First event 1994 Headquarters Spring Valley, Nevada Website Tuff-N-Uff | Purpose Amateur MMA fighting President Burt Meyer | |
Tuff-N-Uff is an amateur MMA fighting organization, which organizes and promotes events in the State of Nevada.
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History
Tuff-N-Uff was founded in 1994 in order to help promote and lobby for the sanctioning of amateur MMA events in the United States, in addition to other aspects of combat sports. The first amateur MMA event organized by Tuff-N-Uff was held on November 14, 2003. This was the first amateur MMA event to ever be sanctioned by the State of Nevada. For the first five and a half years, events were held in the ballroom of The Orleans hotel in Paradise, Nevada, until the organization began hosting events at the larger Orleans Arena in 2009. Other venues have included the South Point Arena, Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, CasaBlanca Resort, Cox Pavilion, and The Pearl at the Palms. Tuff-N-Uff has organized several special events series, including the "Tuff-N-Uff" series 1 through 3, the "Future Stars of MMA" series, the first ever all-female amateur event "Tuff Girls", and "Festibrawl" 1 through 6.
The company was founded by the late Barry Meyer, a black belt in tae kwon do and former hedge fund trader, who served as president of the organization until his death in 2013. The organization has since been run by his father Burt Meyer. Barry Meyer said of the organization 2009 that "our goal is to establish this as the premier amateur brand around legitimate fighters, make it an affordable event, and entertaining with lasers, music and a cool atmosphere".
Between December 2006 and March 1, 2014, the company held 52 amateur MMA competition events in both Las Vegas and Mesquite, Nevada, in addition to Paradise. Their events have included tournaments held to earn a professional MMA contract, such as the women's Tuff-N-Uff Strawweight Tournament for a contract with Invicta Fighting Championships. The opening round of the tournament was held on April 11, 2014. Most events are focused on amateurs building their fight resume, or fighting for Tuff-N-Uff amateur championship titles. Titles are available for both male and female fighters.
Tuff-N-Uff alumni
Fighters who have performed in Tuff-N-Uff include former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, whose career was launched while fighting in the organization, in addition to Kyra Batara, Chris Holdsworth, Jessamyn Duke, Ryan Couture, Marina Shafir, Jon Fitch, Brad Imes, Jesse Taylor, Nick Thompson, Tonya Evinger, and ABC 13 Las Vegas program director Larry Mir. In all about twenty fighters has moved up from Tuff-N-Uff to fight for the UFC, and about a dozen women have turned professional.