CHICAGO | It's been nearly five years since Mike Russow's first and only loss in mixed martial arts.

But 20 months ago, it sure didn't feel that way for about 12 minutes.

Russow, a Kankakee native and a police officer in Chicago's 3rd District, spent two-and-a-half rounds getting picked apart by Todd Duffee at UFC 114 in Las Vegas. Or as Russow himself put it Wednesday: "He was beating my (butt.)"

What happened next helped put Russow on the map in the UFC - even though even he will admit it was "a lucky punch."

Russow (14-1, 1 NC, 3-0 UFC) caught Duffee with a right hand, and another quick one as his opponent - then the UFC record-holder for fastest knockout at 7 seconds - and dropped him to the canvas in one of the more remarkable comebacks in MMA history. But Russow said he hasn't changed a bit, and no one on the police force changed how they respond to him, either.

"Everyone treats me the same. I don't act any different," Russow said. "I think just the mental side of (fighting and police work), you have to be calm. You're in a lot of situations with police work where it's scary. You're clearing a house, by yourself, no lights, you don't know if the offender is in there. It's just like in the cage. When I fought Todd Duffee, he was beating my (butt). But I stayed calm, hung in there and landed a lucky punch. So I think that's how it helps -- mentally just being tough."

Russow will get a chance to show his toughness Saturday in front of his home fans when the UFC hosts a Fox-televised card at the United Center in Chicago. It will be his first Chicagoland fight in more than three years - his three fights since joining the UFC have been in Portland, Las Vegas and Seattle. And he said he's excited to be back on his home turf.

"This is awesome," Russow told The Times. "This is really a dream come true just being here in my hometown with family, friends and co-workers that can come - it's great. Plus, I don't have to travel and spend the extra money with my coaches. I know a lot of people from Kankakee County are coming, and a lot of police - we have 25 districts, so who knows. Even if I wasn't fighting they'd be coming anyway."

Russow, newly married with a newborn, said he can't realistically afford to leave the police force to just be a fighter in the UFC. But at 35, with another potentially career-altering fight against John-Olav Einemo on Saturday, Russow is allowing himself to keep the dream.

"I'm just not in a position where I can just train full time," the heavyweight said. "I can't take that chance with no insurance, but my dream would be to fight solely for the UFC and just do that. Before this fight, I used a month's vacation time and I got an idea of what it's like for these guys to just do this - eat good, sleep good. I loved it."

Russow's fight against Einemo will be on the preliminary card of UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis. The main card airs live on Fox at 7 p.m. The preliminary card, including Russow's fight, will air on Fuel TV starting at 4 p.m.