The common goal among most up-and-coming regional (or international) mixed martial arts (MMA) prospects is to one day compete for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Other major promotions such as Bellator MMA, Professional Fighter’s Leagues, and ONE Championship are not far behind. Literally, countless prospects across the globe are all working toward the same career goal, making it difficult to stand out in the sea of competition. As often as possible, MMAmania.com will highlight a different combat sports prospect to keep your eyes on.
Eric McConico
Age: 32
Height: 6’0”
Weight class: Middleweight
Record: 9-2-1
Gym: The MMA Lab
Talented regional Middleweights can be hard to find as most of the best regional fighters nowadays are in the lighter weight classes; however, Eric McConico is solid and does everything well.
McConico came from a college football background as a running back but wrestled in high school. When his football career ended, he needed something to complete his competitive itch, and MMA was it.
McConico started his professional career in 2018 and went 4-0-1 with four finishes- three knockouts and one submission.
In 2019, he suffered two knockouts back-to-back, which halted his career and made him question whether he should continue fighting. He also moved to a different state and joined a brand new gym: The MMA Lab.
“So there was a lot of mental struggles going on. There was a lot of financials going on,” McConico told MMAMania.com in an interview. “I had to find work even to try to continue to fight because you gotta have a good foundation before you can go into a gym and try to focus on training and fighting. You know, so, during that period of time when I moved from Oregon to Arizona, when I was in Oregon, I had a good setup and had good sponsorships that allowed me to train full-time and not have to worry about a nine-to-five so much. I worked at UPS sometimes and, you know, Amazon with four-hour jobs here and there. But when I came to Arizona, I had to get a full-time nine-to-five job, and having to deal with that, and having to deal with finances and just life, you know, I mean, it was hard to commit myself into the gym because I wanted to. I went through a lot of shit, so that delay in my career wasn’t by choice. Most of it wasn’t by choice. Most of it was just life.”
Since joining The MMA Lab in Arizona, which has numerous UFC fighters like Jared Cannonier, Sean O’Malley, Marcus McGhee, Kyler Phillips, and Benson Henderson, McConico has gone 5-0 with three finishes.
Last year, McConico finished former UFC fighter Maki Pitolo at Tuff-N-Uff 134.
With McConico being 32 years old, there is an argument that he isn’t a prospect, but that rule doesn’t really apply to heavier weight classes. His teammate Cannonier didn’t get to the UFC until he was 31, and he went on to challenge for a Middleweight title and has been in the Top 15 for years.
McConico knows he is close to getting a call to UFC or Contender Series but isn’t going to sit and wait for it like many other fighters have. If he has to fight, he’ll fight and has no problem with it.
“They know if I’m ready or not,” McConico said. “I mean, they’ve been doing this shit for years. They know. Now, if they asked me for a short-notice fight, yes, hell yeah, I’m definitely taking that. But I wouldn’t be mad if it doesn’t happen right now. Those are sharks. That’s the jungle, that’s the top of the top. Like, I’m ready if they call me. 100% I’m like, yeah. Like, let’s go, bro.
Look, the matchmakers want guys who really want to be here. They want guys who are really going to go to the gym and train. They want guys who are really going to stay ready. They want guys who really want this to be a part of their lives. And, like, I want this to be my life. Like, I want this to be my life, man. I want to be able to go train every day, come home to my kids, chill with my family, and then compete. That’s some real Dragon Ball Z shit. I want my name to be remembered through my family history, and I’m ready to prove myself.”
McConico is coming off a first-round submission win over MMA veteran Jarome Hatch at Tuff-N-Uff 138 on Friday (July 27, 2024).
Check out some more highlights of McConico.
For more regional MMA news and notes click here.
