Caged Aggression MMA Fights at the River Center in Davenport, Iowa
Caged Aggression's 51st Event at the Davenport RiverCenter on October 16 and 17
The Quad Cities' combat athletes and their mentors in wrestling, boxing, karate, and mixed martial arts (MMA) have a long and storied history. For example, Alvino Peña founded his now multi-generational multi-city Peña's Boxing Club club in Davenport, Iowa in 1968. Peña inspired and trained such world champions as boxer Michael Nunn, as well as Antwun Echols. And the Bettendorf native and high-school grappler Pat Miletich went on to operate the most successful MMA training system in the world, Miletich Fighting System; his combat sport skills and ethos have origins from Peña's boxing club to grand master Nick Tarpein's karate dojo, also in Davenport. Miletich's camp not only produced a multitude of MMA world champions across numerous weight divisions, but also several UFC Hall of Famers.
Yes, combat sports' art and science has been embedded in the Quad Cities for generations.
I now call the Quad Cities my home because of the Nunn vs Miletich kickboxing match the two held during the height of COVID hysteria. I attended this event at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds that defied the odds, amassing thousands of people in public to enjoy a kickboxing exhibition unlike any other despite the globe-wide fear-mongering.
It was that event that eventually led me to move to Bettendorf in October of 2020. Little did I know that shortly after the move from upstate New York, yet another fight card was about to take place in the area. Local MMA promotion Caged Aggression was throwing a two-night extravaganza at the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport and I immediately jumped at the opportunity to grab tickets for both nights. The hand-to-hand combat battles did not disappoint a lifelong fight fan like myself, and I was instantly hooked on the Midwest MMA scene. Punches, elbows, head kicks, takedowns, submissions, and KOs … . Caged Aggression had it all.
The stars seemed to further align as I made new friends at the after-party where I was rubbing elbows with a bunch of the fighters and the filming and broadcast production team behind the pay-per-view (PPV) product so popular with combat sports worldwide. Amazingly, just a few days later, I was invited to join the color commentary PPV broadcast team for the next event in March. I jumped at the opportunity, and for the past six years, I have called hundreds of matches where fighters rise and fall, take their careers to new heights, and even retire on their shields after one last bloody go in the cage.
[From Caged Aggression's E-Mail Alert October 8, 2026]
Caged Aggression Alum Beats 4 to 1 Odds With KO in UFC Qualifying 1st Round & Becomes Only Iowan With a UFC Contract
Swisher, Iowa's own Preston “One Shot” LaGrange headlined Tuesday October 7, 2026 night’s Dana White’s Contender Series on Paramount+ and knocked out Nell Ariano in the first round — as a 4-to-1 underdog, on two weeks’ notice, after moving up to light heavyweight. The win earned him a UFC contract. Preston got his start in the Caged Aggression cage. This one belongs to him, to his gym, to his family and to the whole Caged Aggression family. In his words: “We different in Iowa!”
Below is the 90 seconds outro and bout summary for night two from April 2024's Caged Aggression at the River Center in Davenport, Iowa with Jason Bermas and Pat Miletich. Bermas mentions Preston LaGrange's winning performance that evening in the clip below.
Mike Goodwin Founded Caged Aggression in 2011
Caged Aggression, founded and operated by Mike Goodwin, held its first event on April 30, 2011. This October's show, Caged Aggression XLII: The Perfect Storm, is the promotion's 51st event. (The Roman numerals count only the main events. The other shows were single-day qualifiers for an upcoming main event, and those don't get a number.) This year's event runs two nights, Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17, at the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport.
Caged Aggression is built on supporting the fighters. Beyond an agreed purse, fighters earn a share of the ticket and pay-per-view sales they bring in. They also leave with professional fight footage they can use to build their careers. Several fighters have gone on to the UFC, including Donte Johnson and Alik Lorenz. Fighters want to come back, and local fans have watched many of them grow from their first amateur bout. Most fighters at Caged Aggression are from states surrounding Iowa, but the licensed and professional bouts draw athletes from as far away as Invercargill, New Zealand.
Every fighter receives 20 percent of the ticket and pay-per-view sales made on their behalf. That is paid on top of the purse they agreed with Goodwin and their representatives. Fans can buy tickets designating a specific fighter they support, so the more support a fighter brings, the more they earn.
Forty-eight fighters are currently scheduled for two dozen bouts across the two nights. Matchups or the card can still change before fight night.
Every fighter gets a professionally produced recording of their bout, posted on YouTube, plus a fight package that includes gloves. They also add to their record and gain cage experience in front of a large crowd. For fighters hoping to move up to bigger promotions, a strong showing at Caged Aggression is a real stepping stone.
Recently, several Caged Aggression veterans have made waves in the MMA globally, such as Brandon “The Human Highlight Reel” Jenkins upsetting Mike Perry on less than 48 hours notice in the Duel MMA event just over a month ago … to undefeated Donte Johnson, who bested another Caged Aggression alum last season on Dana White’s Contender Series to gain a coveted UFC contract. Johnson is currently 3-0 in the UFC with two devastating knockout finishes and a top prospect at welterweight. Johnson isn’t the only one to step into the contender series from Caged Aggression and make it to the big show. Alik Lorenz got a win followed by a contract this season, and on Tuesday, October 6, heavy-handed Preston LaGrange stepped into the Octagon to pursue a coveted spot on the UFC roster, as well.
The bottom line is: If you haven’t been to a Caged Aggression show in the Quad Cities, you are missing out. The rivalries, fights, atmosphere, superb sportsmanship, production, and entertainment value are truly second to none in value for the whole family. That’s why I hope you join me and UFC veterans and former champions Jens Pulver and Tim Sylvia this October 16 and 17 for The Perfect Storm of MMA action, where you will be so close to the action you might wonder why your hands aren’t wrapped and ready to go. And remember, if you can’t make the event in person, you can grab the PPV exclusively over at Caged1.com.
Ticket pricing is $45 for a standard ticket, $100 for a cageside seat, and $600 for a VIP eight-top cageside. The pay-per-view is available exclusively at Caged1.com: $35 for a single night or $60 for both nights. Twenty percent of every purchase goes directly to the purse of the fighter the buyer chooses to support. Caged Aggression is an all-ages event, and families are welcome. See you there!
Jason Bermas is a researcher, content creator, activist, and documentary filmmaker behind such films as Loose Change Final Cut, Fabled Enemies, Invisible Empire: A New World Order Defined, and Shade: The Motion Picture. Bermas' YouTube channel is Making Sense of the Madness, with nearly daily live broadcasts that are also streamed as podcasts. Bermas also co-hosts WQUD 107.7 FM's weekly Friday morning show from 9 to 10 a.m., going Deep in the Weeds with WQUD's Aaron Dail. You can also watch Jason frequently hosting AlexJonesLive.com's “The 4th Hour.” Independently broadcasting for more than 15 years, Bernas encourages people to do their own research and be their own hero. To learn more, visit JasonBermas.net.
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