Dustin William Pague (born August 5, 1987) is a former American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who most recently fought in the

Bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

division of the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

. He was a competitor on

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...

's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, and has formerly competed as a

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

and

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

. Pague is currently a professional boxer after announcing his switch from MMA in January 2016. He currently competes as a bare-knuckle boxer in

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promotion based in Philadelphia. The promotion was founded in April 2018, and is presided over by David Feldman. BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official st ...

Background

Pague began

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

when he was 15 years old and graduated from Central Dauphin East High School, then attended

Harrisburg Area Community College HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, (HACC) is a public community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. HACC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. HACC serves 17,000 degree-seeking students, as well as more ...

but transferred before eventually earning a degree. Six months after viewing a video of a UFC event, Pague began his amateur career. After suffering a series of back injuries throughout his MMA career, Pague decided to make the transition to professional boxing as a way to continue fighting and reduce the daily strain he was putting on his back.

Professional boxing career

Pague won his professional boxing debut on April 19, 2016, by unanimous decision over Rafael Davis.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In late 2008, Pague made the decision to turn professional after a successful 7–4 amateur career. Pague's pro debut took place on October 11, 2008, against Jon Owens. The fight was contested at Featherweight instead of Lightweight, where Pague spent the entirety of his amateur career. Pague lost the fight via KO in only 18 seconds. Two months after the loss, Pague returned against John Myers. He won the fight via kimura submission in round one. Pague built up a five-fight win streak before losing three straight fights to future TUF contestant Jeff Lentz, WEC veteran Anthony Leone, and longtime UFC veteran

Din Thomas Din Yero Thomas ( ; born September 28, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist who was featured on '' The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback''. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas is a UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist ...

. He built up another winning streak that earned him a title shot for the vacant Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship. The fight marked the first time Pague fought at Bantamweight. He fought Steve De Angelis, defeating him via

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

in the second round. Pague co-owns and operates his own gym, Disciple MMA. He also trains at the TapouT Ranch owned by

Donald Cerrone Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...

The Ultimate Fighter

In 2011, Pague had signed with the UFC to compete on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller. In the first episode, Pague fought Tateki Matsuda and won via majority decision (19-19, 20-18, 20-18) after two close rounds. The win gained Pague entry into the ''Ultimate Fighter'' house. He was selected as a part of Team Mayhem. Pague next fought against Team Bisping's top Bantamweight pick,

Louis Gaudinot Louis J. Gaudinot (born August 28, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the UFC's Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, Gaudinot has also formerly competed on Spike TV's The Ultimate ...

. Pague won the fight in the second round via submission (rear-naked choke) to get into the semi-finals. The fight also won Pague and Gaudinot an additional $25,000 for the fan voted "Fight of the Season". In the semi-finals Pague fought and lost to T.J. Dillashaw. Dillashaw controlled Pague on the ground throughout three rounds while landing heavy ground and pound en route to a unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Pague officially made his UFC debut on December 3, 2011 at

The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller'' is the fourteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. The UFC and Spike held open tryouts on March 21, 2011, ...

losing to John Albert via TKO in the first round. Pague was dropped by a combination from Albert in the opening moments, and then was put in the giftwrap position while getting hit with heavy ground and pound causing the referee to intervene. Pague captured his first UFC win after defeating Jared Papazian on June 8, 2012 at UFC on FX 3. Pague won the fight via submission (rear-naked choke) in the first round. Two weeks after his win over Papazian and with six days notice, Pague fought Ken Stone at

UFC on FX 4 The year 2012 was the 20th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2012 started with UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and ended with UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 ...

on June 22, 2012, replacing an injured Francisco Rivera. Pague was defeated via split decision. Pague faced promotional newcomer

Chico Camus Chico Camus (born January 26, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Bantamweight division of the Legacy Fighting Alliance. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also formerly competed for the UFC, Legacy FC, ...

on August 11, 2012, at

UFC 150 ''UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 11, 2012, at the Ball Arena, Pepsi Center now known as Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Background A fight between Dennis Hal ...

. Pague lost via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28). Pague faced

Yves Jabouin Fernand Yves Jabouin (born May 30, 1979) is a retired Haitian-Canadian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2001, Jabouin also formerly comp ...

on June 15, 2013, at

UFC 161 ''UFC 161: Evans vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held on June 15, 2013, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Background While the UFC has hosted several events in the past in Canada, the event was the first that the or ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision. Pague faced promotional newcomer

Kyoji Horiguchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He most recently competed in Rizin FF in the Flyweight division, where he was a former RIZIN Flyweight Champion and former RIZIN Bantamweight Championsh ...

on October 19, 2013 at

UFC 166 ''UFC 166: Velasquez vs. dos Santos III'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 19, 2013, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Background The main event was a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between the current champion Cain Velasq ...

. Despite controlling Horiguchi for the first round, Pague lost via TKO in the second round. On April 23, 2014, Pague was released from his UFC contract following a four-fight losing streak in the promotion.

Post-UFC career

In his first post-UFC fight, Pague faced D'Juan Owens at The Victorium: Episode 3 on July 12, 2014. He lost the fight via rear-naked choke.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

*Ring of Combat **ROC Bantamweight Championship (One time) *

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

**Fight of the Season (

The Ultimate Fighter 14 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller'' is the fourteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. The UFC and Spike held open tryouts on March 21, 2011, ...

)

Personal life

Pague is a devoted Christian and has the word "Forgiven" tattooed across his chest.

Bare knuckle record

, - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Andrew Angelcor , TKO , BKFC Fight Night: Philly , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Carlos Trinidad-Snake , TKO , BKFC Fight Night: Omaha , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Ralston, Nebraska Ralston is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,494 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Omaha, Ralston is surrounded on three sides by the city of Omaha (84th, 72nd, and L Streets), and by the county line of Sa ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Joe Elmore , Decision (unanimous) , BKFC 51: Salem , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combine ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Wade Johnson , TKO , BKFC 42: Greenville , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:38 ,

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Eddie Hoch , KO (punch) , BKFC Fight Night: New York 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:45 ,

Salamanca, New York Salamanca ( Seneca: ''Onë'dagö:h'') is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States, inside the Allegany Indian Reservation, one of two governed by the Seneca Nation of New York. The population was 5,929 at the 2020 census. It was n ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Jake Young , DQ (repeated illegal ground strikes) , BKFC Fight Night: New York , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

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Professional boxing record

, style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 1 Win (0 knockouts, 1 decisions), 0 Losses, 0 Draws, 0 No Contests , - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Res. , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Rd., Time , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , - align=center , Win , 1-0 , align=left, Rafael Davis , , , , align=left, , align=left, Debut.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12–11 , Anthony Morgan , Submission (rear-naked choke) , World Cagefighting Championships 14 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Stroudsburg is a borough in and the county seat of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies within the Poconos region approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap at the confluence of Brodhead Creek, McMichaels, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–10 , Charlie Gathers , Submission (rear-naked choke) , World Cagefighting Championships 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 ,

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–10 , D'Juan Owens , Submission (rear-naked choke) , The Victorium: Episode 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:52 , Hayes, Virginia, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–9 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

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Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–8 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–6 , Ken Stone , Decision (split) , UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–5 , Jared Papazian , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:21 ,

Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. The population was 97,335 at the time of the 2020 census. History Early history In ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–5 , John Albert , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:09 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–4 , Steve De Angelis , KO (punch) , Ring of Combat 34 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Bret Thomas , Submission (punches) , Shogun Fights 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:52 ,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–4 , Dustin Caplinger , TKO (punches) , Fight Night in the Cage 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:19 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Scott Heckman , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Xtreme Caged Combat 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:42 ,

Feasterville, Pennsylvania Feasterville is a census-designated place located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community was part of Feasterville-Trevose, which was split into two separate CDPs, the other being Trevose. As of the 2010 census, the popula ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Justin Hickey , Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , Ultimate Warrior Challenge 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:54 ,

Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146. Fairfax is pa ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–4 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , World Extreme Fighting 41 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:14 ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–3 , Anthony Leone , Submission (choke) , PA Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:58 ,

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2 , Jeff Lentz , Decision (unanimous) , The Arena Assault 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Joel Roberts , TKO (punches) , Inkosi Promotions 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:14 ,

Bushkill, Pennsylvania Bushkill is an unincorporated community in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portions of Bushkill were seized by the United States government during the controversial Tocks Island Dam project and are now part of the Delaware Water Ga ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Will Childs , Submission (armbar) , The Smoky Mountain Brawl , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:47 ,

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Biff Walizer , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Respect Is Earned 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:03 ,

Oaks, Pennsylvania Oaks is an unincorporated community located in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is 18 miles (30 km) northwest of Philadelphia and its boundaries are defined in large part by the villag ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Charles Cooper , Submission (ankle lock) , Southern Fight League 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:45 ,

Greenville, North Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. It is the principal city of the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the List of municipalities in North Carolina, 12t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , John Myers , Submission (triangle choke) , Southern Fight League 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Jon Owens , KO (punch) , The Carolina Crown , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

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, United States ,

Amateur mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Joey Ponce , Submission (triangle choke) , Valhalla MMA 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Don Torrenti , Submission (armbar) , Valhalla MMA 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:26 ,

Sterling, Virginia Sterling refers most specifically to a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population of the CDP as of the 2020 United States Census was 30,337 The CDP boundaries are confined to a relatively small area between Virginia ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 , Justin Dalton , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Total Cage Combat: Retaliation , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–4 , Khris Gonzalez , Decision (unanimous) , Valhalla MMA 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–3 , Doug Hunsucker , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Valhalla MMA 3: Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:38 , Fort Lee,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 , Luiz Rodrigues , Decision (unanimous) , Valhalla MMA 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Joey Allen , TKO (punches) , Combat Sports Challenge 19 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:34 , United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–2 , Doug Hunsucker , Submission (rear-naked choke) , CSC 17: River City Rumble 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Mechanicsville, Virginia Mechanicsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hanover County, Virginia, United States. The population was 39,482 during the 2020 census, up from 36,348 in the 2010 census. History The area was settled by ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–2 , Jared Weiner , Submission (rear-naked choke) , CSC 15: East Coast Brawl 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 ,

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 27,982. It is south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond, Virginia, R ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Siyam Yousefi , Disqualification , CSC 14: River City Rumble 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Zac Allen , Submission (triangle choke) , CSC 12: River City Rumble 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:09 ,

, United States ,

References

External links

Official UFC Profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pague, Dustin Bantamweight mixed martial artists American male mixed martial artists 1987 births Living people Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists from Pennsylvania Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters