In Tedrick “T-Money” Macklin’s three professional bouts, the mixed martial artist fighting out of Edinburg has yet to see the second round.
The Midland native steps into the Fury Fighting Championship cage for the third time this year as he eyes a future in the pinnacle of MMA, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Macklin (3-0) faces Brexton Everett (1-3) in a lightweight bout on the main card of Fury FC 70 today at Bert Ogden Arena.
Macklin was slated to fight Darren Whitney (5-1) and then Raymond Cardenas (2-1), but both pulled out, leaving Macklin to now fight Everett, who is moving down from welterweight to lightweight.
“He is an interesting fight for sure, not one to be slept on,” Macklin said. “His amateur record deserves some respect. Anybody that can win 16 fights in a row is going to be tough. I really do feel like I am going to put him away in three minutes. That is my goal, and that is my gameplan.”
Macklin has won with a guillotine choke, another with a rear naked choke and the latest, a technical knockout.
He was motivated to move to the Valley following his only loss as an amateur. Macklin trains at Blood Pack Muay Thai, RGV Fight Alliance, Tigre’s Boxing Gym and South Texas Brazilain Jiu-Jitsu, but spends most of his time at RGV FA and Blood Pack.
Macklin also trains at the gym of current UFC fighter Carlos Diego Ferreira in Pharr. Top martial artists and fighters attend open gym sparring sessions usually on the weekends to stay sharp.
“I did not go the route of maybe staying with his team, but I interact with him regularly and get work in,” Macklin said. “I found me a good team, we have been growing and I think we are on the path to the UFC for sure, or definitely a big organization.”
Former UFC fighter and Valley native Frank Treviño will be in Macklin’s corner for the fight today. Treviño has been training Macklin since 2020.
“(Macklin) has come along tremendously since I first got him,” Treviño said. “When I first got him, he had a real big karate base background, where most of his striking came from. We concentrated on improving his clinching and improving his overall Muay Thai base, he has just become a whole different fighter from when he started with me back then until now.”
Macklin, 26, has trained in martial arts since the age of 5. He has a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, a first-degree black belt in Kajukenbo and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Because of the amount of training Macklin has put in throughout his life, he’s confident heading into his bout today.
“There is a lot of things I feel I need to consistently work on,” he said. “I definitely know there is a lot more in the bag as far as what I have to offer and what I have to improve, but I am solid. I am solid everywhere, if I keep improving, I think I really do have a shot at being world class or holding some titles.”
After today’s bout, Macklin will have one fight left on his Fury contract. Macklin is open to re-signing with Fury, or taking a chance competing in Dana White’s Contender Series, a promotion associated with the UFC that is used to scout talent for the organization.
“He is going to make the UFC for sure, especially the way he is going right now,” Treviño said. “I feel he has the potential to be there, the tools to be there and at this rate he will be getting a contender spot real soon.”
Macklin also had some talks with Jorge Masvidal’s iKon Fighting Championship, he said. For now, he is happy in Fury.
“Expect a banger, he had so many opponents pull out, so he is just eager to get in there and put on a good show for everybody. That is what Tedrick is about, putting on a good show for the fans,” Treviño said. “It is never going to be a boring fight with him.”
The main event is headlined by Carlos Lozoya (7-2) and Cleveland McLean (16-9) in the flyweight division. Lajuan Davis (4-0) and Zack Borrego (3-1) serve as the co-main event.
The main card, which is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m., also features Harlingen’s Raymond Banda (8-3-1) vs. Edmilson Freitas (9-6-1) at welterweight, McAllen’s Christopher Cuadra (2-2) vs. Robert Garcia (1-1) at featherweight and Mission’s Stephen Perez (6-6) vs. Peter Caballero (12-5) in the bantamweight division.
Fighting in the prelims is Edinburg’s Adan Adame (1-1), Edinburg’s Isaac Vasquez (0-0), Brownsville’s Enrique Rodriguez Jr. (0-0), Mission’s Abner Castro (1-0), Mission’s Jessie Pantoja (0-2), Mission’s Joshua Quintero (0-3) and Pharr’s Enrique Tapia (1-0). The preliminary card starts at 2:30 p.m.