Category Archives: Combate Americas

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FITE.TV to stream TITO vs ALBERTO live

FITE.TV has partnered with Combate Americas to bring fans the much- anticipated match between two legends – Tito Ortiz and Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez. 


Airing live from the Payne Arena in McAllen, Texas on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 8pm EST, the show will feature commentary in both English and Spanish.

More info in the FITE news page

Tito Ortiz vs Alberto El Patron on FITE

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF 10-BOUT MMA CARD FOR HISTORIC SOUTH AMERICA DEBUT IN LIMA, PERU ON FRIDAY, MAY 31


‘COMBATE PERU,’ THE BIGGEST MMA EVENT IN PERU HISTORY,
AIRS LIVE ON UNIVISION, UDN AND DAZN 
FROM COLISEO MANUEL BONILLA
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
 
LOS ANGELES – May 20, 2019 – Combate Americas today announced the completion of a 10-bout fight card, including a new main event, for its much-anticipated debut in South America with the largest-scale Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event in Peru history, at Coliseo Manuel Bonilla in the capital city of Lima, on Friday, May 31.
 
‘Combate Peru’ airs  live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and UDN (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m.PT), and in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
 
The flagship show will mark Combate Americas’ entry into a third country and second continent with its aggressively expanding live television event series.
 
Priced from 88 soles, tickets for ‘Combate Peru’ are on sale atCombateAmericas.com/Peru.
 
In the new lightweight (155 pounds) main event, previously announced, undefeated Daniel “Golden Boy” Zellhuber (6-0) will collide with fellow unbeaten, rising star Gian Franco Cortez (4-0).

The 19-year-old Zellhuber of Mexico City, Mexico was originally slated to faceRolando Bedoya (11-1), but Bedoya has since withdrawn from the commitment. 
 
Fighting out of Lima, the 22-year-old Cortez is coming off a spectacular, first round (1:35) TKO (punches) of Steven Muñoz on March 23. 
 
Cortez made his professional debut on October 7, 2017, scoring a knockout onBenji Ayala just 15 seconds into the first round of action.
 
Also announced today was a new bantamweight (135 pounds) matchup between undefeated David “The Black Spartan” Martinez (3-0) of Mexico City andWilliam Sanchez (0-0) of Lima.

Sanchez will make his professional debut after a nearly untarnished, 5-1 run as an amateur.
 
Martinez was originally slated to face 2017 “COPA COMBATE” tournament competitor Kevin “El Frio” Moreyra (4-2) of Lima before Moreyra’s camp determined he would no longer be able to make the contracted weight of the bout.
 
Moreyra will move up to the next weight class, featherweight (145 pounds), and will square off with Bruno “Jacunda” Pereira (10-6-1) of Lima via Macapa, Amapa, Brazil in a ‘Combate Peru’ preliminary card bout.
 
In other preliminary card action announced today, fellow Lima competitors Yuri Valenzuela (12-6-1) and Vicente Vargas (10-4) will face off at bantamweight, while unbeaten upstarts Jose Alberto Ochoa (2-0) of Lima and Omar Torres (2-0) of Arequipa, Peru will battle each other in a flyweight (125 pounds) affair.
 
The previously announced co-main event between Marlon “Deriko Siete” Gonzales (14-4-2) Lima and Pablo Villaseca (14-5) of Santiago, Chile will be contested at a catchweight of 150 pounds.
 
COMBATE AMERICAS: COMBATE PERU

 
LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
Daniel Zellhuber vs. Gian Franco Cortez
 
CATCHWEIGHT (150 LBS.) CO-MAIN EVENT:
Marlon Gonzales vs. Pablo Villaseca
 
FEATURED STRAWWEIGHT BOUT:
Alitzel Mariscal vs. Maria Paola Buzaglo
 
PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:
Bantamweight: Rodrigo Vera vs. Eduardo Torres
Bantamweight: Renzo Mendez vs. Andres Ayala
Featherweight: Kevin Moreyra vs. Bruno Pereira
Bantamweight: Yuri Valenzuela vs. Vicente Vargas
Catchweight (120 pounds): Jennifer Gonzalez vs. Dana Zighelboim Grau
Bantamweight:  David Martinez vs. William Sanchez
Flyweight: Jose Alberto Ochoa vs. Omar Torres
 

NEW MAIN EVENT, CO-MAIN EVENT ANNOUNCED FOR ‘CRICKET WIRELESS PRESENTS COMBATE AMERICAS’ MMA EXTRAVAGANZA IN TUCSON, ARIZONA LIVE ON UNIVISION, UDN AND DAZN ON FRIDAY, JUNE 7


NEW BANTAMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
JOSE “POCHITO” ALDAY VS. JUAN PABLO “EL MOLO” GONZALEZ
 
LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA VS. ESTEVAN “EL TERRIBLE” PAYAN
 
STRAWWEIGHT FEATURED BOUT:
YAZMIN JAUREGUI VS. CODIE WAREHAM
 Tickets on sale now

LOS ANGELES – May 13, 2019 – Combate Americas today announced both a new main event and a co-main event for it’s star-studded return to AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz., presented by Cricket Wireless, on Friday, June 7, live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and UDN (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m.PT), and in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
 
Announced today for the “Cricket Wireless Presents Combate Americas: Tucson Unbreakable” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event was a new bantamweight (135 pounds) main event between former world champion Jose “Pochito” Alday (12-4-1) of Tucson and Juan Pablo “El Molo” Gonzalez (7-2-2) of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
 
Alday was previously scheduled to square off with Irwin “The Beast” Rivera (7-4) in the main event contest, but Rivera has since been forced to withdraw.
 
Also announced today was a lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event featuring the return of undefeated phenom Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (9=0), who will face the most seasoned opponent of his career in Estevan “El Terrible” Payan (17-12, 1 NC).
 
Fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif. via Mexicali, B.C., Mexico, the 24-year-old Garcia, a protégé of MMA superstar Cub Swanson, has been an unstoppable force in La Jaula, the Combate Americas competition cage, since the MMA sports franchise discovered him at an open tryout in 2016.
 
To date, Garcia has earned all but one of his victories by way of (T)KO or submission, including his last conquest, a second round (1:07) submission (rear-naked choke) of Edgar Escarrega at the Combate Americas live event on February 8.


Above: Undefeated finisher Rafa “Gifted” Garcia will return to action in the live televised, Combate Americas lightweight co-main event against Estevan “El Terrible” Payan.

A veteran of over 30 professional bouts, including matchups with a collection of world-ranked rivals, Payan of Tempe, Ariz. will make his debut under the promotion of Combate Americas.
 
Payan will look to notch his second consecutive victory since he defeated Dominic Clark by way of second round (3:17) TKO (punches) on April 21, 2018.
 
In a featured strawweight (115 pounds) bout announced today, Yazmin Jauregui(1-0) will return to action on the heels of her incredible, 13-second knockout (punch) of Daniela Espinosa, and face off with fellow unbeaten upstart Codie Wareham (2-0).

The 21-year-old Jauregui of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico recorded the second fastest finish in Combate Americas history with her stoppage of Espinosa at the ‘Combate Reinas’ event on April 26.
 
Wareham is an aggressive-minded, 24-year-old fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.  She earned her professional debut victory over Carolyn Biskup-Roe via submission (armbar) last November 2, and her second career win by way of first round (2:29) TKO (punches) on Wendy Rodriguez on November 28.
 
In preliminary bout card action, Justin Rascon (2-2) of Tucson will battle Jesus “Bear” Rivas (1-2) of Tucson at flyweight (125 pounds).
 
The previously announced lightweight matchup between Levi Escobar (1-0) of Tucson and Austin Wourms (1-1) of Phoenix has been scrapped due to injury sustained by Escobar.
 
Priced from $15, tickets for “Cricket Wireless Presents Combate Americas: Tucson Unbreakable” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tucson.    
 
Additional preliminary bouts will be announced soon.
 
Doors at AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol will open for “Cricket Wireless Presents Combate Americas: Tucson Unbreakable” at 6 p.m. local time on June 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m. 

 
“CRICKET WIRELESS PRESENTS 
COMBATE AMERICAS: TUCSON UNBREAKABLE” FIGHT CARD

 
BANTAMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Jose Alday vs. Juan Pablo Gonzalez
 
LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
Rafa Garcia vs. Estevan Payan
 
FEATURED STRAWWEIGHT BOUT:
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Codie Wareham
 
PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:
Catchweight (190 pounds): Javier Torres vs. Joel Champion
Bantamweight: Eduardo Alvarado Osuna vs. Jose Luis Calvo
Flyweight:  Justin Rascon vs. Jesus Rivas


 
 
# # #

KATE DEL CASTILLO AND GLOBAL MMA BRAND COMBATE AMERICAS SIGN LANDMARK DEAL

BUSINESSWOMAN AND GLOBAL SUPERSTAR ACQUIRES OWNERSHIP STAKE AND TAKES ON LEADERSHIP ROLE AS PART OF $20 MILLION GROUP INVESTMENT IN ONE OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT’S FASTEST-GROWING FRANCHISES 


Kate Del Castillo (second from right) with (from left to right) Alberto Del Rio, Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren and Combate Americas President Jackie Hernandez at a press conference in Los Angeles today, Thursday, April 4, to announce Del Castillo’s acquisition of an equity stake in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise. Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas, LLC.


 
FIRST BIG INITIATIVE WILL BE ‘REINAS DEL COMBATE’ 
THE FIRST ALL-WOMEN’S LINEUP IN HISTORY 
TO AIR ON BROADCAST TELEVISION ON FRIDAY, APRIL 26 FROM LOS ANGELES
 

NEW YORK – April 04, 2019 – Kate Del Castillo, and premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports entertainment franchise, Combate Americas, announced today a landmark deal that redefines the world of combat sports. Del Castillo has acquired an equity stake in the company and is now an owner and significant shareholder of Combate Americas.


Her investment comes as part of a $20 million equity infusion from a powerhouse group of investors that also includes finance and sports industry leader Joe Plumeri, Ambassador Cliff Sobel and Irving Place Capital CEO John Howard.  


Del Castillo will chair the advisory board, continue the company’s commitment to female empowerment and take on an active leadership role in growing the global MMA sports entertainment brand.

“Kate embodies the fierceness, tenacity and passion that defines the Combate Americas brand and its fighters.” says Campbell McLaren, CEO and Founder of Combate Americas. “Kate is now an equity partner and will take on a leadership role in the company and chairs our advisory board, joining our other prestigious investors including Chairman Joe Plumeri, Ambassador Cliff Sobel and John Howard,” he added.

Del Castillo said she was most drawn to Combate Americas’ embracement and development of Hispanic athletes, the tremendous opportunities it affords female fighters, its global media platform and its potential for the franchise to become the number two sport for Hispanic sports fans worldwide, after soccer.

“I am thrilled to join Campbell and the talented leadership team at Combate and will be relentless in helping Combate Americas reach its full potential as the second most popular sport.”

Del Castillo’s most immediate point of focus as an owner will be the upcoming ‘Combate de Reinas’ live television event at Galen Center in Los Angeles on Friday, April 26.

A watershed moment, the event will mark the first time in history that a combat sports event will feature an all-women’s lineup on broadcast television.

“’Combate del Reinas’ is a significant feat for women in sports,” said Del Castillo, “and is a clear testimony to the Company’s commitment to female empowerment which I am excited to champion!”

Del Castillo was represented in the deal with Combate Americas by Walter Mosley of Mosley and Associates, while Combate Americas was represented by attorneys Andrew Nightingale and Krista Whitaker of Proskauer Rose, LLP.

COMBATE AMERICAS SIGNS UNDEFEATED BOXER, FORMER “LUCHA UNDERGROUND” CHAMP DULCE MARIA GARCIA RIVAS TO EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT MMA PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT


Garcia to debut in her third combat sport at “Combate Estrellas” 
in Monterrey, N.L., Mex. on Friday, April 12

NEW YORK– February 19, 2019 – Combate Americas has signed undefeated boxer and former Lucha Underground champion Dulce Maria Garcia Rivas (0-0 MMA, 5-0 boxing), formerly known as “Sexy Star,” to an exclusive, multi-fight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotional agreement, the premier sports entertainment franchise announced today.
 
Garcia will make her much-anticipated MMA rules debut under the promotion of Combate Americas at the soon-to-be-announced ‘Combate Estrellas’ live television event in her hometown of Monterrey, N.L., Mexico on Friday, April 12.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Dulce Garcia to the Combate Americas familia, and see her perform in La Jaula, and what is quickly emerging as the second biggest sport with Hispanic millennial fans worldwide,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.
 
Garcia notched three consecutive professional boxing victories in 2018 – her most recent, a six-round unanimous decision over Karla Islas on August 18 – to bring her overall record in the sport to an unblemished, 5-0. 

Pictured above:  In her second professional boxing start, Garcia (right) earned a unanimous decision victory over Guadalupe Coral (left) in Ecatepec, Mex. on September 30, 2017.

Prior to making her boxing debut in April 2017, Garcia had appeared in 57 episodes of El Rey Network’s Lucha Libre television series, Lucha Underground, and was crowned the first women’s champion in the show’s history on April 9, 2016.

Garcia is also a four-time champion of Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide professional wrestling organization, and the wife of former, three-time world boxing champion Jhonny Gonzalez.

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT BRACKETS AND TWO LINEUP CHANGES FOR “COPA COMBATE” ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN, $100,000 GRAND PRIZE SHOWDOWN

LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7

JOEY RUQUET REPLACES GASTON REYNO,  DANIEL REQUEIJO TO REPRESENT SPAIN IN PLACE OF ZEBENZUI RUIZ

FRESNO  – December 3, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced two changes to the lineup for its much-anticipated, biggest event of the year – the “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) featherweight (145 pounds) showdown – as well as the tournament brackets for the event that takes place at Save Mart Center on Friday, Dec. 7.

 

The second annual “COPA COMBATE” extravaganza airs live in its entirety in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

Originally slated for action in a previously announced tournament alternate bout, 26-year-old Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (6-1), fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., USA and representing Puerto Rico, has been entered into the main draw of the eight-man tournament where he will replace Uruguay’s Gaston “Tonga” Reyno(7-2, 2 NC), who has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to staph infection.

 

In addition, Daniel “El Gallego” Requeijo (14-6) will represent Spain in place of previously announced Zebenzui “El Niño Roca” Ruiz (7-2), after Ruiz was unable to secure a visa to enter the U.S.

 

The 34-year-old Requeijo, who hails from Spain’s Las Palmas, Canary Islands, boasts a near-93 percent finish rate, earning 13 of his 14 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission.

 

Also announced today were the official tournament brackets for the “COPA COMBATE” tournament affair.

 

On one side of the draw, or “Group A,” Requeijo will square off with Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (13-4) of Santiago, Chile, while Alejandro “Gallito” Flores(13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico will battle undefeated John “Ronin” Bedoya (6-0) of Bogota, Colombia.

 

On the other side of the draw, or “Group B,” Ruquet will collide with Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (7-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina, while Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA will face fellow prolific star Marlon “Deriko Siete”  Gonzales (13-3-2, 1 NC) of Lima, Peru.

 

The winners of each quarterfinal stage bout in Group A will meet in semifinal stage action, while the winners of each quarterfinal stage bout in Group B will do likewise.

 

The two semifinal stage fight winners will face off in the championship showdown with the $100,000 grand prize at stake.

 

Replacing Ruquet in one the two tournament alternate bouts will be Vicente “Chento” Enriquez Marquez (5-5) of Barcelona, Spain.  Enriquez Marquez will take on Ruquet’s original, tournament alternate bout opponent “Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-6) of Las Vegas via Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Announced today as an addition to the “COPA COMBATE” event preliminary bout card was a flyweight (125 pounds) tilt between Paul Elizondo (1-0) of Fresno and Nathan Napolitano (0-0) of Salinas, Calif. USA.

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “COPA COMBATE” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets and at Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Save Mart Center box office.

 

Doors at Save Mart Center will open for the event at 5 p.m. PT on December 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

 

UPDATED “COPA COMBATE” UPDATED FIGHT CARD:

 

PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:

 

Flyweight: Paul Elizondo vs. Nathan Napolitano
Welterweight: Evan Solorio vs. Jimmy Molina
Middleweight: Albert Gonzales vs. James Porter

 

FEATURED FLYWEIGHT BOUT:

 

Corina Herrera vs. Maria Paula Buzaglo

 

“COPA COMBATE” FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT ALTERNATE BOUTS:

 

Pablo Sabori vs. Michael Irizarry
Rudy Morales vs. Vicente Marquez Enriquez

 

“COPA COMBATE” FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT QUARTERNAL STAGE BOUTS:

 

Group A:

 

Daniel Requeijo vs. Pablo Villaseca
Joey Ruquet vs. Bruno Cannetti

 

Group B

 

Alejandro Flores vs. John Bedoya
Andres Quintana vs. Marlon Gonzales

# # #

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES  “COPA COMBATE” TOURNAMENT ALTERNATE BOUTS FOR ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN $100,000 GRAND PRIZE SHOWDOWN AT SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7

COMBATE AMERICAS’ BIGGEST MMA EVENT OF 2018   
“COPA COMBATE”
MARKS FIRST ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT IN CALIFORNIA, AIRS LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK

ALSO:
FEATURED WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT CONTEST PITS
MARIA BUZAGLO VS. CORINA HERRERA  

TICKETS FOR “COPA COMBATE” ON SALE NOW

NEW YORK  – November 27, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced a pair of “alternate” bouts for its much-anticipated, biggest event of the year – the “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament that will award its featherweight (145 pounds) winner of three consecutive bouts a $100,000 grand prize at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. on Friday, Dec. 7.

 

The second annual “COPA COMBATE” tournament airs live in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT), and marks the first time in history that California State will sanction a one-night, eight-man MMA tournament.

 

In one of two tournament alternate bouts announced today, Michael Irizarry (9-2) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will take on Pablo “El Gallo Negro” Sabori (8-5) of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, and in the second alternate bout, Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (6-1) of Las Vegas, Nev., USA will face off with” Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-6) of Las Vegas via Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Should any of the winners of the four quarterfinal stage tournament bouts be unable to re-enter La Jaula, the Combate Americas competition cage, for his semifinal stage bout due to injury sustained in quarterfinal stage action, one of the two tournament alternate bout winners will replace the injured competitor in the semifinal stage of the tournament.

 

Also announced today was a featured women’s strawweight (115 pounds) contest between unbeaten Maria Buzaglo (1-0) of Lima, Peru and relentless battler Corina Herrera (3-4-1) of Porterville, Calif., USA.

 

The “COPA COMBATE” tournament field features eight previously announced fighters, representing eight different countries: Andres “The Bullet” Quintana(15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA; Alejandro “Gallito” Flores (13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; Gaston “Tonga” Reyno (8-2, 2 NC) of Montevideo, Uruguay; and Zebenzui “El Niño Roca” Ruiz (7-2) of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain; Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (7-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Latin American MMA pioneer Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (13-4) of Santiago, Chile; undefeated John “Ronin” Bedoya (6-0) of Bogota, Colombia; and powerhouse Marlon “Deriko Siete”  Gonzales (13-3-2, 1 NC) of Lima, Peru.

 

The tournament brackets and quarterfinal stage tournament matchups will be announced this week.

 

In “COPA COMBATE” preliminary bout action announced today, local police officer Evan “Pitbull” Solorio (3-2) of Fresno will face off with Jimmy “Mamba” Molina (0-0) of Spokane, Wash., USA in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest.

 

In a battle of two professional debut competitors, Albert Gonzales (0-0) of Fresno will collide with James Porter (0-0) of Fresno.

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “COPA COMBATE” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets and at Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Save Mart Center box office.

 

Doors at Save Mart Center will open for the event at 5 p.m. PT on December 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

 

 

# # #

COMBATE AMERICAS UNVEILS THE LARGEST WINNER’S TROPHY IN SPORTS, COMPLETES ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT FIELD WITH FOUR NEW FEATHERWEIGHT ENTRANTS WHO WILL BATTLE FOR $100,000 GRAND PRIZE

(Pictured from left to right below): “COPA COMBATE” tournament fighters Andres Quintana (USA), Gaston Reyno (Uruguay) and Alejandro Flores (Mexico) were on hand today for the 2018 “COPA COMBATE” kick-off press conference that took place at the Mexican Consulate in Fresno, Calif. in promotion of the event that takes place on Friday, Dec. 7.  At the press conference, the tournament winner’s cup (pictured below) – the largest trophy in sports – was unveiled, and the names of the remainder of the 145-pouund fighters that will complete the tournament field, were revealed.

COMBATE AMERICAS’ BIGGEST MMA EVENT OF 2018   
“COPA COMBATE”
MARKS FIRST ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT IN CALIFORNIA

LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7

BRUNO CANNETTI (ARGENTINA), PABLO VILLASECA (CHILE),
JOHN BEDOYA (COLOMBIA) AND MARLON GONZALES (PERU)
COMPLETE THE “COPA COMBATE” TOURNAMENT FIELD

 

FRESNO  – November 8, 2018 – Combate Americas today unveiled at a news conference at the Mexican Consulate in Fresno, Calif., a massive winner’s cup trophy, and announced the final four featherweight (145 pounds) contestants for its much-anticipated, “COPA COMBATE,” one-night Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament extravaganza featuring eight fighters, representing eight different countries, battling it out for a $100,000 grand prize, at Save Mart Center in Fresno on Friday, Dec. 7.

 

The previously announced, second annual “COPA COMBATE” event will air live in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

 

The winner of the tournament will have persevered through three fights in one night to claim the grand prize check and the trophy.

 

 

The “COPA COMBATE” winner’s trophy unveiled today stands over 4 and a half feet tall, and is nearly 2 feet wide at its widest point.   Custom made by U.K.-based CA Models, the makers of the Viking-style headdress that music superstar Madonna wore during her 2012 NFL SuperBowl halftime performance, the gold-colored trophy, valued at $100,000, is constructed from high-tech composite plastics used in Formula 1 racing and aerospace.

 

 

Announced today as the four fighters who will complete the “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man tournament field were Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (7-5) of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Latin American MMA pioneer Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (13-4) of Santiago, Chile; undefeated John “Ronin” Bedoya (6-0) of Bogota, Colombia; and powerhouse Marlon “Deriko Siete”  Gonzales (13-3-2, 1 NC) of Lima, Peru.

 

 

Cannetti is the 29-year-old, younger brother of MMA superstar Guido “Ninja” Cannetti, and is riding a three-fight winning streak.

 

 

Combate Americas’ La Jaula model Alyshia Barragan with the “COPA COMBATE” winner’s trophy 

 

 

Villaseca is a 31-year-old, battle-tested veteran who has competed on three different continents – North America, South America and Europe – and who has earned 10 of his 13 professional victories via (T)KO or submission.

 

 

Bedoya was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America reality television series. The 27-year-old has scored three of his six professional victories by way of submission.

 

 

The 26-year-old Gonzales is the number one ranked featherweight fighter in Peru.  He is coming off a thunderous, first round (3:34) TKO (punches) of Mariano Rocca on August 18.

 

 

The four “COPA COMBATE” tournament entrants announced today join the four previously announced entrants – Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA; Alejandro “Gallito” Flores (13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; Gaston “Tonga” Reyno (8-2, 2 NC) of Montevideo, Uruguay; and Zebenzui “El Niño Roca” Ruiz (7-2) of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.

 

 

The official “COPA COMBATE” tournament brackets with quarterfinal stage matchups for the one night, eight-man tournament will be announced soon.

 

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “COPA COMBATE” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets and at Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Save Mart Center box office.

 

 

Doors at Save Mart Center will open for the event at 5 p.m. PT on December 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

 

 

Combate Americas also announced today that it has partnered with Jimenez Grappling Academy, an Exeter-based non-profit organization focused on utilizing martial arts classes to create family and community-oriented programs.  As part of the local partnership, MMA superstar Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña will join fellow Combate Americas commentator and multiple-time WWE Heavyweight Champion, Alberto El Patrón, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio, to offer an MMA seminar to Jimenez’s students on Wednesday, Dec. 5, two days before the “COPA COMBATE” affair.

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES ITS BIGGEST EVENT OF 2018  “COPA COMBATE”    AT SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7

FIRST ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT
IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY,
25 YEARS AFTER LEGENDARY UFC 1 TOURNAMENT

FIGHTERS REPRESENTING EIGHT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
FACE OFF WITH $100,000 GRAND PRIZE AT STAKE

LIVE ON DAZN,
UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK

TICKETS ON SALE WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7

NEW YORK – October 30, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced its much-anticipated, second annual “COPA COMBATE” one-night Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament extravaganza featuring eight fighters, representing eight different countries, battling it out for a $100,000 grand prize, at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., live in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

The winner of the tournament will have persevered through three fights in one night to claim the grand prize.

 

The “COPA COMBATE” event will mark the first one-night, eight-man tournament in California state history, and will take place 25 years after Combate Americas CEO and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder Campbell McLaren changed the combat sports world forever with UFC 1, a one-night, eight-man tournament that produced MMA’s first iconic figure, Royce Gracie.

 

Priced from $30, tickets go on sale online at www.CombateAmericas.com/Tickets and Ticketmaster.com, as well as at the Save Mart Center box office, beginning at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

 

“This is the way I started the UFC 25 years ago – an 8-man tournament – the toughest challenge in sports – and now it’s coming to Fresno and the great state of California for the first time in history,” said McLaren.

 

(Pictured left to right above):  Gaston Reyno of Montevideo, Uruguay; Andres Quintana of Roswell, N.M., USA; Alejandro Flores of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; and Zebenzui Ruiz of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain represent the first four of eight fighters who will compete in the 2018 “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize featherweight MMA tournament.  Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas, LLC

The “COPA COMBATE” tournament will take place in the featherweight (145 pounds) division, and will feature the winners of September’s two ‘Copa’ qualifier bouts – Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (15-2) of Roswell, N.M., USA and Alejandro “Gallito” Flores (13-1) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico – as well as previously announced  Gaston “Tonga” Reyno (8-2, 2 NC) of Montevideo, Uruguay.

 

Reyno was announced as a tournament entrant on the air live, immediately following his stunning, first-round (2:21) submission (rear-naked choke) of Carlos Ochoa at the “Combate Americas: Camino a Copa” live event in Long Beach, Calif. on September 28.

 

Also announced today for “COPA COMBATE” tournament action was the competitor who will represent Spain – 24-year-old Zebenzui “El Niño Roca” Ruiz (7-2) of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

 

Ruiz will enter La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, for the first time in his career, riding a four-fight win streak.  To date, all but one of his victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

 

The remaining four fighters who will compete in the 2018 “COPA COMBATE” tournament will be announced soon.

 

Doors at Save Mart Center will open for the event at 5 p.m. on December 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.