Paragon fighter Ryan Hodge returns to the cage this weekend at Art of Fighting 5, at the Robarts Arena in Sarasota, FL.  Following a tough loss last November, Hodge is back after a year of focused training to take on Mark Serkez with determination to avenge his own loss last year and the defeat of fellow Paragon fighter by Serkez this past September in XFC 9.  Art of Fighting 5 will also feature Carlos "The Rooster" Gonzaga and Chris Baten, as well as several other popular local fighters.

Visit http://www.artoffighting.tv/ for more info and to buy tickets to the event.

Paragon Fighters Bruce Connors and Frankie Knuckles will be fighting live on HDNet on Sept 5th in the XFC. The Xtreme Fighting Championships is once again bringing an exciting night of MMA to Tampa at the St. Pete Times Forum. The crowd will also be welcoming home Gracie Barra Orlando Black Belt Mikey Gomez, who will be fighting War Machine in the main event. Also on the card, Paragon MMA's newest fighter, Shah "Hollywood" Babonis, faces undefeated fighter Rey Trujillo for a catapult into the mix of the XFC's strong featherweight division.

If you would like to know more about Frank Santore or Bruce Connors visit their websites BruceMMA.com and FrankieKnuckles.tv

RFC 18 "Pride" hosted Florida State Lightweight Champion Edson Berto vs. Jason Ball from the UK in their main event at the A La Carte Pavillion in Tampa this weekend, with a decision victory for Ball after a tough three rounds. We previously saw Ball defeat Glen Mencer by TKO in the Cage Warriors event back in January, and look forward to his future presence in MMA in the US.

Determined to defend his undefeated record, Paragon fighter Jim Alers faced David Gomez, but not for long. After numerous takedowns in the first two minutes, Alers switched game plans and stalked Gomez around the cage before getting his first KO with a straight to Gomez' chin at 3:03 in the first round. Alers' passion commitment to training and to constantly improving his game paid off and brings him to 3-0 with an even greater passion for this sport.

Special thanks to all of Jim's sponsors, whose support is truly appreciated. Check out Steadfast Brand Clothing, NVRTAP, Projekt Label and Throwin' Knuckles to support those who support some of the great young fighters in MMA.

Paragon MMA and the XFC have teamed up to find undiscovered talent and give an unknown fighter a chance to fight the Xtreme Fighting Championships next big card. At the last open tryouts fighter Chris Barnett was given the chance of a life time and took full advantage by winning his pro-debut fight in front of over a million fans worldwide. Come June 20 to open tryout and let Paragon MMA Management and the XFC take a look at your skills. You will have the opportunity to gain management, a fight contract and even paid sponsors in an event that has been setting records for attendance on the east coast as well as being broadcast to millions on national tv.

Please bring full sparing gear if you have it and be ready to grapple. Don't forget your mouthpiece!

For more info check out the XFC website

Friday July 24th in Tampa, Florida Paragon Fighter Jim Alers will be fighting in the the RFC. He will be facing Dave Gomez in what will be Jim's third professional MMA fight. For a second time Jim will be fighting alongside training partner and UK's finest lad Jason Ball who recently defeated Glen Mincer in Cage Warriors and is now facing a very dangerous Edson Berto. For tickets and more information visit www.rfcmma.com and if you are coming from Orlando there is a party bus leaving from Gracie Barra Orlando (link www.marciosimas.com) for time and location contact them.

Paragon MMA and the XFC have teamed up to find undiscovered talent and give an unknown fighter a chance to fight the Xtreme Fighting Championships next big card. At the last open tryouts fighter Chris Barnett was given the chance of a life time and took full advantage by winning his pro-debut fight in front of over a million fans worldwide. Come June 20 to open tryout and let Paragon MMA Management and the XFC take a look at your skills. You will have the opportunity to gain management, a fight contract and even paid sponsors in an event that has been setting records for attendance on the east coast as well as being broadcast to millions on national tv.

Please bring full sparing gear if you have it and be ready to grapple. Don't forget your mouthpiece!

For more info check out the XFC website

Three Paragon MMA Fighters will step into the cage this weekend for Xtreme Fighting Championship 8 (link name to xfcmma.com ), Regional Conflict, in Knoxville, TN.  MMA fans can catch the show live on HDNet Saturday night starting at 9pm EST.

Bruce Connors will be taking on Jarrod Card for the XFC's featherweight title in the night's main event.  Currently a Cage Warriors belt holder, Bruce has his sights set on defending his undefeated record and bringing home another belt in this fight to defend his undefeated record.  In a recent press release, XFC founder John Prisco commented on the excitement surrounding this matchup, calling it "one of the most compelling fights that the XFC has ever had the privelege of promoting."

In his professional debut in the XFC, Paragon fighter Corey "The Freak" Krebs knocked out his oppenent in just 17 seconds.  He will be facing off againts Dean Hamilton on Saturday and has been training hard to improve on his 1-1 record.

Maurice "The Gorilla" Jackson (2-1) of Odessa, Texas will be making his first appearance as a member of the Paragon MMA team in the heavyweight bout of the evening.  Paragon MMA is excited about Jackson's potential and is pleased to be working with him to develop his career.  

Paragon MMA would like to thank all of our sponsors for their continued support and welcome the new and exciting compaines who have gotten on board for this event, Jaco Clothing, Bucklehead Custom Knives, and IC Places.

Paragon Fighter Kevin "Boricua Fighter" Abrante will be facing off against a much acclaimed NCAA regional champion, Olympic qualifier and brown belt, James Brasco in Bellator's inaugural event at the Hard Rock Casino in Ft. Lauderdale on April 3rd.  "I feel good about this fight and I think no matter the outcome, it will be the most exciting fight of the night. I have been working hard, even though this fight was last minute, and I am excited for the opportunity to represent Puerto Rico in the cage, and am going to make all of my fans proud. I look forward to Bellator inviting me back" Kevin says. Another exciting fight on the card will be WEC experienced Johnathan Brookins climbing into the cage with Stephen Ledbetter, so we will soon see who is truly the better man.

In other news: Check out this article on Paragon Fighter Jim Alers and his upcoming career in MMA http://www.411mania.com/MMA/columns/100603

Feb 14th, valentines night a stacked card of UFC veterans comes to Daytona for "Rumble in Race Town" presented by the XCF

We look forward to a good show and hope to see you there.

The Paragon team showed strong, once again, at the Cage Warriors Destruction event this past Friday at the UCF Arena. Daniel Lovett, Jim Alers, and Kevin Abrante walked into the event with a determination to walk out with three victories, and that is exactly what they did.

After a surprising loss in the last Cage Warriors event, Daniel Lovett (2-1) took last weekend's fight against Rory Shallcross on short notice in hopes of showing his true strength and level of improvement since August. After a good exchange between the two, Lovett defeated Shallcross by rear naked choke at 4:17 in the first round. Since rededicating himself to the sport, Lovett has made marked improvements to his game and is hungry for his next victory.

Shortly before intermission and after what may have been the quickest sprint to the cage in MMA history, Jim Alers 2-0 followed his Gracie Barra teammate's example, handing American Top Team's Brent Silva a Round 1 loss by rear naked choke. Alers has one of the most controlled and well executed ground games of his peers and won this match up decisively against an ATT golden child, whose fan club quickly found the nearest exit after his defeat.

Boricua Fighter Kevin Abrante (3-0), along with nearly half of the UCF Arena wearing the signature Boricua Fighter t-shirt by 47 Clothing, restored the pre-intermission energy level, and closed out the Paragon sweep with the third first round victory over his opponent, Zach Knight. From over 300 pounds three years ago to the unbelievable athlete he is today, Abrante has the spirit of a warrior and the striking power of, well, a 300 pound man. His skills in the sport are remarkable, and the energy that he brings to his fights is undeniable.

Destruction, Cage Warriors third event in the United States, also played host to a WWE style post fight showdown between Clayton McKinney and Carlos Gonzaga, who, fresh off of a first round armbar, did his best to convince the crowd that slapping your opponents outer thigh with an open hand is NOT tapping. The crowd also had the pleasure of watching Jason Ball of England's Team Ultimate Force, take a beating from Glenn Mincer only to lay him out in the third round in a TKO victory. Ball was flown in from England to take the fight against Mincer at 160 lbs after several attempts to find a local opponent to take the fight at Mincer's requested weight. Smaller than his opponent, and considered an underdog in the match up, Ball gave the crowd the cage battle they were hoping for and Mincer the defeat that he was hoping to avoid. And last, but not least, we all had the privilege of witnessing the most gut wrenching and surprisingly unsuccesful knee bar of all time. Gareth Joseph and those in attendance are not sure exactly how many joints Yosmany Cabezas has in his right knee, but we are all certain it is more than he should. Victory and swollen knee goes to Cabezas by Triangel Choke in Round 2.

Special thanks to team Paragon sponsors Throwin' Knuckles, 47 Clothing, Projekt Label Fightwear, Steadfast Brand, Shoot Straight, and K-Roc Hard Sports Supplements.

2009 is the year of Team Paragon.

Paragon Fighters Jim Alers, Kevin "Boricua Fighter" Abrante and Daniel Lovett will be going to war Jan 30.

For tickets visit www.cagewarriorsusa.com

While names like Mike Pyle, Forrest Griffin and team namesake Randy Couture dominate the Xtreme Couture landscape, there is a next generation of fighters being produced by the gym that is about to the explode onto the scene.

Fighters such as lightweight Lance Wipf, who will be challenging for the Palace Fighting Championship 155-pound title against California standout Brian Cobb on Jan. 22 in Lemoore, Calif.

"You see the fighters that come out of there in the past that they've taken to be successful in the fight game, and we're right on track with them," said Wipf of the up and coming fighters of Xtreme Couture. "Trying to follow the footsteps of those who have made it to the UFC and that have a great career in the fight world."

One would think having to live up to such high expectations from a team that produces some of the best fighters in the world would be a daunting task to the next generation athletes, but according to Lance, it's not so.

"I feel pressure on myself to perform and win the fight that I have in front of me," he stated. "There's no pressure from the gym – it's me that has to perform, the pressure I'm putting on myself."

At this Thursday's PFC, Wipf will get an opportunity to showcase his skills for the next level of competition as he faces a fellow fighter on the possible verge of a breakthrough in titleholder Brian Cobb.

"To be honest, in my opinion, Brian's a one-dimensional fighter," exclaimed Wipf. "If I can overcome his wrestling, I feel I can take him out of his game plan and comfort zone to where he's frustrated and feels like he's thrown for a loop.

"I feel I'm the superior fighter and it's a great match-up for me."

The winner of the fight could see their stock rise enough to where they could get that opportunity to shine on a bigger stage, but Wipf won't let the possibilities take his focus off the fight itself.

"I would love to see myself in the bigger shows like the UFC, WEC or Strikeforce, but I still have to prove myself, I guess," he said. "And that's all I focus on, is winning one fight at a time, and when the time comes I'll get the call to the big shows.

"I'd like to thank all the fans coming out to support me; Projekt Label, Remington Reed, and Rebecca Ryan Long. I'm excited for this fight, and if you come to watch me live or on the internet, you're in for a show – win, lose or draw – you're going to watch a battle."

Paragon fighter Lance Wipf (8-1) will be taking a shot at the 155 title against Bryan Cobb at the Palace Fighting Championship on January 22nd.

PFC is a growing organization that hosts MMA events at the Tachi Reservation Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, CA. This is PFC's 12th event at this location, having hosted many great fighters in the past, such as Doug "Rhino" Marshalls, Phil Baroni, Richie Hightower, Brian Huerta, and Jeremiah Metcalf, who will be making another appearance on the 22nd. vs. Bryan Travers.

Visit www.palacefightingchampionship.com for tickets and check back at ParagonMMA.com for upcoming events.

Paragon MMA fighter Frank Santore and Stephanie from Steadfast Brand

Paragon MMA Fighter Frankie "Knuckles" Santore and Steadfast Brand Sweetheart Model Stephanie Fleischman - Photography by Sean Heartgrove. Poster 11x17

Autographed copies are available for an extra $5.00, contact Steadfast Brans for more info

XFC brought yet another 10 thousand plus people into the St Pete Times forum for a night of fast paced MMA action. Frank Santore kicked off the night with some solid slams and on point Jiu-Jitsu defense against a more experience Donny Wallace (over 15 amateur fights and a still impressive 3-1 pro record) . Donny tried to sink in several submissions but Frankie Knuckles controlled the first round and came into the second with confidence. Two minutes into the second round Frankie ended up in a scramble and got taken down by Wallace, after a little ground and pound Wallace ended up in a loose triangle. After a couple slams to no avail Frankie locked in the triangle choke tight and finished Donny Wallace 2:41 in the second round bringing him to a 4-0 record.

The third fight of the night ended with Mark Serkez being pulled off of Reuben Millhausen by the referee after a short and extremely fast paced brawl that included some good boxing, clench work, knees and take down defense by Serkez.

The most notable fight of the night was very clearly the Justin Goodall vs Haender Rodriguez for the 135 belt. It was an all out slug fest for nearly 3 straight rounds. Haender hit Jason about as hard as any 135 pound man can hit yet he still didn't go down, well not all the way. With every hit it looked like it may end but Goodall never stopped coming forward near the end of the third round knocked Haender down and ended the fight with a TKO.

Paragon MMA fighter Frank Santore (aka Frankie Knuckles) will be defending his undefeated record of 3-0 and Mark Serkez is making his XFC debut. Plus 2 title belt fights, XFC 1st female fight, South Africa's Heavyweight Gold Medal winner Rico Hattingh takes on Chad Corvin, and much much more! December 5th at St. Pete Times Forum, gates open at 6:30pm. If you can't be there, catch it LIVE online at mmaxfc.com Click here to purchase tickets.

Don't forget to check out Daytona's first MMA event at Bruce Rossmeyer's Destination Daytona featuring two Paragon MMA fighters, Ryan Hodge and Corey Krebs. Click here to purchase tickets.

Congratulations to Frank Sharipov who brought home his first bantamweight victory in the G Force Promotions Bad Blood event in Miami last week. In his first fight at 135, Sharipov maintained control through all three rounds of the co-main event matchup, and defeated Haender "Cubita" Rodriguez (4-3), a highly respected and honorable contender. Sharipov seemed to have found his niche in his drop to 135, and we expect many more exciting fights to come in the bantamweight division.

Eric Reynolds (9-0) was handed his first loss in the second of the main event fights at the hands of Luis Palomino in a knockout at 38 seconds in the first round. Retired basketball player Glen Rice, the founder of G Force Promotions, was on hand and expressed great excitement regarding the event's turnout and the great night of matchups in the promotion company's first MMA event.

Mikey Gomez is now scheduled to fight on the Elite XC card at the Bank Atlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale on October 4th. His opponent, Lorenzo Borgomeo (4-0) comes from American Top Team and has yet to be defeated as a professional fighter. Other bouts on the card include #5 Welterweight Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley and Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and the recently announced, last minute addition of Andrei Arlovski vs Roy Nelson (from the IFL) apparently "borrowed" from Affliction. For Mikey's highlight video and a clip from Inside MMA with Bas Rutten, visit the Paragon MMA media page. For more stats and info see MikeyGomez.com

We still have a little room for some last minute sponsors, so contact Paragon MMA quick if you wanna get on board with Mikey Gomez, Elite XC and CBS.

The Xtreme Fighting Championships brought yet another unbelievable crowd to the St Pete Times Forum this weekend for Salute to Our Armed Forces V: Return of the Giant. Gan McGee (13-4) made his return to the cage after walking away from the sport in 2004 after a loss in the main event to Tim Sylvia, who was later stripped of the title after testing positive for the steroid stanolozol. Mc Gee came away with the victory in the main event on an amazing nine fight card.

The card featured four Paragon Fighters, each of them walking away with decisive victories over the competition. Brandon Palant, Justin Flood, Frank Sharipov, and pro-debut Corey Krebs competed in what were four of the most skillful and exciting fights of the night, starting off with Palant's victory over Justin "The Ghost" Goodall at 3:36 in the first round by rear naked choke. Palant, now 2-0 is a highly skilled young fighter and is shaping up to be a tough match in the 135 lb. weight class. Palant's win was followed by another first round TKO victory by Justin Flood (3-0) over Brandon Watts and a unanimous decision for Frank Sharipov (4-2) over Shah Bobonis. Flood and Sharipov both left the cage with two of the best fights of their careers after competing only one week before at Cage Supremacy in Sarasota, FL. Flood came away with his first TKO victory while Sharipov showed great endurance and dominant control through all three rounds. The fourth Paragon victory came in the second half of the evening, when Corey Krebs ended the night for Jermaine Wilson with an unbelievable 16 second TKO. It was the quickest win of the evening, but Krebs' strength was evident in the cage. He followed up his win by taking pictures with people in the audience and signing autographs for several young MMA fans. The MMA world should keep their eye on Krebs, as the future of his fighting career will continue to reveal the talents he possesses.

Paragon MMA would like to thank the Xtreme Fighting Championship organization for another great night of fights. The XFC continues to pull in crowds of more than 10,000 while giving special tribute to the men and women who defend our nation.

Team Paragon brought home another win this weekend at the Cage Supremacy event in Sarasota, FL with Justin Flood, now 2-0, defeating Rory Shallcross by armbar in the second round. Flood proved, once again, that he is a very smart, strong fighter as he maintained an advantage throughout the first round before getting the submission. One of the best matchups of the night was between Frank Sharipov (3-1) of Paragon MMA and Ralph Acosta (3-1), with Acosta coming out on top in a close decision after three exciting rounds that showcased both fighters' endurance and talent on the ground. Sharipov and Acosta are certainly two of the best in their weight class, and will likely face each other again as their careers continue to grow.

Cage Supremacy was the inaugural event for Atomic Enterprises and had a full nine-bout card of great matchups and tough competition. Atomic Enterprises brought in several local fighters as well as some from across the state of Florida and into Georgia. Besides a night of great fights, the crowd also had a chance to see and meet some celebrity talent with both the Ultimate Fighter's upcoming superstart Ben Saunders and local heavyweight boxer, China Smith, in attendance.

Look for more great fights in the upcoming XFC on September 13th, one of the largest and fastest growing events in the south east. The Extreme Fighting Championships will be hosting four of Paragon MMA's fighters including long awaited debut Corey Krebs and up and comer Brandon Palant. If you cant make the event be sure to log on and watch the action http://www.mmaxfc.com/signup/prebuy.html.

Congratulations to Featherweight Champion Bruce Connors on his decisive victory in the Cage Warriors event in Orlando this past weekend! Connors, still a stranger to the second round, now holds a 6-0 record and continues to prove that he is one of the most exciting and dominant fighters competing in his weight class. The Paragon team also brought home a Welterweight title with Mikey Gomez's (8-4) first round victory over American Top Team's Charley Blanchard, and a win by undefeated Kevin "Boricua Fighter" Abrante. Moving to 1-1 in his professional MMA career, Daniel Lovett will be returning to the ring soon to regain his winning record. Fellow Gracie Barra team members Steve Mogerman and Jim Alers also came out on top with what were decidedly two of the most exciting fights of the night.

The Cage Warriors event drew in a crowd of over 8,000 to the UCF Arena in Orlando, and was hosted by UFC Star Stephan Bonner. Unleashed proved to be one of the most exciting events in Florida this year, with a 10 fight card that kept the crowd on its feet and played host to some of the greatest fighters in the Southeast Region.

To see pictures from this and other events, check out the MEDIA PAGE and stay tuned to paragonmma.com to follow the exciting career of Bruce Connors and the constantly growing and promising team of Paragon MMA fighters.

Bruce Connors and Paragon MMA want to welcome the Central FL Police Benevolent Association on board as a sponsor. We are honored to represent a sponsor that fights for the men and woman of law enforcement and are excited to fight for them! They will be making a Bruce Connors shirt for his upcoming title fight, so stay tuned for more info on where to pick up your PBA/Bruce Connors t-shirt.

You can show your support at www.flpba.org

What a Night it was! Both Farkhad Sharipov and Mikey Gomez win with Pride June 28th at the XFC Salute our Troops 4. Paragon Dominated the night with 2 out of 2 victories. With the wins Sharipov improves to 2-0 and Gomez moves up to 5-3.

You can visit MMAXFC.COM to view the Fight Card and catch results for the June 28th 2008 XFC Salute Our Troops 4 Event in full by clicking here MMAXFC.COM.