Tag Archives: Gustavo Lopez

Combate Americas, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA

GUSTAVO LOPEZ REPLACES LEVY MARROQUIN IN  COMBATE AMERICAS  WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT AGAINST JOSE ALDAY  

Leave a comment
Former world championship challenger Gustavo Lopez (Pictured below) will replace Levy Marroquin in the Combate Americas bantamweight world championship main event bout tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 14, live on DAZN, Univision and Univision Deportes Network.

LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION, & UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM PHOENIX, ARIZ. TONIGHT, FRIDAY, SEPT. 14

FLYWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
TRACY CORTEZ VS. KAREN CEDILLO

FEATURED LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT: 
RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA  VS. LARUE “THE CANNIBAL” BURLEY

Tickets for “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Alday” on sale now

PHOENIX – September 13, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced that former world championship challenger Gustavo Lopez (8-3) will challenge Jose “Pochito” Alday (11-3-1) in the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise’s bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship main event in Phoenix tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 14.

Alday’s original world championship opponent, Levy Marroquin (11-2) of Monterrey, Mexico, was forced to withdraw from the commitment due to symptoms of influenza detected by the Arizona Boxing Commission physician, Dr. Ken Ota.

The much-anticipated, world championship event’s three-fight main card airs 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 complete, nine-bout fight card airs in its entirety on DAZN, the live and on-demand sports streaming platform, in English in the U.S. and Canada, beginning with the first preliminary card bout, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The 29-year-old Lopez of Las Vegas, Nev. via Yakima, Wash. is a five-time Combate Americas veteran who, in his last start under the promotional banner, notched an impressive, first-round (2:34) submission (guillotine choke) of Steve Swanson, the brother of MMA superstar Cub Swanson, in the main event of Combate Americas’ debut event in Mexico City, Mexico.

A member of MMA legend Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture fight camp in Las Vegas, Lopez has produced all of his victories in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, by way of (T)KO or submission.

Lopez previously challenged fellow star John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda for the vacant Combate Americas world bantamweight championship on October 14, 2016, but was stopped via fourth round (2:24) TKO (punches) by Castaneda in an epic, see-saw battle. Because Castaneda failed to make weight for the fight, he was not awarded the title.

Alday, who will celebrate his 27th birthday tomorrow, is a native of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and resident of Tucson, Ariz., coming off his career-best victory to date, a split decision win over Castaneda in the main event of the historic, first, live Univision and UDN simulcast of MMA action with “Combate Estrellas I” in Los Angeles, Calif. on April 13.

Priced from $30, tickets for “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Lopez” are on sale at CelebrityTheatre.com and Ticketon.com.

Doors at Celebrity Theatre open at 5 p.m. PT, with the first preliminary bout will beginning at 7 p.m.

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts

COMBATE AMERICAS: UNDEFEATED BANTAMWEIGHTS MARK DELAROSA AND IVAN HERNANDEZ FLORES FACE OFF IN MEXICO CITY ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 19

Leave a comment

FIGHT CARD COMPLETE WITH NINE BOUTS, INCLUDING PROMOTIONAL DEBUT OF UNDEFEATED COMBATE AMERICAS OPEN TRYOUT SIGNEE RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA

LIVE FROM EL PLAZA CONDESA ON
AZTECA AMERICA AND UFC FIGHT PASS®

NEW YORK – January 6, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced the completion of a stellar, nine-bout Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card, including a bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown between two fast-rising, undefeated stars – Mark “The Bumblebee” Delarosa (7-0) and Ivan “El Brasil” Hernandez Flores (8-0-1) – for the league’s much-anticipated, historic debut in Mexico on Thursday, Jan. 19, live on Azteca America (10 p.m. ET/PT) and UFC FIGHT PASS® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

The “Combate10” event, which will take place at El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City, will also air via tape delay in Mexico the following night, Friday, Jan. 20 at 11 p.m. CT., on TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECA; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world.

The fight card is headlined by the previously announced, bantamweight battle between knockout artist Steve Swanson (14-2) and Xtreme Couture prodigy Gustavo Lopez (6-2).

One of the latest athletes to sign an exclusive, multi-fight agreement with Combate Americas, the 22-year-old Delarosa of Dallas, Texas will enter La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, for the first time in his young career.

To date, Delarosa has notched four of his six professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.  In his last start on April 2, he earned a unanimous decision over Arthur Oliveira.

A multiple-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament champion, Delarosa holds a brown belt in the discipline and is a three-time MMA champion in regional competition.

At 25 years old, Hernandez Flores of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico is ranked as high as number one in Mexico and number two in all of Latin America in the sport’s flyweight (125 pounds) division.

Five of Hernandez Flores’ victories, thus far, have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

In other action on the card, undefeated, 22-year-old prospect Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (3-0) of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico will make his promotional debut after being discovered at the Combate Americas open tryout in Pasadena, Calif. last August.

Garcia will take on submission expert Raul “The Cobra” Najera Ocampo (4-2) of Mexico City in a featherweight (145 pounds) contest.

Unbeaten, 18-year-old phenom Kevin Garcia (4-0) of Monterrey will face off with hard-hitting Enrique “Kike” Barragan (5-1) of Saltillo, Coahila, Mexico in a bantamweight battle.

Garcia and Barragan have each claimed all of their professional career victories, thus far, by way of (T)KO or submission.

In one of two welterweight (170 pounds) matchups, Heriberto Tovar (6-3-1) of Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico will square off with Christofer Ramirez (4-1) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

In the other welterweight scrap, Alex Velasco (5-1) of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico will meet Julio Cesar Cruz (9-9) of Mexico City.

UFC FIGHT PASS is a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

Download the UFC App now.

“COMBATE AMERICAS: COMBATE10”

MAIN CARD (Live on Azteca America and UFC FIGHT PASS):

Bantamweight Main Event:
Steve Swanson vs. Gustavo Lopez

Atomweight Co-Main Event:
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Lisbeth Lopez Silva

Bantamweight:  Mark Delarosa vs. Ivan Hernandez Flores
Bantamweight:  Jose Ceja vs. Joey Ruquet

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on UFC FIGHT PASS):

Bantamweight:  Rafa Garcia vs. Raul Najera Ocampo
Lightweight:  Rodrigo Vargas vs. Marco Antonio Elpidio
Bantamweight:  Kevin Garcia vs. Enrique Barragan
Welterweight:  Alex Velasco vs. Julio Cesar Cruz
Welterweight:  Heriberto Tovar vs. Christofer Ramirez
Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES MAIN EVENT FOR MMA LEAGUE’S HISTORIC MEXICO DEBUT: STEVE SWANSON VS. GUSTAVO LOPEZ

Leave a comment

LIVE FROM EL PLAZA CONDESA IN MEXICO CITY ON
AZTECA AMERICA AND UFC FIGHT PASS®
ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 19

Atomweight Co-Main Event:
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Lisbeth Lopez Silva

Plus:
Lightweight:  Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas vs. Marco Antonio “La Rocka” Elipidio
Bantamweight: Jose Ceja vs. Joey Ruquet

NEW YORK – January 3, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced four spectacular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts, including a bantamweight (135) main event between rising stars Steve Swanson (14-2) and Gustavo Lopez (6-2) – for the league’s much-anticipated, historic debut in Mexico on Thursday, Jan. 19, live on Azteca America (10 p.m. ET/PT) and UFC FIGHT PASS® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

The event, which will take place at El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City, will also air via tape delay in Mexico the following night, Friday, Jan. 20 at 11 p.m. CT., on TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECA; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world.

In the atomweight (105 pounds) co-main event, former world championship challenger Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (9-9) will make her long-awaited return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, and face red-hot Lisbeth Lopez Silva (3-3).

“We are excited to be assembling a phenomenal fight card, and to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of MMA’s growth in Mexico with our unique and fast-growing sports franchise,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

In other main card action, two hard-hitting, Mexico City rivals, Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas (9-5) and Marco Antonio “La Rocka” Elpidio (4-1-1) will collide at lightweight (155 pounds).

Fellow upstarts Jose “The Ghost” Ceja (4-3) and Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (3-1) will square off at bantamweight.

Additional bouts for the Combate Americas event will be announced soon.

The 5-foot-5, 36-year-old younger brother of UFC star Cub Swanson, Steve of Indio, Calif. is a 36-year-old prolific knockout artist whose family originally hails from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Swanson is a winner of his last four fights, all by way of (T)KO.  He is coming off an explosive, 38-second stoppage of Christian Rios on October 22.

Fighting out MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture’s Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas, Nev. Lopez is a 5-foot-5, 27-year-old finisher originally from Yakima, Wash.

Lopez emerged unbeaten, with a record of 3-0, during the Combate Americas “Road To The Championship” fight series that spanned from September 2015 to May 2016.  He has notched five of his six professional career victories via (T)KO or submission.

Rivera-Calanoc is a 5-foot-3, 31-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nev. and native of Tulsa, Okla., as well as a battle-tested veteran of the sport who has faced a handful of top rivals in the women’s field, including Jessica Penne.

Rivera-Calanoc, whose ancestral roots are in Chihuahua, took a split decision in her last start on March 12, from Ronni Nanney.

Lopez Silva of Mexico City is aiming for her fourth straight win on the heels of a unanimous decision over Marcel Yineris Nieto on December 2 in Panama City, Panama.

A former welterweight (170 pounds), Vargas of Mexico City is a 5-foot-8, 31-year-old powerhouse who will put a three-fight win streak on the line.

To date, the Mexican Pride team member has claimed all of his wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

Elpidio, whose nickname translates to “The Rock,” is also a former welterweight standout who will look to secure his third consecutive win.

In his last effort on March 19, Elpidio, a member of the Renzo Gracie affiliate team in Mexico City, scored a second round (3:16) TKO on Francisco Vargas with an onslaught of punches.

The 5-foot-7, 31-year-old Ceja of Port Arthur, Texas will make his second start under the promotion of Combate Americas.

In his debut for the league on October 14, Ceja avenged a previous loss in dynamic fashion, scoring a first round (4:22) knockout on Irwin “The Beast” Rivera in the first live televised, professional MMA event since UFC 7 in September 1995.

Ruquet of Las Vegas, Nev. via Venice, Fla. is a 5-foot-8, 24-year-old upstart and seasoned striker who will make his second appearance in La Jaula after submitting Luke Faultersack with an anaconda choke in the second round (4:28) of action on April 25.

UFC FIGHT PASS is a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

Download the UFC App now.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

Combate Americas: Three New Bouts Announced For New York on October 14

Leave a comment
Below: Paulina “Firefox” Granados (pictured) will face off with Jenna Serio in a featured atomweight (105 pounds) contest at Combate Americas: Empire Rising, the U.S. Hispanic league’s debut event in New York, on Friday, Oct. 14, live on beIN Sports en Español as well as UFC FIGHT PASS®.

COMBATE AMERICAS
ANNOUNCES THREE MORE BOUTS
FOR FIRST-EVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT IN NY,
LIVE ON BEIN SPORTS EN ESPAÑOL
AND UFC FIGHT PASS® ON FRIDAY, OCT. 14

Featherweight co-main event: Erick Sanchez vs. Victor Martinez
Bantamweight: Irwin Rivera vs. Cristobal Chavez
Women’s atomweight: Paulina Granados vs. Jenna Serio

Tickets on sale now

NEW YORK – Sept. 14, 2016 – Combate Americas today announced the addition of three bouts, including a featherweight (145 pounds) co-main event contest between streaking Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez (7-2) and hard-hitting knockout artist Victor Martinez (6-4) to the league’s first world championship fight card in history at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. on Friday, Oct. 14, live on beIN SPORTS En Español and UFC FIGHT PASS®.

The matchup between Sanchez and Martinez will precede the much-anticipated bantamweight (135 pounds) championship showdown between red-hot stars John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (11-2) of Mankato, Minn. and Gustavo Lopez (6-1) of Las Vegas, Nev. via Yakima, Wash.

In another bantamweight contest, Blackzilians team member and rising starIrwin “The Beast” Rivera (5-1) will collide with undefeated submission expert Cristobal “El Mosquito” Chavez (4-0).

In women’s atomweight (105 pounds) action, Paulina “Firefox” Granados(3-2) will take on Jenna Serio (3-1).

Erick Sanchez vs. Victor Martinez

The 5-foot-10, 25-year-old Sanchez of Sacramento, Calif. will look for his third straight victory in La Jaula, and his fourth consecutive win overall, after submitting (rear-naked choke) Mike Segura in just 50 seconds at the third event in the Combate Americas “Road To The Championship” series in Los Angeles, Calif. on April 18.

Prior to the victory, Sanchez, who has won five of his seven professional starts by way of (T)KO or submission, scored a third round (1:22) TKO (punches) on Ousmane Thomas Diagne at Bellator 147 on December 4, 2015.

Also 25 years of age, the 25-year-old Martinez of Pharr, Texas has notched five of his six professional wins by way of (T)KO, with all five of the conquests having come with his hands.

Martinez is looking to rebound from a close, split decision defeat at the hands of Erick Gonzalez at the fourth Combate Americas “Road To The Championship” event on April 25.


Above: Irwin “The Beast” Rivera (pictured) will make his Combate Americas debut against undefeated Cristobal Chavez in a featured bantamweight (135 pounds) bout.

Irwin Rivera vs. Cristobal Chavez

Fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., the home of the Blackzilians fight squad, the 5-foot-6, 27-year-old Rivera, who will make his debut under the promotion of Combate Americas, was raised in New Windsor, N.Y. after being born in Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico.  He jump started his professional career with a split decision victory over Andre Cuff on November 7, 2014, and ran to three consecutive wins thereafter.

In his last outing on March 25, Rivera submitted Jose Ceja in third round (4:45) of battle with a rear-naked choke.

The 5-foot-7, 26-year-old Chavez of El Paso, Texas has yet to be beaten in a combined eight professional and amateur bouts.  Three of his four professional wins have come via (T)KO or submission.

Chavez is coming off a second round (4:14) submission (armlock) of Ronny Perrogon on June 11.

Paulina Granados vs. Jenna Serio

A native of Corpus Christi, Texas where she excelled in power lifting as a high school student, the 5-foot-2, 28-year-old Granados fights out of the famed Alliance MMA team in San Diego, Calif.

Granados made her Combate Americas debut in her last start on May 9, earning a split decision over longtime rival Stephanie Alba, whom Granados had defeated twice previously during their amateur days.

Serio of Brooklyn, N.Y. is a 5-foot-2, 24-year-old upstart who will enter the Combate Americas cage for the first time, riding a two-fight win streak.

In her last effort, Serio handily submitted Sadee Monserrate with a rear-naked choke in the first round (2:50) of their matchup on June 3.

A nationally recognized venue for legendary, fight-of-the-year-level boxing events, Turning Stone Resort Casino will now become one of the very first venues in New York to host professional MMA fights.  With a legacy of hosting some of the best events in the country, rivaling many venues in major cities such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City and New York City, Turning Stone has established Upstate New York as a premier destination for live sporting events.  Turning Stone is an award-winning destination resort, offering world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 restaurants and dining options, two luxurious spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, five pristine golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues.

Tickets for “Combate Americas: Empire Rising” are on sale and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com.  Tickets are priced at $75, for cageside, $65, $50 and $35, and may be subject to additional fees.  Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.for the event, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

UFC FIGHT PASS is a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

UFC FIGHT PASS is available on: personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Sony TVs with Android TV and Roku devices.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS HITS NEW YORK WITH  FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT IN HISTORY, LIVE ON BEIN SPORTS EN ESPAÑOL AND UFC FIGHT PASS® ON FRIDAY, OCT. 14

Leave a comment
(Pictured below): Twenty-four year-old surging star John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (11-2) of Mankato, Minn. will bid to become the first 135 pound world champion in Combate Americas history onFriday, Oct. 14, live on beIN Sports en Español and UFC FIGHT PASS.

John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda faces Gustavo Lopez
for the world bantamweight championship
at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Tickets on sale now

NEW YORK – Sept. 8, 2016 – Combate Americas today announced that red-hot, streaking bantamweight (135 pounds) stars John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (11-2) and Gustavo Lopez (6-1) will face off in the first world championship bout in league history at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. on Friday, October 14, live on beIN SPORTS En Español and UFC FIGHT PASS®.

The 24-year-old Castaneda of Mankato, Minn. and the 27-year-old Lopez of Las Vegas, Nev. via Yakima, Wash. will collide in the main event of the 10-bout “Combate Americas: Empire Rising” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) extravaganza.

“We are thrilled to be producing our first world title fight in Combate Americas history at our debut event in the Empire State,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren, who also produced the last live televised professional MMA event in New York State with UFC® 7 on September 8, 1995.

“John Castaneda and Gustavo Lopez put on some incredibly memorable and heroic performances during our ‘Road To The Championship’ fight series this year and last year,” continued McLaren, “so we are looking forward to have these two budding, young stars square off and to crowning our first champion.”

Each fighter earned his way to the title fight in “La Jaula,” or the Combate Americas cage, by going undefeated in three consecutive bouts during the “Road To The Championship” series that kicked off in September 2015 and concluded on May 9, 2016.


 Pictured Above (Far):  Bantamweight star Gustavo Lopez (6-1) of Las Vegas, Nev. via Yakima, Wash. will look to continue his unbeaten run in “La Jaula,” the Combate Americas cage, when he fights for his first world title.

Castaneda, who has finished 8 of his 11 professional career victories, is riding a six-fight win streak dating back to May 16, 2015 when he submitted Pedro Velasco with a rear-naked choke in the first round (2:42) of battle.

Castaneda’s run in the “Road To The Championship” series began with a unanimous decision win over Justin Governale on September 17, 2015, and continued with a spectacular, arm-triangle choke submission of Federico Lopez in the closing moments of the third round (4:49) of action.

The aggressive-minded Castaneda cemented his spot in the world title fight by edging out a split decision over Gabriel Solorio on April 25.

In his last start, Castaneda stepped up for Combate Americas on just two weeks’ notice,  replacing an injured Erick Sanchez, at the higher, featherweight limit of 145 pounds, against Angel Cruz on August 11, and scored a second round (2:25) TKO (punches) on Cruz.

Fighting out of the famed Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas, Lopez, a protégé of former UFC® champion Miesha Tate and UFC bantamweightBryan Caraway, will look for his sixth consecutive win in the cage, and his fourth under the Combate Americas promotional umbrella.

Similar to his opponent, Lopez is a determined finisher who has earned five of his six professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

Lopez began his Combate Americas journey in the “Road To The Championship” series, defeating Mauricio Diaz by way of unanimous decision on September 17, 2015.

In his second Combate Americas appearance, Lopez submitted Joey Ruquetwith an arm-triangle choke in the second round (4:06) of action, before sealing his fate in the title fight with Castaneda by scoring a devastating, second round (4:07) TKO on Saul Elizondo with a barrage of punches on the ground.

A nationally recognized venue for legendary, fight-of-the-year-level boxing events, Turning Stone Resort Casino will now become one of the very first venues in New York to host professional MMA fights.  With a legacy of hosting some of the best events in the country, rivaling many venues in major cities such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City and New York City, Turning Stone has established Upstate New York as a premier destination for live sporting events.  Turning Stone is an award-winning destination resort, offering world-class amenities including four hotels, more than 20 restaurants and dining options, two luxurious spas, a 125,000 square foot Las Vegas style gaming floor, a cabaret-style Showroom, a 5,000 seat arena, five pristine golf courses, several bars, cocktail lounges and nightlife venues.

Tickets for “Combate Americas: Empire Rising” are on sale and can be purchased at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com.  Tickets are priced at $75, for cageside, $65, $50 and $35, and may be subject to additional fees.  Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.for the event, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

UFC FIGHT PASS is a digital subscription service which gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s largest fight library.

UFC FIGHT PASS is available on: personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Sony TVs with Android TV and Roku devices.