightly won it. So I really wanted to end it in the third round.”

You would have appreciated the victory all the more then.

“Oh, yeah. He was really good, and from a great team. He was really strong, and his wrestling credentials… just like when I fought Brent (Beauparlant); both those guys are better wrestlers than I am. I have pretty good wrestling, but ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I would lose wrestling matches to both those guys.

“So Aaron was really talented, and at the end I saw him drop his hands, and I threw the head kick. It happened so fast; he just went down like a flash. I thought he was out, actually. I think he might have had a flash knockout. I think it might have shut him off for like a second. Then when he hit the ground, he grabbed my leg and held on.”

That’s when you whacked on the guillotine?

“Yeah, I kinda spun to the side of him and he was holding my leg still. I was going to keep hitting him, then I thought, what if he gets the takedown and it goes to the decision, because I wasn’t really sure of how much time was remaining. And I knew he was stunned and wasn’t able to defend the guillotine, so I threw it on. He lifted his hand like he was going to tap, then he put it down. The ref was asking him, ‘Are you okay down there?’ I said, ‘He’s out. He’s not going to answer you; he’s out.’ He pulled me off Aaron, and sure enough he was out.

“When I went backstage, my whole arm was cramped up. I told one of the guys back there that I couldn’t feel my arm, because I had squeezed past the point of being tired. I squeezed till I was tired, then when I thought Aaron was going to tap, I squeezed even harder. My arm is okay now, but for a day or two afterwards, I had this cramp in it.”

Alex Schoenauer has said in the past that no one wants to stand and trade with him. Will you be looking to take him down?

“I’ve watched a lot of his fights, and it seems to me that when guys start throwing at him, he tries to take them down. Even like outside the IFL, when guys really start throwing at him, it seems he tries to clinch, so… I’ve been working a lot on my boxing with Pat: I think I can handle Alex. He’s fast, but I don’t think he really has that knockout power.

“He’s a strong guy and he’s fast; obviously when it comes to standing up, he’s going to have a little bit of reach on me, but I’m not just going to go in there… Like Aaron Stark: He fought Schoenauer and Aaron kept shooting the whole time. He didn’t stand up with Alex at all. And I believe I can stand up with Schoenauer. He is very well rounded though, and I think it’s going to be a tough fight for both of us.

“But I’m definitely not afraid to go to the ground with him, and I’m not afraid to stand with him, so…”

Mike, is there anything you’d like to add?

“And thanks to John Palmer at Quad City Suzuki. He’s one of the reasons I got into the IFL, because he helped me out with sponsorship when I was struggling, and backed me in my training for the small shows, earlier in my career. And I’d like to thank Jake Shannon from scientificwrestling.com and Joe Gold from Full Contact Fighter. Those three guys have really done a lot for me. I owe a lot to them.”

Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Aaron Stark

For more on Mike Ciesnolevicz: www.mikeciesnolevicz.com and www.myspace.com/mikecies

For more on IFL: www.ifl.tv.

It’s 9 o’clock Tuesday evening and Mike Ciesnolevicz is driving home after stocking up on some groceries. “I’m starting a new diet: I’m trying to get my bodyweight lower – my walk-around weight, because I’m too heavy. I cut too much weight at 205. I can get up to 235lbs easy on my existing diet, so I’m going to change it,” says Ciesnolevicz. “I’m cutting 25 to 30lbs, and that’s way too much.”

Mike says he intends cutting out a lot of heavy carbs and will increase the green leafy vegetables and lean proteins. He’ll also be looking at his eating patterns, which will mean less eating late at night. “I want to walk around at 220 instead of 232, which is too much work and too much stress on my body. I won my last three fights, but I felt fatigued from dropping too much weight.”

In a real-life drama that many of us experience on a day-to-day basis, Mike became the victim of a siege conducted by a very domineering sweet tooth that chose to hole up beside one of his wisdom teeth. And as any CSI watcher will tell you, the ransom is always processed food with liberal lashings of sugar.

“I’m going to try to eat more organic: I usually eat ice creams once in a while… Like every couple of weeks I’ll visit this really good ice cream place. And my girlfriend likes pizza and Chinese food, so I end up eating things that I shouldn’t be eating. But chocolate is my weakness.

“Have you ever been to a place called Coldstone? They make the best ice cream: They make like a big frozen slab right in front of you, and they put the ice cream on it, and anything you want they mix it in. You can get a couple of candy bars mixed into an ice cream, with syrup and caramel… They make the best ice cream I’ve ever had. All the guys from the gym love Coldstone.”

Mike says it’s those ‘little things’ that he intends cutting back on in his diet, and having snacks before going to bed. “Before I got in the IFL I was a lot leaner, but now I’m training so hard that I just go crazy and I want to eat everything in sight.”

By maintaining a lighter bodyweight between bouts, Mike won’t have to go through so much of a dramatic drop to make the light heavyweight category for fights. “I want to make my body more efficient, and when I’m that heavy I’m sluggish, and cutting that much weight takes all my energy and it’s like I’m struggling to put all the fluids back in, to fight the next day after the weigh-ins.”

At the IFL bout between the Silverbacks and the Anacondas, Mike faced off with the highly respected Alex Schoenauer and was awarded the fight by split decision over Alex. “I actually had a sinus infection for that fight, so I had trouble breathing out of my nose, and by the third round I was pretty tired. Normally, my conditioning is not a problem, but by the last round I couldn’t wait for the fight to be over because I couldn’t breathe out of my nose. My head felt like a cinder block.”

Mike, is there any truth in the rumor that you have to have nose surgery due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time for a Ben Rothwell rocket launch?

“Oh, man – is that the rumor?”

It will be after readers see this.

“Yeah, right. The truth is I had to have my nose re-broken and reset because, as I said, I got tired in the third round of my last fight and had my hands down. Alex Schroenauer hit me with a straight right hand and shattered both my nasal bones. It was the last minute of the fight, I think, and we threw punches in an exchange, and that’s when he hit me with the straight right. I immediately knew my nose was broken – my eyes started watering and I saw blood running out of my nose. It was actually the first time I’ve ever had my nose broken. I knew right away though.

“When I got back I had a doctor’s appointment. They let the swelling go down, then put me under anesthesia, re-broke it, put it back in it’s place, and said I can’t get hit for six to eight weeks or it’s not going to heal right, and I’ll have breathing problems. I’d rather be healthy for the May fight and the rest of the season than risk things at this next fight coming up (against Ken Shamrock’s Lions) in April. Pat thinks so too.”

I heard you’re not happy about Alex Schoenauer reportedly saying he should have won the bout against you, which was awarded to you by split decision.

“The only fight I’ve ever had where I wasn’t sure whether I’d won or not was against Reese Andy. That fight I came back to my corner and I was like, well I could have won or he could have won. For the Alex Schoenauer fight, I wasn’t worried at all – it was like, well, Okay, I’ve won by unanimous decision after dominating every round.

“My corner – like Pat and everyone, they said, ‘You’ve won. Good fight, smart fight, you’ve won.’ Then all of a sudden it’s a split decision, and I had flashbacks to the Reese Andy fight, and I’m like, ‘Oh, man, not again.’

“Apparently Alex thought he won, and Sherdog scored the fight 10-9 to Alex every round, which would make it a 30-27 to Alex: a unanimous decision. I don’t know how you can win a fight if you’re on your back 80 percent of the fight. I had about six or seven takedowns and he was on his back the whole fight, and he never had me in trouble: He hit me with one shot in the third round that broke my nose. I don’t think that’s enough to win a fight.

“He was hitting me with a couple of short punches from his back, but I actually hit his eye and gave him stitches… He did one submission that was a good attempt. He went for an ankle roll on me and we rolled through the ropes. That was the only decent attempt he had, but even then I was never in trouble. Other than that… So for him to say he should have won the fight because he dropped me twice, I was kinda offended by that because I never got dropped at all. Even when I got my nose broken I didn’t get dropped. So I don’t even understand where that came from.”

The unofficial scoring on Sherdog is only one guy’s view of the fight, isn’t it?

“Exactly, and I totally thought I won it: I was never rocked, and Alex was on the defensive on his back the whole time. He wanted to keep it standing and I wanted to keep it on the ground, and 80 percent of it was on the ground.

“I was very confident that I dominated and dictated the fight and executed my game plan… He wasn’t going for submissions from his back and didn’t have me in trouble. He had a closed guard and tried to tie up my arms the whole time.”

Would you like to settle this with an IFL superfight?

“I would definitely like a rematch, but I don’t feel I have something to prove because I feel confident that I won. However, if it happens, I’ll definitely take it.

“But I like Alex Schoenauer a lot: I talked to him before and after the fight and he was very respectful. He’s like one of the guys who’s really professional and a classy athlete.”

He was a nice guy to interview.

“Yeah, like I said, I really like him, but when it comes to the fight, he’s thinking that he should have won and he dropped me twice, and that never happened.”  

Will you be right for the Red Bears on May 19?

“Yes. Actually I could fight April 7, but I wouldn’t be able to train properly for it, and I want to be ready for somebody of Vernon White’s caliber.”

Who will be taking your place against Vernon?

“I don’t know; it’s up in the air still. They’re talking about a couple of guys, but nothing’s set in stone. We don’t really have an alternate at that weight class, so we need to find someone. There are a bunch of guys eager for the spot, but I just don’t know who we’re going to get. Whoever it’s going to be, it will just be for this one fight.”

I’ve also heard you’re wanting Ken Shamrock to come out of retirement so you can lock horns with him in an IFL superfight. Is that correct?

“When I first started fighting, even before Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock was the first guy I wanted to be like - the way he was built, the way he fought… That’s who I wanted to be like. Ken was my idol: I bought his book, did his weight-training routine, and I followed his diet… what he said I followed.

“Then when I was eighteen, I actually got to roll around with him. It didn’t turn out too good for me – he pretty much dominated me, but he’s always been my idol. And as a guy coming up in the sport, I thought if I ever get to a level where I’m good enough to compete against a guy of his standard, that’s who I want to fight. It would mean a lot to me. I think everyone would like to fight against their idol.”

How did you get to roll with Ken?

“I started out in karate and I’d done a little bit of grappling; we were at this club where every Saturday we got to roll around, and Ken was in town for a WWF wrestling event. He needed somewhere to train, lift weights, and do all the things he does. So he came to our club and did a free four-hour seminar for us. It was amazing, because as I said, he was my idol and it was just by chance he was in town.

“He said, ‘Who wants to roll with me first?’ and I jumped at the opportunity. I knew I was going to get manhandled, but it was one of those things where I’d be able to say I trained with Ken Shamrock. I think he had me tap three times in about two or three minutes.”

You’ve said before that Ken was a pioneer of MMA and that he paved the way for other fighters. As well as paving the way, he also comes across as a man who has put a lot back into the sport and donated mats and equipment to smaller, struggling clubs. Is that the case?

“Yeah, I think Ken has done as much for the sport as anybody. You look at him: He might be past his prime, but he’s come back and fought a guy like Tito Ortiz who’s in his prime, just because it’s going to help MMA as a whole. Their fight broke records and got enormous ratings despite being up against other major sporting events at the same time. And now he’s doing a lot for the IFL.”

Mike, is there anything you’d like to add?

Sponsors?

“Jake Shannon from scientificwrestling.com, Full Contact Fighter’s Joe Gold, and Fairtex.”

Mike Ciesnolevicz's corner