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," jednu noć, eight-man bantamweight (135 funti) 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 Subota, Studeni 11 na 11:30 poslije podne. I/10:30 poslije podne. CT.
Događaj, 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.
Na 36 godina star, 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 funti) in his native Argentina.
A former semifinalist on Ultimate Fighter: Latinska Amerika reality televizijske serije, Rojo has produced 10 njegov 12 karijera pobjeda putem (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 "The Gallero" Palacios (9-1) Misije, Teksas, will clash with fast-rising star Carlos “Lobo” Rivera (12-2) Mexico City, Meksiko.
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 Rimski Salazar na Travanj 20, i jednoglasna odluka tijekom Chris Avila na Srpanj 27.
Rivera is a 24-year-old member of the famed “Bonebreakers” fight squad. He has produced 8 njegov 10 profesionalna karijera pobjeda putem (T)KO ili podnesak, 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) od Mankato, Iz. 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 na Kolovoz 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, Bitka na provjeri, 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.
U samo 25 godina, Gómez has already racked up 30 profesionalne borbe, making him the most experienced of the tournament field and, njegov 20 Karijera pobjede, an astonishing 17 su došli putem (T)KO ili podnesak.
Ayala is a gutsy, 27-year-old striker who also boasts a spectacular finish rate, s 9 njegov 11 career conquests having come by way of (T)KO ili podnesak. 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 funti) co-main event between undefeated knockout artist Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (2-0) Mexico City, Meksiko, and submission expert and Miesha Tate pupil Gloria “Gloriosa” Bravo (4-2) of Santiago, Čile.
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.
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O COMBATE Americas
Combate Americas vodeća je latinoamerička mješovita borilačka vještina (MMA) sportska franšiza, brzo postajući sport broj dva, nakon nogometa, za ljubitelje sporta koji govore španjolski širom svijeta. Franšiza Combate Americas uključuje programe stvarnosti, događaji uživo i mobilno programiranje. Izvršni direktor tvrtke, Campbell McLaren, je univerzalno priznat kao suosnivač / sukreator Ultimate Fighting Championship-a (UFC). New York Magazine opisao je McLarena kao “marketing genij iza UFC” i Yahoo! Sport proglasio da je on “zna više o sportu nego samo o bilo tko u njemu danas.” S proizvodom bez presedana i modrim timom za vlasništvo i upravljanje, Combate Americas spreman je otvoriti novi teren i stvoriti novu eru u MMA natjecanju na razini svjetskog prvenstva. |