Hastings native Kenny “The Boss” Cross will appear this weekend on Netflix’s first mixed-martial arts event, where he will face Salahdine Parnasse of France. Courtesy photo
This weekend, streaming giant Netflix is poised to make history, and a Hastings native will be right at the center of it.
In a landmark move for the platform, Netflix will host its first-ever live mixed martial arts event, tapping into a sport that has exploded in popularity over the last decade. The event, titled MVP MMA 1, features a card stacked with big names like Ronda Rousey, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou. Sharing that high-profile stage is Kenneth Cross, a Hastings High School graduate and former standout Saxons wrestler.
“I didn’t care who the opponent was,” said Cross from his home in Las Vegas. “When I found out what I’d be making and where I’d be fighting, and that it was on Netflix, I was in.”
MVP MMA 1 airs live on Netflix this Saturday, May 16, from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Cross is slated to face Frenchman Salahdine Parnasse, an opponent currently riding a hot streak with a 22-2 record.
Cross, known to fans as Kenny “The Boss” Cross, is no newcomer to the cage. He has been a professional fighter for a decade, navigating a career that included a brief stint with Bellator and a selection for The Ultimate Fighter television show, though he and other contestants were eventually moved to alternate status and did not appear on the show. He also competed, and won, on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Now boasting a 17-4 record, Cross maintains that the biggest fight of his career is always the next one. However, he acknowledged the high stakes of performing before a massive global audience.
“I love where I’m at right now but it’s always been a goal of mine to get those UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) shorts,” Cross said. “It’s my dream to fight in that UFC octagon.”
While Cross is a seasoned veteran on paper, the first half of his career was fueled by instinct rather than elite training. After graduating from Hastings High School as a decorated wrestler — qualifying for the state meet three consecutive years and finishing fourth as a senior — he entered the workforce. He spent years in blue-collar roles.
Cross decided to test the waters of a sport that was exploding in popularity. His first amateur fight took place at the Barry Expo Center, where he secured a victory in less than a minute. He went 7-0 as an amateur without formal training.
“With my journey, I like to learn the hard way,” Cross said. “I was just lucky and talented and blessed. I went pro and won three more and I still had no idea what I was doing. I hadn’t joined a gym yet.”
In 2017, the undefeated Cross finally got the first taste of defeat – twice. And, in 2022, after being invited to Las Vegas for The Ultimate Fighter, the light bulb finally came on that, to be an elite fighter, he had to train like one. Realizing he wasn’t the “top dog” among the elite Vegas gyms, he convinced his now-wife to move out west and start a new chapter.
Today, Cross now trains at Vegas-based Syndicate MMA.
“I said ‘Let’s work’ and I was laser focused and doors kept opening with that mentality,” Cross said. “Three years later, we have a nice house, I’m with a great gym, I’m acquiring sponsors and eating steak dinners with UFC champions. It wasn’t the route that MMA fighters usually take, but I did.”
On Saturday night, Cross looks to kick open the biggest door yet.
“I’ve had the best camp I’ve ever had and I have my relationship with Jesus,” Cross said. “I’ve given him all the fear. Fear can’t live where faith belongs. That’s what I live by.”