Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) Young Guns is back!
In 2021, Michigan-based regional promotion XFC held four ‘Young Guns’ events, highlighting mixed martial arts (MMA) prospects, including Austin Bashi, Kenneth Cross, and Mando Gutierrez.
After the four events, the Young Guns series vanished without a trace, and XFC did too. XFC would hold one miniature Grand Prix event in 2023 and then returned with two big events (watch highlights) this year.
XFC has big plans for 2025 because recently, the promotion announced that its Young Guns series is back in hopes of launching fighters into the Contender Series and eventually into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). To top it all off, the first event will be held at Florida’s super gym, Kill Cliff Fight Club (Kill Cliff FC), which is home to Michael Chandler, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Kamaru Usman, and hundreds more.
Check out the press release below:
“Xtreme Fighting Championships announced the return of their Young Guns series, showcasing MMA’s most ambitious new prospective talent. Originally launched in 2020, XFC Young Guns will return Wednesday, January 29th at the renowned Kill Cliff Fight Club in Deerfield Beach, Florida, commencing a multi-event deal
The XFC’s Young Guns series serves as a proving ground for emerging male and female mixed martial arts athletes that aspire to rise through the ranks and fight in the “big leagues” of MMA, the UFC. Kicking off in January 2025, XFC will present six Young Guns events in the U.S. throughout the year and is in discussions to bring Young Guns to Latin America.
“Knowing the proven history of our Young Guns series and the amount of MMA superstars waiting to be discovered, we identified early on that relaunching Young Guns was our top priority,” said Chris Defendis, President of Xtreme One Entertainment. “We secured Kill Cliff Fight Club in South Florida to serve as our venue partner, and we already have a great group of athletes ready to fight for their future as the next great rising star in MMA. Following the successful execution of our three arena events in 2024, XFC is ringing in 2025 with a brand-new Young Guns live and a series of events that will be must-watch TV.”
“We have been impressed with XFC as a promotion for many years now,” said Jamie Gall, General Manager, Kill Cliff FC. “After having the opportunity to work with them in 2024, experiencing their professionalism, passion, and ingenuity, we’re eager to host Young Guns at our facility. At Kill Cliff FC, we offer the professional environment our athletes deserve and create opportunities for our athletes outside the norm of this sport. XFC’s vision for Young Guns aligns with ours, as well as the needs of our athletes and MMA athletes globally in search of a promotion to propel them to the next level.”
The relaunch of Young Guns is a key component of the XFC’s strategy to discover the next generation of MMA talent, serving as the development league for future world contenders and champions.
“We have the team and platform to spotlight the best up-and-coming talent, and we’re committed as an organization to also be a partner and catalyst in the careers of MMA fighters building their profiles and chasing their dreams,” Defendis added.
After a successful run of momentum-building events in 2024, such as XFC Grand Prix II and XFC 51:Evolution, the XFC plans to raise the bar in 2025 by providing more action-packed content and expanding the XFC community.
The Florida Athletic Commission will regulate the Young Guns series, which is an awesome feat because the commission doesn’t normally do that; however, the promotion “really impressed them with its business model and executive leadership,” a spoke person revealed.
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