Rene Tellez Giron-Luis Melendez & Nico Ali Walsh Added to Conceicao-Martinez Card

Mexican action star *Rene “El Bravo” Tellez Giron* will meet Puerto Rican
upstart *Luis Melendez* in a 10-round junior lightweight showdown Saturday,
Jan. 29 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Giron-Melendez will serve as the co-feature to the 10-round WBC junior
lightweight title eliminator between former title challenger *Robson
Conceição *and undefeated contender *Xavier Martinez. *Both bouts will air
live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard will include the return of undefeated
middleweight prospect* Nico Ali Walsh* (3-0, 2 KOs), grandson of Muhammad
Ali, in a four-round bout. Ali Walsh made his professional debut last
August with a first-round stoppage at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
Tulsa-born heavyweight prospect *Jeremiah Milton* (3-0, 3 KOs) will see
action on the undercard in a six-rounder.

Giron (16-1, 10 KOs), a 22-year-old rising star from Queretaro, Mexico,
emerged from relative obscurity with his December 2019 knockout victory
over then-unbeaten 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas. He has won two
fights since the Balderas triumph, including a seventh-round knockout over
Eduardo Garza last September on the Oscar Valdez-Conceição undercard in
Tucson, Arizona. Melendez (17-1, 13 KOs), winner of 15 straight fights
since a controversial split decision loss, had a busy 2021. He picked up
seven victories in three months in Colombia, then returned to the States
with a flourish. Melendez won an eight-round decision over Thomas Mattice
at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas last November, a career-best victory that earned
him the co-feature slot against Giron.

“I told my manager, Frank Espinoza, that I am ready to fight any junior
lightweight out there,” Giron said. “Melendez answered the call, and we’re
going to give the Tulsa fans a great fight. Whenever you have a Mexican
versus a Puerto Rican, it can’t help but be toe-to-toe.”

Melendez said, “I jumped at this opportunity without hesitation. I’m
thankful for this platform, and I will put the 130-pound division on
notice. Giron is the man in my way. I am the next Puerto Rican star, and I
will prove it in Tulsa.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Tony Holden Productions, tickets
starting at $49.50 are on sale now and can be purchased at
tickets.hardrockcasinotulsa.com
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and
at the Box Office at 918-384-ROCK (7625).