For the first 22 years of his life, Maxx Crosby’s exposure to Las Vegas was limited to glimpses he caught on television and movie screens.
The first time the Raiders’ All-Pro edge rusher can really remember hearing about the city came when he was 7 years old and, like millions of Americans, caught the finale of the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Watching alongside his older brother and father, Crosby was mesmerized by the striking war between longtime locals Forrest Griffin and the late Stephan Bonnar in a warehouse tucked behind the Strip, an epic battle that saw Griffin emerge victorious.
Photo by: Steve Marcus
The April 2005 fight has long been credited with saving the UFC from all-but-certain demise, but it turns out it also inspired what’s become of the most notable athletes in Las Vegas history.
“I was really young, but I became a big UFC guy because it was so real,” Crosby says. “It’s nothing against the WWE, but I couldn’t watch the WWE anymore. The guys I idolized were like the (longtime UFC middleweight champion) Anderson Silvas, the guys fighting in Vegas.”
Crosby’s love affair with combat sports and fascination with the neon lights of the Strip makes it hard to believe that he never so as much as visited the city until the conclusion of his rookie season in the NFL. He flew into Southern Nevada in January 2020 ahead of the Raiders’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas to find a place to live for the upcoming season.
He’s never left for long in the five and a half years since.
And now he’s a staple cageside or ringside for the biggest fights in the world (as long as it’s during the NFL offseason). He even trains with some of his fighting heroes in local gyms to help hone his otherworldly cardio and killer instinct.
“After my rookie year, I told everyone, ‘I’m going to every fight I possibly can,’” Crosby says. “I’ve stuck to my word and gone to as many as I can. I’ve developed even more of a love for it.”
That’s the main, if not the only, way to see Crosby out and about around town. Yes, he does attend the odd WNBA game at Michelob Ultra Arena, or play in the odd charity softball game at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin (pictured below), but the 28-year-old otherwise limits his time out in the public spotlight. It’s all because of an unyielding dedication to his craft. Crosby’s alarm goes off at 5 a.m. every morning, and he prides himself on being the first player to reach the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters.
“... When I’m retired, whenever that day is, maybe I’ll go on a couple more vacations,” Crosby says. “But for the time being, I’m focused on being the best on the planet at what I do on and off the field.”
One of his luxury vehicles is often alone in the parking lot—lately, it’s usually his Rolls-Royce Phantom with a custom silver-and-black wrap. It’s a ritual that started before his second season in Las Vegas under coach Jon Gruden and has maintained into the current tenure of Pete Carroll—Crosby’s fifth coach with the Raiders.
Carroll, one of the most decorated football coaches ever, had been around Crosby for less than two months when he and the team’s other new decision-makers made the decision to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Crosby signed a three-year, $105 million extension with the Raiders this offseason, cementing him as the face of the franchise for years to come. A couple of other players across the league have since signed larger deals, but Carroll said it was an honor to briefly give Crosby the record. because he embodied everything the Raiders should stand for.
“There’s no way you could find anybody that is more focused and directed and committed to giving everything he’s got to every opportunity,” Carroll said.
Crosby’s maniacal discipline to “be legendary”—a phrase that’s tattooed across his chest next to portraits of athletes like Muhammad Ali—took off simultaneous to his move to Las Vegas. Less than a month after he started to settle in, he had to make the hardest decision of his life.
Photo by: Steve Marcus
On March 11, 2020—a date inked across his right hand—he checked into rehab right as the world began shutting down for the COVID-19 pandemic. He had an alcohol problem for years, one that nearly derailed his NFL dreams, but hasn’t had a drink since.
Crosby’s connection with Las Vegas therefore refutes many of the city’s most tired stereotypes like the idea that excess exists above all else.
“Everyone thinks Las Vegas and thinks of the crazy, the shiny lights and things like that,” Crosby said. “But honestly, it’s more than that. There are a lot of great people, a lot of great families. I love Las Vegas. I just feel like I’m meant to be here.”
Crosby could easily function like many other NFL players and live a more nomadic lifestyle, settling in town for the season but traveling or spending his time closer to his childhood homes during the down months. Instead, he’s planted roots in Southern Nevada. He and his wife, Rachel, recently put the finishing touches on their “dream home” in Summerlin, where they’re raising their young daughter, Ella.
Crosby has Michigan and Texas, the two states where he grew up, tattooed on his leg, but Nevada has his heart now. He can’t envision a scenario where that changes.
“It’s my home now,” Crosby said. “Anything you want is out here. There’s always something big and grand going on, and that’s just how I live my life. It makes too much sense to me.”
He’s done philanthropic work and donated money elsewhere like to his college alma mater of Eastern Michigan University, where the football team plays on Crosby Field, but most of his efforts have been focused locally. He launched the Maxx Crosby Foundation in 2023, which does outreach for teens with substance abuse issues, children who are unhoused or living in low-income areas, and pets, mainly pit bulls, that require rescue—all causes he’s passionate about. The foundation often sees him in public; when the YMCA of Southern Nevada donated $50,000 to his foundation, he attended the ceremony, playing catch with some local kids.
Crosby said he’s learned a lot about giving back to the community from UFC president Dana White, whom he now calls “one of my closest friends.” Not much about his sudden fame and notoriety over the last few years have gotten to Crosby, but he admits it’s surreal being a part of White’s inner circle.
The compliments aren’t just one-way, either. “We were tailor-made to be really good friends,” White said. “This guy works harder than anybody I’ve ever seen. He wants to be the best. He wants to win. His will to bring a championship to Vegas is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
The Raiders haven’t gotten there yet, which is the one thing that eats at Crosby and keeps pushing him forward despite all the individual accolades he’s accumulated through six full seasons in the NFL.
The franchise has only reached the playoffs once both since Crosby joined the team and it moved to Las Vegas, exiting in the first round via a loss to Cincinnati in January 2022. But Crosby is hopeful the new pairing with Carroll provides the best chance yet to bring the success he yearns for to the place he never wants to leave.
“This city is full of mavericks—people that go against the grain, that chase their dreams and stand up for what’s right,” Crosby said. “I feel like that’s exactly what being a Raider is—standing on your own, being your own individual and bringing others along with you. It’s the Entertainment Capital of the World and, the Raiders, our goal is to be the entertainment capital of football.”
Photo by: Steve Marcus
To the Maxx
Maxx Crosby’s influence and impact on Las Vegas has grown by leaps and bounds:
• He’s recorded episodes of his popular podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby, at Eight Cigar Lounge at Resorts World Las Vegas, co-hosting with college teammates Brogan Roback and Darien Terrell. It’s an entertaining, in-depth look at the week’s games, with plenty of behind-the-scenes perspective.
• At the M Resort & Casino (the official team headquarters hotel for the Raiders), Crosby has been honored with his very own burger—the Madd Maxx burger, featuring a 10-ounce Angus patty topped with grilled onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and light mayo.
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