Check out the best photos from Nursulton Ruziboev’s second-round TKO win over Eric McConico at UFC Fight Night 252 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. (Photos by Steven Bisig-Imagn Images; via UFC; MMA Junkie)
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ERIC MCCONICO | THE GRIND NEVER STOPS
At 34 years old, Eric McConico is older than the usual UFC debutant, but don’t think for a second that he’s not ready for his short notice call-up to face Nursulton Ruziboev in Seattle on Saturday.
In fact, it may very well be perfect timing for a fighter who began his career in the Pacific Northwest.
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“I just kept showing up because I know the UFC knows,” said McConico. “There are so many fighters around this world, and if they felt like I was ready, I was hoping they would give me a call. So I was really just preparing for that fight. And after the fight that I thought I was going to have, I was hoping something might happen. There’s been a couple times my name has been brought up for some short notice fights and they didn’t go through, but this one went through. So I’m very happy and very grateful.”
McConico expected to be in Las Vegas for a Tuff-N-Uff bout with Randall Wallace last Friday, but then he got the call he’s been waiting for. And while he didn’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his bride, he did get to sign his paperwork while in town to corner his teammate Jared Cannonier for his February 15 main event with Gregory Rodrigues.
“I told her after this fight we’re going to go do something,” laughed McConico, a father of five. You can hear some of his kids in the background as he does this interview, and with a range from two to nine years old, they keep dad on his toes. Some are even in the gym with him.
“My two oldest, they’re very familiar with this,” he said. “They come with us to the gym all the time. They’re in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing class, so they’re very familiar with the martial arts environment.”
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And while they’re not asking when he’s going to be in the UFC video game yet, they do understand why dad is on a business trip this week, and why this one is more important than most. Luckily, McConico has been on these UFC trips before with his teammates, so getting a lay of the land ahead of time does make preparing for his own debut a little less stressful
“I think it’s like anything else where you just get more and more comfortable,” he said. “So I’m grateful that I was able to go to these corners with Jared and with Tresean Gore, and they allowed me to go and get that experience and get a little of ‘this might be you in here.’ You get used to being around this environment and I do think that’s going to help me a lot.”
That, and the fact that McConico can fight, will definitely be a plus against the vastly more experienced Ruziboev, and considering that he’s beaten UFC level competition like Maki Pitolo, the Arizonan is ready for this. Some would say the 9-2-1 pro has been ready, but he’s not concerned with talk like that. He’s here now and that’s all that matters.
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“I wasn’t frustrated,” McConico said of the long road to the Octagon. “There’s a time and a place and it just wasn’t my time. I just kept showing up, and that’s what my mindset has been for these past couple of years. Just keep doing the work and keep showing up and keep performing.”
Don’t miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song, live from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington on February 22, 2025. Prelims start at 6pm ET/3pm PT, while the main card kicks off live on ESPN+ at 9pm ET/6pm PT.
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Nursulton Ruziboev returns at UFC Seattle with vicious KO over last-minute underdog
Nursulton Ruziboev returned to the octagon for the first time in almost a year on Saturday night with an impressive second round KO.
The Uzbek fan favorite who has garnered over 1.6million followers on Instagram alone lost a decision to Joaquin Buckley in his last outing as he made the move down to welterweight. But at 6’5, he seems more appropriate for middleweight, and showed it at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.
Ruziboev was known for his submission game before arriving in the UFC in the summer of 2023. But aside from that one defeat, he has landed three knockouts thus far in his octagon tenure after scoring yet another one tonight.
Following a lengthy absence from the octagon after losing his first UFC fight, Nursulton Ruziboev’s return to action came on relatively short notice at UFC Seattle. He had been experimenting with a move down to welterweight, but returned up to 185lb for this outing.
The Uzbek star towers over almost everyone in the division at an impressive 6’5, and was able to be physically dominant in the opening round against UFC newcomer Eric McConico. He pushed for a finish early, but was unable to land the big shot necessary.
However, that all changed in round two as he almost instantly had his rival floored with a powerful overhand. This was followed by a number of unanswered strikes before another knockdown, which saw referee Keith Peterson to step in and call a halt to the contest.
In his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, he seemed to indicate that his days at 170lb are not finished. He explained that he would be willing to accept whoever the UFC offers at either weight.
The fight was added to UFC Seattle on relatively short notice as both men were called upon to help fill up a card ravaged by cancellations. Dominick Cruz was forced out of not just the event but competition in general as he suffered another injury, while other bouts were moved around and cancelled.
McConico was luckily already in camp for a fight on Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas on a Tuff-N-Uff, when he was called by management and told he had got the UFC call. “I wasn’t frustrated,” McConico told the official UFC website.
“There’s a time and a place and it just wasn’t my time. I just kept showing up, and that’s what my mindset has been for these past couple of years. Just keep doing the work and keep showing up and keep performing.”
