Tag Archives: Copa Combate

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

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

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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

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Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

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

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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, mixed martial arts, MMA

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

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(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, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA

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

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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.

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES JOHN “SEXY MEXY” CASTANEDA FOR “COPA COMBATE” ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN $100,000 GRAND PRIZE TOURNAMENT ON NOVEMBER 11

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John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (14-2) (right) has been announced as the first entrant into Combate Americas’ historic, one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) “Copa Combate” tournament that will award its winner a grand prize of $100,000 in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.
Historic event takes place in Cancun, Mexico
on the 24th anniversary of
Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren’s UFC 1

NEW YORK – September 28, 2017 –Combate Americas today announced the entry of 25-year-old trailblazer and its all-time winningest fighter, John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (14-2), into “Copa Combate,” the historic, one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament that will award its winner of three consecutive bouts a grand prize of $100,000 in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.

“Copa Combate” takes place on the 24th anniversary of UFC 1, which was executive produced by Combate Americas CEO and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder, Campbell McLaren.  The storied event set off a combat sports revolution, and changed the martial arts fight world forever.

Castaneda of Mankato, Minn. will enter La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, riding a nine-fight win streak that dates back to May 2015, and that recently extended on August 1 when he put on a dominant performance to earn a unanimous decision over Cheyden Leialoha in UFC President Dana White’sTuesday Night Contender Series.

“We are excited to welcome John Castaneda back to Combate Americas, where he has amassed the most wins of any fighter in our young, but fast-growing organization, and delivered some of the most memorable moments ever in La Jaula with his explosive style of fighting and vicious knockout power,” said McLaren.

Following the recent victory, Castaneda signed a new, exclusive, multi-fight promotional agreement with Combate Americas, which was the first organization to place him on a national stage during its debut live event that aired on NBC Universo from Las Vegas, Nev. on September 17, 2015.  Castaneda immediately shined, defeating Justin Governale by way of unanimous decision.

In his last start in La Jaula on May 5, Castaneda scored a devastating, second round (:42) TKO (punches) on five-time UFC veteran Chris “The Real Deal” Beal.

The remaining seven “Copa Combate” tournament competitors will be announced soon, and will hail from various parts of Latin America, as well as Spain and the U.S., marking the first time in history that fighters will represent their respective countries on a mission to achieve greatness.

Tournament fighters will be separated into four brackets, and the top four fighters will be assigned seeded positions based on their respective worldwide rankings.  Quarterfinal stage opponents for the four seeded fighters will be determined based on a lottery ball drawing.

The host venue in Cancun for “Copa Combate,” as well as ticket on-sale information for the event, will be announced soon.