Photos by BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers ONE BAD MAN-Mark "The Bear" Smith, who trains in Simi Valley, will fight Saturday night on Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter." Mark "The Bear" Smith is out of hibernation.

And he's starving.

"The bear is out of the den and looking for some honey," said the 320-pound ultimate fighter from Simi Valley, who will step into the octagon Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium.

Smith will go toe-to-toe with Mike Whitehead, a world-class wrestler on Spike TV's hit reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter."

"I'm going to win," said Smith, 32, a former two-time heavyweight champion with 28 wins and nine losses in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

"I've been training hard. I'm mentally focused and physically ready. I want it more than ever now," he said.

For Smith, the bout means more than a chance to compete for cash in a sport that combines grappling, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, jujitsu and submission.

Smith retired a year and a half ago from what is considered the toughest sport known to man.

"I got burned out . . . and it was illegal in California at the time," said Smith, who has competed in Brazil, Russia, England and other parts of the world.

Pay was also a factor.

"The money wasn't good. It wasn't paying the bills," Smith said.

He took a job as a bodyguard. But as time went by, he realized nothing could compare to the rush of the ring.

"I felt blank--I was empty," he said. "I really thought I was done. But then it hit me: This is what I'm made for. This is my calling."

His comeback was also based on the legalization of MMA in many states due to new rules and regulations.

MMA is a combat sport in which two competitors attempt to achieve dominance through a wide variety of martial arts techniques.

Well-known MMA organizations include the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships.

MMA is also referred to as "NHB" or "No Holds Barred," but this term is now out of favor because NHB is no longer an accurate description of the modern sport. MMA now has formal rules and has developed techniques to guard the fighters' safety.

"The rules have changed- they're cutting back on kicks to the head, elbows to the head," Smith said.

And with the sport hitting the mainstream with shows like the reality series on Spike TV"people understand the professionalism of the sport and respect it more," Smith said.

Legalization means more money for competitors, more revenue for California and more credibility, said Darrin Dotson, owner of Universal Above Ground Fighting--UAGF--the company promoting Smith's fight.

"When we didn't have a lot of rules and regulations, the sport got a black eye," Dotson said. "(Today) it's legalized and sanctioned in more states than not."

The sport is blowing up, said Dotson, who expects even more growth by this time next year.

He said only a handful of boxing matches were held in California last year, but this year has seen 15 MMA events just since January.

"It's become the fastest growing sport ever-we went from 4,000-seat venues to selling out at the Anaheim Pond."

To prepare for his comeback, Smith has been training at Kid Gloves Boxing in Simi Valley, the only gym in Ventura County with an octagon cage and a stable of ultimate fighters.

To work his corner, Smith has chosen Robert Ortiz, owner of Kid Gloves and Scraptime Promotions, and his brother, Danny Ortiz, a former professional boxer.

On Saturday night, Smith has a chance to walk away with a UAGF heavyweight title, Dotson said.

"Mark has only one speed and that's forward . . . he has a good shot at upsetting Mike Whitehead."