Tag Archives: Roman Salazar

LFA, mixed martial arts, MMA

LFA GETS THE FIREWORKS STARTED EARLY IN ARIZONA WITH LFA 44 – FRINCU vs. AGUILERA

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LFA 44 – FRINCU vs. AGUILERA
MAIN EVENT:
 
THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER
MATTHEW FRINCU
vs.
THE BEAST
CHRISTIAN AGUILERA
 
WELTERWEIGHT WAR
 
 
CO-MAIN EVENT:
 
TOP PROSPECT
CASEY KENNEY
vs.
UFC VETERAN
ROMAN SALAZAR
 
BANTAMWEIGHT BATTLE
 
FRIDAY, JUNE 29th LIVE on AXS TV
COMERICA THEATRE in PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Tickets are on sale NOW through  Ticketmaster.com

LAS VEGAS, NV – LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will return to Arizona at the end of June. Two of the promotion’s most feared knockout artists are set for a showdown in the Valley of the Sun when they clash at LFA 44.

 

 

 

The main event of LFA 44 will bring the fireworks five days early this summer. The headliner will see Australia’s aesthetic annihilator Matthew “Thunder From Down Under” Frincu battle southern California’s grim sleeper Christian “The Beast” Aguilera in one of the most explosive showdowns of the year. LFA 44 – Frincu vs. Aguilera takes place Friday, June 29that the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. The main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

 

 

 

“I am excited to bring LFA back to Arizona on June 29th,” stated Soares. “Matthew Frincu is a sensational striker. He will face fellow knock out artist Christian Aguilera in the main event of LFA 44. They are two of the most dangerous welterweight prospects in the world and will be looking to make a big statement at the top of one of our most competitive divisions.”

 

 

 

Tickets for LFA 44 – Frincu vs. Aguilera are available for purchase NOW at Ticketmaster.com

 

 

 

Frincu (12-3) came to LFA last year as one of the most exciting exports hailing from The Land Down Under. He wasted no time in making a huge splash in his promotional debut at LFA 5. The native of Gold Coast, Australia assaulted Kris Hocum with a diverse and brilliant display of striking. “Thunder From Down Under” taught a masterclass on how to effectively utilize range and Muay Thai technique to dismantle a high-level grappler. He offered a crash course on the same subject ten weeks later, when he knocked out Brazilian prospect Maycon Mendonça in 96-seconds at LFA 11. Most recently, Frincu stopped previously undefeated Mexican prospect Roman Alcantar via TKO in January at LFA 31. Now the awesome Aussie looks to derail one of the heaviest hitters in the division.

 

 

 

Aguilera (11-4) has earned a reputation for possessing some of the scariest one-punch knockout power in all of MMA. LFA officials caught a glimpse of his gift of putting people to sleep early in his career when he gave Timothy Quiroga a canvas nap in just 52-seconds at RFA 23. A lot has happened in the three years since that prophetic night in Orange County. To start, “The Beast” got older, he got bigger, and inconceivable to many, he became even more powerful. Not surprising to anyone, however, is his propensity to wield his gift like a young super-hero discovering his ability for the first time. This has left a path of destruction in 2018 trailing 83 miles in California from Costa Mesa (LFA 30) to Cabazon (LFA 36). Aguilera looks to extend that path to Phoenix, Arizona on June 29th.

 

 

 

The co-main event of LFA 44 will feature an intrastate superfight when two-time LFA standout Casey Kenney (8-1-1) battles three-time UFC veteran Roman Salazar (12-6). Last year, Casey won a regional flyweight title before signing with LFA. After making his LFA debut last May, he competed twice in front of UFC President Dana White on the UFC boss’ Tuesday Night Contender Series. Casey returned to LFA in January with a dominant Unanimous Decision victory over Kendrick Latchman at LFA 31. He now looks to make a bigger statement by moving up a weight class to face one of Arizona’s most seasoned bantamweight forces.

 

 

 

That would be the man known as “El Gallito”. Salazar was signed by the UFC in 2014 after winning multiple regional titles in Arizona in multiple weight classes. He competed three times for the industry leader, which includes a bout at UFC 184 against Japanese MMA legend Kid Yamamoto in Yamamoto’s final fight. Most recently, Salazar has reasserted his dominance in his home state with a pair of TKO victories. Salazar now looks to continue his resurgence with a  marquee win over one of MMA’s most highly-touted prospects. Salazar hails from Mammoth, Arizona and will face Kenney of Tucson, Arizona in one the state’s biggest showdowns of the year.

 

 

 

Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT):

 

 

 

Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)

– Matthew Frincu (12-3) vs. Christian Aguilera (11-4)

 

 

 

Co-Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)

– Casey Kenney (8-1-1) vs. Roman Salazar (12-6)

 

 

 

LFA 44 will serve as the fourth LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. All of these events have taken place in the Grand Canyon State’s capital city of Phoenix. Further information about LFA 44 will be announced soon.  The entire main card of LFA 44 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

 

 

 

Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.

 

 

 

In 2017 RFA and Legacy FC merged to form LFA, the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts. The combined forces of LFA launched the careers of over 130 athletes to reach the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.  In May of 2018 the promotion joined the London Trust Media Holdings group of companies.

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES MATCHUPS FOR “COPA COMBATE” ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN, $100,000 GRAND PRIZE TOURNAMENT LIVE ON TELEMUNDO AND NBCSN ON SATURDAY, NOV. 11

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HISTORIC EXTRAVAGANZA PITS WORLD-CLASS FIGHTERS FROM
THE U.S., LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN AGAINST EACH OTHER
IN CANCUN, MEXICO

CANCUN, MX – November 7, 2017 – Combate Américas announced earlier the official matchups for the quarterfinal, or opening stage, of the highly-anticipated “COPA COMBATE,” one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament that will award its winner a grand prize of $100,000, live on both Telemundo and NBCSN from Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, November 11 at 11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT.

The event, which takes place at Grand Oasis Cancun, marks both the first NBCU simulcast in history of an MMA event, and the first-ever Telemundo broadcast of MMA programming.

“COPA COMBATE” also represents the first time that world-class fighters from the U.S., Latin America and Spain will represent their respective countries in an epic, one-night tournament showdown in which the winner will have persevered through three consecutive bouts.

In the first quarterfinal stage bout in tournament bracket “A,” vicious striker Mikey “El Terrible” Erosa (12-5) from San Juan, Puerto Rico will take on red-hot Marcelo “The Pitbull” Rojo (12-4) from Cordoba, Argentina.

At 36 years old, Erosa is the oldest competitor in the tournament field. A combat sports tri-athlete who also boxes and kickboxes professionally, Erosa is the first recognized Puerto Rican world champion in the sport of MMA.

The 29-year-old Rojo is both the number one ranked bantamweight, as well as the top ranked featherweight (145 pounds) in his native Argentina.

A former semifinalist on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America reality television series, Rojo has produced 10 of his 12 career wins by way of (T)KO or submission and will enter the tournament riding a four-fight win streak, including two consecutive wins in his first two Combate Americas starts.

On the same side of the tournament draw, wildcard entrant and relentless brawler Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (9-1) of Mission, Texas, will clash with fast-rising star Carlos “Lobo” Rivera (12-2) of Mexico City, Mexico.

The 30-year-old Palacios, the longest standing member of the Combate Americas fighter roster, has won all six of bouts in La Jaula, the Combate Americas circular cage.

In his last two starts, Palacios, also unbeaten as a professional boxer, earned victories over two different Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veterans – a split decision over Roman Salazar on April 20, and a unanimous decision over Chris Avila on July 27.

Rivera is a 24-year-old member of the famed “Bonebreakers” fight squad.  He has produced 8 of his 10 professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission, and will enter La Jaula for the first time in his career, with three straight victories under his belt.

On the other side of the tournament draw, 25-year-old trailblazer John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (14-2) of Mankato, Minn. will battle national Muay Thai champion Kevin “El Frio” Moreyra (4-1) of Lima, Peru.

Tied with Palacios for the greatest number of wins – six – in La Jaula, Castaneda recently re-signed with Combate Americas where he has yet to be beaten, after emerging victorious by way of unanimous decision over Cheyden Leialoha in UFC President Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series on August 1.

Moreyra is an aggressive-minded, 24-year-old who also boasts a 4-1 record as a professional Muay Thai combatant, and is regarded as Peru’s fastest rising MMA star.

In the second tournament bracket “B” bout, battle-tested, number one ranked Spanish bantamweight Marc “Lufo” Gómez (20-10) of Barcelona will collide with number one-ranked Colombian bantamweight Andres “Doble A Leal “ Ayala (14-4) of Bogota.

At just 25 years of age, Gómez has already racked up 30 professional bouts, making him the most experienced of the tournament field and, of his 20 career victories, an astonishing 17 have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Ayala is a gutsy, 27-year-old striker who also boasts a spectacular finish rate, with 9 of his 11 career conquests having come by way of (T)KO or submission.  In addition to his place as the top ranked 135-pound fighter in his country, Ayala also owns a top 10 ranking in Mexico.

The live simulcast of “COPA COMBATE” on Telemundo and NBCSN will feature the tournament’s complete semifinal stage consisting of two bouts that pit the winners of the quarterfinal stage matchups in each tournament bracket against one another, as well as the championship stage showdown.

In addition to the tournament action, Telemundo’s and NBCSN’s live television coverage of “COPA COMBATE” will feature the previously announced women’s strawweight (115 pounds) co-main event between undefeated knockout artist Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (2-0) of Mexico City, Mexico, and submission expert and Miesha Tate pupil Gloria “Gloriosa” Bravo (4-2) of Santiago, Chile.

The entire quarterfinal stage of the tournament, as well as two tournament alternate bouts and a second women’s bout that will be announced soon, will stream live on the Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and TelemundoDeportes.com. Coverage on NBCSN will be live streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, rapidly becoming the number two sport, after soccer, for Spanish speaking sports fans worldwide.  The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES TWO TOURNAMENT ALTERNATE BOUTS, WOMEN’S PRELIMINARY BOUT FOR “COPA COMBATE” ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 IN CANCUN, MEXICO

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Pictured below:  Levy Saul “El Negro” Marroquin (8-2) will compete in a “COPA COMBATE” tournament alternate bout in Cancun, Mexico onSaturday, Nov. 11.  Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas, LLC

HISTORIC EVENT’S ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN,
$100,000 GRAND PRIZE TOURNAMENT BROADCASTS LIVE
ON TELEMUNDO DEPORTES FROM GRAND OASIS CANCUN

ALTERNATE BOUTS AND PRELIMINARY BOUT
STREAM LIVE BEFORE LIVE TELEMUNDO BROADCAST

NEW YORK – October 26, 2017 –Combate Americas today announced the addition of two “alternate bouts” for its historic, one-night, eight-man “COPA COMBATE” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bantamweight (135 pounds) tournament that will award its winner a grand prize of $100,000 at Grand Oasis in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11, live on Telemundo Deportes (11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT, or following “Titulares y Mas”).

The two alternate matchups, as well as a newly announced women’s atomweight (105 pounds) matchup between world top 10-ranked Sheila Padilla (3-1) of Visalia, Calif. and aggressive-minded Lisbeth “Bunny” Lopez Silva(4-3) of Mexico City, Mexico will stream live on the Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and TelemundoDeportes.com, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, preceding the live Telemundo Deportes broadcast of the event that picks up with the tournament’s first semifinal stage matchup.

In one tournament alternate bout, Levy Saul “El Negro” Marroquin (8-2) will square off with Alejandro “Pitbull” Abomohor (5-4) and, in the other tournament alternate bout, Felipe “Pipe” Vargas (4-0) will face off with Jose “Pupi” Calvo (3-1).

In the event a winner of one of the tournament’s quarterfinal stage bouts is unable to advance to the semifinal stage due to injury, one of the two alternate bout winners will take the injured quarterfinal bout winner’s place in the semifinal stage.


Above: Sheila Padilla (left) will square off with Lisbeth Lopez Silva (right) in an atomweight (105 pounds) preliminary bout at “COPA COMBATE” on Saturday, Nov. 11.  Photo credit: Combate Americas, LLC

Marroquin’s start will mark a drop from the featherweight division.  The 22-year-old, who hails from Monterrey, Mexico, has produced seven of his eight career victories to date, by way of (T)KO or submission.

Abohomor of Barranquilla, Colombia is a 23-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu national champion and Capoeira expert.

The undefeated, 23-year-old Vargas is a ferocious knockout artist who recently relocated from Spain to Miami, Fla. where he has been training with famed fight squad American Top Team.

Similar to Vargas, the 24-year-old Calvo of San Jose, Costa Rica moved to Chicago, Ill. where he trains with renowned coach Mike Valle.

Tickets for “COPA COMBATE” at Grand Oasis Cancun are on sale at SmarTicket.

“COPA COMBATE” takes place on the 24th anniversary of McLaren’s now legendary UFC 1 event that he executive produced as the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).  The storied event set off a combat sports revolution, and changed the martial arts fight world forever.

The live Telemundo broadcast of “COPA COMBATE” marks the first time in history that NBCU’s leading Spanish language television network will air MMA fight programming, and will cover the tournament’s two semifinal stage bouts and championship stage showdown as well as a previously women’s strawweight (115 pounds0 co-main event between Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (2-0) of Mexico City and Gloria “Gloriosa” Bravo (4-2) of Santiago, Chile.

A lottery ball drawing to determine the “COPA COMBATE” tournament quarterfinal stage matchups will be held onThursday, Nov. 2.  The eight tournament competitors are as follows:

  • John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (14-2) of Mankato, Minn.
  • Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo (12-4) of Cordoba, Argentina
  • Carlos “Lobo” Rivera (10-2) of Mexico City, Mexico
  • Mikey “El Terrible” Erosa (12-5) of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Marc “Lufo” Gomez (20-10) of Barcelona, Spain
  • Andres “Doble A” Ayala (11-4) of Bogota, Colombia
  • Kevin “El Frio” Moreyra (4-1) of Lima, Peru
  • Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (9-1) of Mission, Texas

The entire quarterfinal stage of the tournament will stream live on the Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and TelemundoDeportes.com, along with the tournament alternate bouts and the women’s preliminary bout.

Telemundo Deportes, one of the leading providers of sports content in Spanish in the United States, is home to two of the world’s most popular sporting events: the FIFA World Cup™ through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. In addition, Telemundo Deportes broadcasts the FIFA World Cup™ CONCACAF qualifying matches for most of the region, including the Mexico and USA national teams’ away matches and the Premier League. Telemundo Deportes is also home to “Boxeo Telemundo Ford,” the #1 boxing program in Spanish, and “Titulares y Más,” the #1 sports news, entertainment and commentary show in Spanish, among other recognized sports properties.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS AND TELEMUNDO DEPORTES ANNOUNCE HISTORIC, LIVE MMA BROADCAST OF $100,000 GRAND PRIZE “COPA COMBATE” TOURNAMENT ON SATURDAY, NOV. 11 FROM CANCUN, MEXICO

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Telemundo and Combate Americas have announced a historic partnership for the broadcast television network’s first-ever live MMA event with “Copa Combate,” the one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.

(Pictured from left to right below): Tournament fighter Mikey Erosa of San Juan, Puerto Rico; multi-time WWE Heavyweight Champion and Combate Americas talent Alberto Del Rio; tournament fighter Marcelo Rojo of Cordoba, Argentina; tournament fighter John Castaneda of Mankato, Minn; Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren; Telemundo Deportes President Ray Warren; tournament fighter Carlos Rivera of Mexico City, Mexico; tournament fighter Ricky Palacios of Mission, Texas; and tournament fighter Marc Gomez of Barcelona, Spain

One night, eight-man tournament takes place on the 24th anniversary of UFC 1, pitting the most fearsome competitors from the
U.S., Latin America and Spain against each other in
high stakes showdown

All eight tournament fighters announced

MIAMI – October 5, 2017 – Combate Americas and Telemundo Deportes announced, at a news conference in the Wynwood district of Miami, a landmark partnership to produce the first-ever Telemundo broadcast of a live Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event with “COPA COMBATE,” the epic, one-night, eight-man tournament, the winner of which will have persevered through three bouts in one night to take home a $100,000 grand prize. The event will take place onNovember 11 at 11:30 p.m. ET/ 8:30 p.m. PT, live from Cancun, Mexico.

The historic, 90-minute live broadcast on Telemundo will coincide with the 24thanniversary of the now legendary UFC 1, which was executive produced by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder and Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren, and which was also headlined by a one-night, eight-man tournament.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Telemundo Deportes and to bring back to life, live on Telemundo, the leading U.S. broadcast television network, the most thrilling format for competitive fighting that was responsible for changing the combat sports world forever when I introduced the UFC in 1993,” said McLaren.

“Telemundo Deportes is committed to continue expanding its portfolio of sports events, and we are thrilled to partner with Combate Americas to bring this unique MMA tournament to millions of Hispanic viewers,” said Ray Warren, President of Telemundo Deportes. “Copa Combate is a tournament created for our core audience featuring an exciting format and a diverse group of Hispanic competitors, and we look forward to an historic broadcast.”

“COPA COMBATE” will assemble a collection of the most fearsome stars in MMA’s bantamweight (135 pounds) division, hailing from the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru, and will see them battle in La Jaula, the Combate Americas competition cage, over the course of three tournament stages – quarterfinal, semifinal and championship – before the eventual winner is crowned.

The event marks the first time in history that fighters will represent their respective countries on a quest to win the inaugural ‘Copa.’

Joining the previously announced John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (14-2) of Mankato, Minn. in the tournament field, will be the highest ranked bantamweight fighters in their respective countries:

  • Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo (12-4) of Cordoba, Argentina
  • Carlos “Lobo” Rivera (10-2) of Mexico City, Mexico
  • Mikey “El Terrible” Erosa (12-5) of San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Marc “Lufo” Gomez (20-10) of Barcelona, Spain
  • Andres “Doble A” Ayala (11-4) of Bogota, Colombia
  • Kevin “El Frio” Moreyra (4-1) of Lima, Peru

Filling the eighth spot in the tournament field will be wild card entry, Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (9-1) of Mission, Texas.

Palacios, a 30-year-old knockout artist, is riding a six-fight win streak, and is tied with Castaneda for the most wins – six – held under the Combate Americas promotional umbrella.  In his last two starts, Palacios earned decisions over UFC veterans Roman Salazar and Chris Avila, respectively.

The eight competitors will be separated into four tournament brackets, with the top four fighters given seeded positions based on their worldwide rankings.

Quarterfinal stage opponents for the four fighters will be determined based on a lottery ball drawing that will take place on a date to be announced.

Telemundo’s live broadcast of “COPA COMBATE” will feature the tournament’s semifinal stage consisting of two bouts that pit the winners of the quarterfinal stage bouts in each tournament bracket against one another. The entire quarterfinal stage of the tournament will stream live on the Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app and TelemundoDeportes.com.

Telemundo Deportes, one of the leading providers of sports content in Spanish in the United States, is home to two of the world’s most popular sporting events: the FIFA World Cup™ through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. In addition, Telemundo Deportes broadcasts the FIFA World Cup™ CONCACAF qualifying matches for most of the region, including the Mexico and USA national teams’ away matches and the Premier League. Telemundo Deportes is also home to “Boxeo Telemundo Ford,” the #1 boxing program in Spanish, and “Titulares y Más,” the #1 sports news, entertainment and commentary show in Spanish, among other recognized sports properties.
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mixed martial arts, MMA

Iron Boy MMA 7 Live on Pay-Per-View August 12 from Phoenix

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PHOENIX (August 3, 2017) – The United States Southwest has been turning out top mixed-martial-arts fighters on a consistent basis for more than a decade. The next generation will be showcased Saturday night, August 12, on the Iron Boy MMA 7 card, airing live on pay-per-view from Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Iron Boy MMA 7” live in the United States, starting at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, on cable, satellite and internet pay-per-view via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH, in addition to being available worldwide on the FITE app and website (www.FITE.tv), for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.
“We are very excited to partner with Integrated Sports Media on Iron Boy MMA 7,” said Roberto Vargas, President of Iron Boy Promotions. “This card is the most talent-packed MMA card we’ve presented, and we can’t wait to share with the rest of the country what Arizona MMA fans have already experienced – explosive, quality fights from some of the best fighters in the country.”
Arizona and New Mexico have developed a bitter fighting rivalry over the past few years. The main event continues that trend as featherweight Randy Steinke (17-11-1, TB: 1-0-0), fighting out of Glendale, AZ, takes on Frank Baca (16-4-0, IB: 0-0-0), of Albuquerque, NM.
Randy Steinke

Frank Baca
The 31-year-old Steinke has been a professional MMA fighter for the 10 years, including fights in the World Series of Fighting, Combates America and King Of The Cage. Braca is a King of the Cage veteran who most recently fought in Bellator.
Mesa, Arizona featherweight “Rollin'” Noland Hyland (3-1-0, IB: 2-0-0) meets Idaho’s Anthony Pagliaro (3-5-0, IB: 0-0-0), while featherweight Roman “El Gallito” Salazar(10-6-0, TB: 0-0-0), of Queen Creek, AZ, faces Colombian invader Dumar “Coraon de Leon” Roa (11-6-0, TYB: 0-0-0).
Arizona featherweight Andres “The Punisher” Ponce (2-5-1, IB: 0-1-0) throws-down with Boostyare “Bullit” Nefarios (2-2-0, IB: 0-1-0), of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main card features several pro-debut fighters such as Arizona bantamweight Junior Cortez vs. New Mexico’s Fallon Ring. Arizona featherweight Daniel Peru (1-0-0, IB: 1-0-0) is matched against pro-debuting Brendon Trujillo, of New Mexico, while heavyweight Waldo Cortez makes his pro debut against fellow Arizonian Darrell “Superman” Denslow (0-1-0, IB: 0-0-0). Undefeated bantamweight Kevin “Quicksand” Natividad (3-0-0, IB: 0-0-0), of Tempe, AZ, puts his perfect record on the line versus Las Vegas’ Fard “The Messenger” Muhammad.
Six amateur MMA matches are scheduled to open the “Iron Boy MMA 7” card.
Tickets are priced at $55.00, $40.00 and $30.00 and available to purchase online atwww.ironboy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre box office.

INFORMATION:
Twitter: @IntegratedPPV, @ironboyboxing, @FiteTV
Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS COMPLETES STACKED, 10-BOUT FIGHT CARD FOR TUCSON, ARIZONA

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LIVE ON AZTECA AMERICA AND ESPN LATIN AMERICA
ON THURSDAY, APRIL 20

Undefeated welterweights Daniel Rodriguez and Joel Champion face off

Unbeaten Alesha Zappitella faces Stephanie Alba
 in women’s atomweight matchup

Tickets for “Combate 13” on sale now
NEW YORK – April 6, 2017 – Combate Americas announced today the completion of a stacked, 10-fight lineup for its “Combate 13” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, April 20, live on Azteca America and ESPN Latin America (10 p.m. ET).

Among the matchups added to finalize the card are a welterweight (170 pounds) showdown between a pair of undefeated, rising stars in Daniel Rodriguez (3-0) and Joel Champion (4-0), neither of whom have been taken the distance of a fight yet, as well as a women’s atomweight (105 pounds) contest between unbeaten sensation Alesha “Half Pint” Zappitella (2-0) and hard-nosed battler Stephanie “The Cyclone” Alba (3-1).

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) main event of “Combate 13,” accomplished veteran Roman “El Gallito” Salazar (10-5-1) of Scottsdale, Ariz. will collide with knockout artist Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (7-1) of Mission, Texas.

“We have a fantastic lineup of fights assembled, and we are excited about bringing the Combate Americas live television series to Arizona for the first time ever,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

Priced from $20, tickets for “Combate 13” are on sale at the Casino Del Sol box office (1-855-765-7829).

The 6-foot-1, 29-year-old Rodriguez, who recently signed an exclusive, multi-fight contract with Combate Americas, has notched all three of his professional wins to date inside of two rounds.  In his last effort on January 21, the Alhambra, Calif. resident scored a second round (3:55) TKO (punches) on Christian Gonzalez.

Also 6-foot-1 and 29 years of age, Champion of Tucson has not been pushed past the second round of a fight yet.  In his last start on October 1, 2016, he scored a first round (4:13) knockout on Chris Collins.

Zappitella is a 4-foot-11, 22-year-old resident of Brighton, Michigan and decorated amateur wrestler, who is coming off an extraordinary victory in Sanya, China on February 25 where she submitted Miao Ding with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of a matchup contested at flyweight (125 pounds), two weight classes above Zappitella’s natural fighting weight.

The 4-foot-11, 34-year-old Alba of Houston, Texas will look to return to the win column after suffering a split decision defeat at the hands of old rival Paulina “Firefox” Granados at “Combate 5” last May 9.  Prior to the loss, Alba had gone unbeaten in her campaign as a professional.

In other action, Victor “Kelevra” Reyna (8-3) will meet Andy “Golden Boy” Perez (7-3) at welterweight.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Reyna of Dallas, Texas has earned six of his eight professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission, while Perez of Tucson, a 5-foot-9, 28-year-old, is looking to record his second straight victory after notching a first round (2:16) submission (rear-naked choke) win over Anthony Wray on October 1, 2016.

Originally slated to face Irwin “The Beast” Rivera (5-2) of Palm Beach, Fla., Randy Steinke (17-10) of Payson, Ariz. will now square off with Urijah Faber-protégé Erick Sanchez (7-3) of Sacramento, Calif., while Rivera will do battle with unbeaten Kevin “Quicksand” Natividad (2-0) of Phoenix, Ariz.

The 5-foot-10, 26-year-old Sanchez is looking to bounce back quickly from a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Andres “The Bullet” Quintana at Combate 11 on February 16.  Prior to the loss, the Team Alpha Male member held an unblemished, 2-0 record in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage.

Originally from Hawaii, the 24-year-old Natividad owns two, first-round victories – a submission (rear-naked choke) of Josue Rodriguez at the 3:04 mark of the first frame in what was Natividad’s pro debut on November 19, 2016, and a TKO (punches) of Jesse Ortiz that came at the 2:52 mark of the opening round of action on January 28.

Natividad turned professional after amassing a perfect amateur record of 6-0.  Five of his amateur victories came by way of TKO or submission.

The “Combate 13” preliminary bout card will also feature two flyweight matchups – the first between Arturo Guzman (0-1) of Tucson and Robert Caspar (0-0) of Copperas Grove, Texas, and the second between Justin Rascon (2-1) of Tucson and Jose Palencia, Jr. (1-1) of Tempe, Ariz.

To location what station Azteca America airs on in your market, you can log onto the network’s channel finder.

In addition to Azteca America and ESPN Latin America, “Combate13” will air on TV Azteca in Mexico the following night, Friday, April 21, at 11 p.m. CT.  It will be distributed by UFC Fight Pass® as a video on demand.

Complete “Combate Americas: Combate 13” Fight Card

Bantamweight Main Event:
Roman Salazar vs. Ricky Palacios

Middleweight Co-Main Event:
Kobe Ortiz vs. Eddie Arizmendi

Bantamweight:  Irwin Rivera vs. Kevin Natividad
Welterweight: Benny Madrid vs. Chad Dietmeyer
Welterweight: Daniel Rodriguez vs. Joel Champion
Atomweight:  Alesha Zappitella vs. Stephanie Alba
Featherweight:  Erick Sanchez vs. Randy Steinke
Welterweight: Victor Reyna vs. Andy Perez
Flyweight:  Justin Rascon vs. Jose, Palencia, Jr.
Flyweight: Arturo Guzman vs. Robert Caspar
# # #
Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS HITS CASINO DEL SOL IN TUCSON, ARIZONA ON THURSDAY, APRIL 20

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LIVE ON AZTECA AMERICA

BANTAMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
ROMAN “EL GALLITO” SALAZAR VS. RICKY “EL GALLERO” PALACIOS
Middleweight Co-Main Event:
Kobe “The Stunna” Ortiz vs. Eddie “Crazy Face” Arizmendi
Plus:
Welterweight: Benny Madrid vs. Chad Dietmeyer
Bantamweight: Randy Steinke vs. Irwin Rivera

Tickets for “Combate13” on sale now

NEW YORK – April 3, 2017 – Combate Americas announced today that it will bring its live Azteca America (10 p.m. ET) television event series to Tucson, Ariz. for the first-time ever on Thursday, April 20 with a stacked, 11-bout card at Casino Del Sol, headlined by a bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown between accomplished veteran Roman “El Gallito” Salazar (10-5-1) and knockout artist Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (7-1).

The event, “Combate13,” will also be distributed live on ESPN Latin America and by UFC Fight Pass® as a video on demand.  It will air on TV Azteca in Mexico, the following night, Friday, April 21, at 11 p.m. CT.

In the co-main event, prolific finishers and Tucson rivals Kobe “The Stunna” Ortiz (15-5) and Eddie “Crazy Face” Arizmendi (17-7) will collide in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest.

Priced from $20, tickets for “Combate13” are on sale at the Casino Del Sol box office (1-855-765-7829).

“We are excited to be bringing our live television series to a new market that has a reputation for being a great fight town filled with passionate fans and decorated combat sports athletes,” said Combate Americas President Alberto Rodriguez.

Also slated for action, Benny “El Hijo” Madrid (9-3) will take on Chad Dietmeyer (8-1) in a welterweight (170 pounds) battle, and submission expert Randy Steinke (17-10-1) will face off with aggressive-minded, Blackzilians camp member Irwin “The Beast” Rivera (5-2) in another bantamweight contest.

Additional matchups will be announced soon.

Roman Salazar vs. Ricky Palacios

The 5-foot-7, 29-year-old Salazar of Scottsdale, Ariz. is a three-time Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) veteran who will make his first start of 2017, and his first-ever in La Jaula.

In his last effort at WFF 32 on November 19, 2016, Salazar defeated Gilberto Aguilar by way of unanimous decision.

Also 29 years of age, the 5-foot-6 Palacios of Mission, Texas will put on the line a four-fight win streak that includes back-to-back finishes – a second round (3:14), one-punch knockout of Carlos Ricardo Diaz on June 12, 2015, and a stunning, first round (1:00) head kick knockout of Benji Gomez at “Combate2” on Sept. 17, 2015 – as well as a “Fight of the Month” nominated, unanimous decision conquest of Brandon Royval at “Combate7” on May 9, 2016.

Also unbeaten (2-0-1) as a professional boxer, Palacios has earned 5 of his 7 professional MMA career wins by way of (T)KO.

Kobe Ortiz vs. Eddie Arizmendi

The 6-foot, 35-year-old Ortiz is riding a two-fight win streak after producing back-to-back stoppages in his last two appearances – a third round (4:45) TKO (punches) of Dano Moore on October 3, 2015, and a third round (:24) TKO (punches) of Brendan Tierney on March 20, 2016.

Ortiz has notched 12 of his 15 career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

Arizmendi is an 11-year veteran of the sport, and winner of his last two matchups.  On October 3, 2015, he forced Brendan Tierney to retire after the second round (5:00) of action and, on March 5, 2016, he took a unanimous decision from Nick Salantri.

Benny Madrid vs. Chad Dietmeyer

Fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz., the 5-foot-10, 36-year-old Madrid has earned 8 of his 9 professional career victories by way of (T)KO or submission.

Madrid will step into La Jaula after back-to-back, first round wins – a submission (rear-naked choke) of Jeff Fletcher that came at the 1:26 mark of the opening round on September 18, 2015, and a knockout of Roberto Leon that occurred at the 1:10 mark of the first stanza of their matchup.

Dietmeyer is coming off a four-year layoff from competition.  In his last start on March 30, 2012, he faced his toughest test to date in UFC and DREAM veteran Antonio McKee, taking McKee the distance of their fight before finding himself on the losing end of a unanimous decision.

Randy Steinke vs. Irwin Rivera

The 5-foot-9, 31-year-old Steinke of Payson, Ariz. will enter La Jaula for the first time after scoring back-to-back, first round submissions over just a two-week span, on Ray Robinson and Guillermo Pena on October 1, 2016 and October 15, 2016, respectively.

Rivera is a 5-foot-6, 28-year-old native of Windsor, New York who relocated to South Florida to join the famed Blackzilians camp.  To date, three of his five career wins have come by way of (T)KO or submission.