Kill Cliff FC, officially known as Kill Cliff Fight Club (formerly known as Sanford MMA, Hard Knocks 365 and Combat Club) is a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

gym based in

Deerfield Beach, Florida Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, just south of the Palm Beach County line. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,859. It is a principal ...

. It was originally founded in 2017 by

Henri Hooft Henri Hooft, also known as Harry Hooft (born May 21, 1969), is a Dutch former kickboxer and trainer. He is the head trainer at Kill Cliff FC and formerly the Blackzilians. Career Hooft was born and raised in The Hague, Netherlands. At the age ...

and Greg Jones as Combat Club and later Hard Knocks 365 before being rebranded to Sanford MMA in 2019 after obtaining a sponsorship deal with

Sanford Health Sanford Health is a non-profit, integrated health care delivery system, with its headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with additional offices in Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bemidji, Minnesota. History Sanford Health has its ...

. In July 2022, the gym rebranded to Kill Cliff FC.

Overview

In 2017,

left the

Blackzilians The Blackzilians was a professional team of fighters in mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, amateur wrestling and catch wrestling located in South Florida. The team had included former UFC champions Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Eddie Alvarez ...

and alongside Greg Jones, founded the gym, Combat Club in

Boynton Beach, Florida Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is situated about 57 miles north of Miami. The population was 68,217 at the 2010 census. In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 78,679 according to the University o ...

. This later rebranded as Hard Knocks 365 after moving the gym to

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

in order to accommodate a bigger facility. Some of the fighters who were originally training at the Blackzilians would join the new gym. In 2019, Hard Knocks 365 rebranded to Sanford MMA after obtaining a sponsorship deal with

. A new training facility was opened in

as part of the deal and Sanford Health also opened a supporting clinic adjacent to the team training facility. In July 2022, the gym rebranded to Kill Cliff FC after Kill Cliff, an energy drink and CBD company acquired naming the rights to the gym. The team includes roughly 40 fighters, 25 of whom fight within the largest three MMA promotions (UFC, Bellator and ONE), as well as former and current world champions. Kill Cliff FC is notable for producing former

UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Kamaru Usman Kamarudeen Usman (born May 11, 1987) is a Nigerian and American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler and retired folkstyle wrestler. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championsh ...

. However, after being scheduled to fight Kill Cliff FC teammate

Gilbert Burns Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns (born 20 July 1986) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a grappler, Burns ...

UFC 258 ''UFC 258: Usman vs. Burns'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 13, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United State ...

, Usman left the gym in June 2020 to join

Trevor Wittman Trevor Wittman (born March 5, 1974) is an American boxing and MMA trainer. Training career Compelled to retire from boxing after being diagnosed with a hyperinflated lung, Wittman transitioned to training boxers in the Denver metropolitan area. ...

at ONX Sports in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. In 2022, Usman returned to Kill Cliff FC to prepare for his title defense against

Leon Edwards Leon Aaron Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Welterweight Champion. A profe ...

UFC 278 ''UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 20, 2022, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Background The event marked the promotion' ...

. Usman subsequently lost his championship.

Notable people

Mixed martial artists

UFC

Michael Chandler Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained n ...

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforce, ...

Luke Rockhold Luke Skyler Rockhold (born October 17, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competed in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight division. ...

Vitor Belfort Vítor Vieira Belfort (; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions. Belfort previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavywe ...

Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist. Evans started his professional career in 2003, he was the Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 and is also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and a 2 ...

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

Volkan Oezdemir Volkan Oezdemir (born 19 September 1989) is a Swiss professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxing practitioner. He currently competes in the Light heavyweight (MMA), Light heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ...

Vicente Luque Vicente Luque (born November 27, 1991) is an American and Brazilian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. Luque currently competes in the Welterweight (MMA), welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As ...

* Michael Johnson *

Stefan Struve Stefan Jaimy Struve (; born February 18, 1988) is a Dutch former mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). At , he is the tallest fighter in the history of the UFC. Background Growing up in th ...

Takashi Sato is a Japanese mixed martial artist. A professional since 2013, he currently competes in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Early life Born to a Japanese father and Taiwanese mother, Sato ...

Randy Costa Randy Costa (born July 6, 1994) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division. A professional since 2018, he most notably fought in the Ultimate Fighting ...

Shavkat Rakhmonov Shavkat Bakhtibaevich Rakhmonov (born October 23, 1994) is a Kazakh professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Rakhmonov is also a former M-1 Global Welter ...

Li Jingliang Li Jingliang (Chinese: 李景亮; pinyin: Lǐ Jǐngliàng; born March 20, 1988) is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes as a welterweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of December 13, 2022, he is #15 in the UFC welterweight ...

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (born May 4, 1994 kk, Нұрданбек Сайран) is a Chinese Kazakhs in China, mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Nue ...

Ian Garry Ian Machado Garry (né Garry on 17 November 1997) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Prior to his signing with the UFC, Garry was a Cage Warrior ...

Rafael Fiziev Rafael Fiziev (born March 5, 1993) is an Azerbaijani professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter, who currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2022, he is #6 in the ...

* Ange Loosa

Bellator

* Anthony Johnson *

Logan Storley Logan Storley (born September 8, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist and graduated folkstyle wrestler. He currently competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is the current Interim Bellator Welterweigh ...

Linton Vassell Linton Vassell (born 3 June 1983) is an English mixed martial artist, who competes in the Heavyweight division of Bellator. A professional since 2008, he has also competed for UCMMA and Cage Warriors. He is the former UCMMA Light Heavyweight ...

Matt Mitrione Matthew Steven Mitrione (born July 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MMA ...

Ádám Borics Ádám Borics (born July 7, 1993) is a Hungarian mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division of Bellator MMA. As of October 4, 2022, he is #1 in the Bellator Featherweight Rankings. Early life Ádám Borics was born in ...

ONE

Aung La Nsang Aung La Maung Nsang ( my, အောင်လအန်ဆန်း; born on May 21, 1985) is a Burmese-American mixed martial artist of ethnic Kachin descent currently signed to ONE Championship, competing in both the Middleweight and Light ...

Martin Nguyen Martin Nguyen (born 5 March 1989) is an Australian Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of ONE Championship, he is a former ONE Featherweight World Championship, ONE Feath ...

Brandon Vera Brandon Michael Vera (born October 10, 1977), or also known by his ring name as The Truth, is a Filipino-American (of Italian heritage) retired mixed martial artist where he was the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Champion and the 2005 WEC Heavyweigh ...

PFL

Marina Mokhnatkina Marina Yuryevna Mokhnatkina (russian: Марина Юрьевна Мохнаткина; née Kormiltseva, born 12 May 1988) is a sambo competitor and mixed martial artist. Mokhnatkina is a six-time world champion and two-time European champion in ...

Viktor Pešta ) , fighting_out_of = Prague, Czech Republic , height = 6 ft 3 in , weight_lb = 205 , weight_class = Heavyweight (2010–2019, 2023-) Light Heavyweight (2020–2022) , reach = , style = , trainer ...

Kickboxers

Tyrone Spong Tyrone Clinton Spong (born 3 September 1985) is a Surinamese-Dutch professional boxer and mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. As a boxer, he held the WBC and WBO Latino heavyweight titles in 2018. In kickboxing, he is the former WFCA cr ...

References

External links

Official Website
{{MMA Team List Mixed martial arts training facilities Deerfield Beach, Florida