Mixed Martial Arts, a sport that combines striking and grappling techniques from different fighting styles under a set of rules, is growing in popularity throughout the United States. It’s most visible venue is the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), which offered a heavyweight fight between heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos on Fox Television (Dos Santos won in about one minute and 40 seconds).

Connecticut is one of five states that do not yet sanction the sport, but the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, which are located on Indian reservations that are considered dependent sovereign nations, are permitted to host MMA events. The other five states are Alaska, New York, Vermont and Wyoming.

Twenty-six-year-old Parker Porter, who graduated from Southington High School in 2003, is part of it all.

Porter, who now lives in Middletown, currently fights for the Marlborough-based MMA promotion Reality Fighting and previously held the championship belt for its heavyweight division. He began fighting in 2007 with Combat Zone and has a professional record of five wins and three losses, according to the MMA website Sherdog. His past opponents include UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones and former UFC heavyweight and international Jiu-Jitsu Champion Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga.

“I got into fighting originally just to get into better shape and had no intentions of ever taking a fight,” said Porter, who played lacrosse in his freshman year and Football during all four years of high school. “My coach at the time thought I was pretty good, asked me if I’d be interested in taking a fight and I said ‘Sure, why not?’ I won my first fight by knockout in the third round and I haven’t looked back since. I love this sport and I’ll be in it as long as humanly possible.”

Porter fights with the team Underdog Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, who he praised for their support.

“There are just not a lot of big guys around for me to train with and my teammates sacrifice themselves day-in and day-out when I’m preparing for a fight just so I can get the training I need,” he said. “It’s some of the most selfless action I’ve ever seen and I appreciate it so much. Without them and my coaches, who have become more like a family than just friends and mentors, I would not be able to do the things I love doing.”

He described his striking skills and ability to learn quickly as his strongest traits. He is now focusing more on grappling, he said, and holds a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

“I’ve been a student of martial arts in general ever since I began my fighting career,” he said. “I’ve had formal training in Jeet Kune Do, boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, kickboxing and just about everything in between. I’m always open to learn anything and take from it what is effective for me in competition.”

Porter lost his belt on Oct. 8 to Gonzaga, who caused him to submit in the third round of their fight with a technique called an arm bar.

“There were quite a few memorable moments in that fight, but the two that stood out the most for me were having the entire stadium at Mohegan chanting my name during the fight and after the fight Gonzaga asked me to come have a word with him in his locker room where he basically he told me he was very impressed,” said Porter. “We had a tough fight with each other and he respected me very much. To hear that from a guy who has been all the way to the top and back felt pretty good and reassures me that I’m not wasting my time pursuing a career as a professional MMA fighter.”

He also lost to Jones at a World Championship Fighting event on June 20, 2008.

“There’s not really much to say about my fight with Jon Jones,” said Porter. “It was over just as quickly as most fights he’s had. I am very impressed with his abilities and how far he’s come in such a short amount of time, especially since at one point in time we were at identical stages in our careers. He’s a very talented young man and I’m sure he’ll be at the top of his weight class for a very long time.”

He is currently healing his hand, which he broke during his fight with Gonzaga.

“There are a few prospects in the near future but nothing is set in stone,” said Porter. “I’m just looking forward to getting back in the cage. The fight with Gonzaga left me wanting more and I fully intend to get my fix.”