MMA fighters turned boxers collide

John Makdessi and Felipe Chavez have a combined record of 24-13 as professional MMA fighters.

Sometime late Friday night, barring the unlikely and unwelcome possibility of a draw, one of them will be 1-0 as a professional boxer.

Chavez (6-4 MMA), of Albuquerque, and Makdessi (18-9) of Halifax, Nova Scotia, are scheduled to meet in the six-round main event of a Tapia Promotions card at El Nuevo Cananas Nightclub on east Central.

The card, as presented Thursday at a ceremonial weigh-in/news conference at Cananas, is a veritable potpourri of pugilism, populated by boxers, MMA fighters and online influencers.

Johnny Tapia Jr. and Nicco Tapia, sons of event promoter Teresa Tapia and of the late world champion Johnny Tapia, are scheduled to make their pro boxing debuts.

Yoruba Moreu Jr., among New Mexico’s best amateur boxers of recent years, will seek to improve his professional record of 2-0 in his hometown pro debut — provided his scheduled opponent, Jonah Cahill (1-3, one KO) completes his journey along America’s highways and byways from his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Albuquerque heavyweight Cody East (6-1, four KOs) also was waiting for an opponent from Kalamazoo: KeShawn Jackson (1-8-1). Cahill and Jackson had not arrived by the conclusion of Thursday’s weigh-in at approximately 5 p.m. 

In the main event, the two fighters’ MMA resumes appear to favor Makdessi. He’s fought 20 times in UFC competition, winning 11. Chavez’s 6-4 MMA record has been compiled against far lesser opposition. 

Chavez is counting on his experience as a bare-knuckle fighter to make up the difference.

“This will be my fifth fight in the last couple of years,” said Chavez (3-1 bare knuckle, all in BKFC fights in Albuquerque.) "I’ve been staying really active. 

“A lot of the training for bare knuckle is boxing training, right? We’re throwing hands, the footwork, the head movement. It’s a lot of the same stuff, so I do feel I have an advantage.”

Makdessi has not fought since a loss by unanimous decision to Jamie Mullarkey on a UFC card in September 2023. Makdessi was scheduled to make his pro boxing debut against Albuquerque MMA legend Diego Sanchez in April at the Pit, but the card fell through.

Makdessi weighed in for their super middleweight bout at 166.4 pounds, Chavez at 169.

On the undercard, heavyweights Samuel Jones Jr. (pro debut) of New Bern, North Carolina, and Nicholas Joseph (1-1) of New Orleans could — though it couldn’t be verified — set a record for the greatest combined weight ever seen in a New Mexico boxing ring. Jones weighed in on Thursday at 309.6 pounds, Joseph at 296. 

Their bout is scheduled for four rounds. 

As an online influencer, Joseph is known as NickNack Pattiwhack.

Moreu, eager to get his pro career in high gear, continued to train for Friday’s bout as prospective opponents dropped out or were rejected by the New Mexico Athletic Commission.

Knowing as little as he does about Cahill, he said, is a situation similar to many he faced as an amateur.

“I have an amateur background for a reason,” he said. “… You just adapt.”

Moreu won both his previous pro bouts by knockout, an outcome Cahill knows something about. His one victory came via second-round knockout, all three of his losses by first-round KO.

Moreu weighed in on Thursday at 120 pounds. 

Nicco Tapia is scheduled to face Andres Parra (0-1) of Sun Valley, California in a four-round super middleweight bout. Tapia weighed in at 167 pounds, Parra at 165.4.

Nicco’s older brother, Johnny Jr., is matched against influencer Suede the Plug God (real name Leon Miles Jr.), also making his pro debut, in a four-round bout. Tapia weighed in at 152 pounds; Miles, of New Orleans, at 154. 

Both Tapia brothers, each with limited amateur experience, appeared to be in excellent physical condition for their venture into the pro ranks. 

Two fighters were introduced only by their influencer handles: Oh Mikey (real name Loren Higgs, as listed on boxrec.com) and Presha (real name Jaiden Gappy).

Higgs/Oh Mikey weighed in at 175 pounds, Gappy/Presha at 174 for their four-round bout.