Eric McConico signs with UFC; Aireon Tavarres vs. Leon Shahbazyan now headlines Friday’s Tuff-N-Uff 141
Three straight Tuff-N-Uff wins earn McConico his UFC invite; Tavarres and Shahbazyan now take spotlight
LAS VEGAS – Tuff-N-Uff officials are excited to reveal that three-time promotional veteran Eric McConico has earned his shot at the sport’s highest level, and on the eve of an expected headlining role at Friday’s Tuff-N-Uff 141 has instead signed a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
An official announcement from UFC officials regarding McConico’s debut date and opponent will be announced shortly.
McConico (9-2-1) and Buddy “Braveheart” Wallace (22-10-1) were scheduled to compete for the organization’s vacant middleweight title at Friday’s event, with each hoping to position themselves as one of the next “Future Stars of MMA.” Instead, McConico’s current five-fight win streak, including a 3-0 mark in the Tuff-N-Uff cage, was already enough to earn the UFC matchmakers’ attention, and he will join a rapidly growing list of Tuff-N-Uff veterans on the UFC roster.
With McConico’s departure, returning all-action prospect Aireon “The Hyphy Kid” Tavarres (7-3) and Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Leon Shabazyan (8-4) now take over the headlining role at the iconic SAHARA Las Vegas in a 175-pound catchweight matchup. Meanwhile, Wallace is expected to be rebooked on a future Tuff-N-Uff card.
Limited tickets for the newly renamed “Tuff-N-Uff 141: Tavarres vs. Shahbazyan” event are available at Ticketmaster.com.
The Tuff-N-Uff 141 main card streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS, while preliminary bouts will stream live on the Tuff-N-Uff YouTube channel.
“Our goal at Tuff-N-Uff has always been about developing ‘The Future Stars of MMA,’ and we’re absolutely thrilled for Eric that he was able to achieve his dream of competing in the UFC after three spectacular performances in our cage,” Tuff-N-Uff CEO Jeff Meyer said. “Now, this also gives Aireon Tavarres and Leon Shahbazyan the extra attention and brighter spotlight that comes along with a main event on UFC FIGHT PASS, and I have no doubt that they will make the most of this very unique opportunity and hopefully follow in Eric’s footsteps in the very near future.”
Tavarres has delivered a fan-friendly style from the start of his professional career, going to a judges’ decision just once in 10 appearances. In fact, five of Tavarres’ past six outings have ended in the first round, and his lone previous Tuff-N-Uff appearance saw him earn a knockout victory in just 21 seconds.
Meanwhile, Shahbazyan made his way to Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019, suffering a loss there to Phil Rowe, who earned a UFC deal and has gone on to compete for the promotion six times. Shahbazyan now looks to make his way back to that level with a win at Tuff-N-Uff 141, as well as to set the table for a special weekend that also sees his brother compete the following night in a UFC Fight Night event at the nearby UFC APEX.
Veteran MMA journalist and broadcaster John Morgan calls the fights alongside KSNV Sports anchor Bryan Salmond and “The Ultimate Fighter 29” cast member and former Tuff-N-Uff amateur welterweight champion Ryder “Rhino” Newman. Dana White’s Contender Series, FIGHT PASS Invitational and Power Slap veteran Justin Bernard serves as in-cage announcer.
Come see Barry Meyer’s World Famous “Tuff-N-Uff: The Future Stars of MMA.”