Category Archives: Combate Americas

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, women's MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES SEVEN-BOUT PRELIMINARY CARD FOR STACKED MMA EVENT FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1ST IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

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All preliminary bouts stream live on the
Telemundo Deportes En Vivo App and TelemundoDeportes.com,
beginning at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT

Main card airs live on Telemundo at 12 a.m. ET/11 p.m. CT

SAN ANTONIO, TX – November 29, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced a complete, seven-fight preliminary bout card lineup for it’s first-ever live television event in Texas State – “TS-1 Promotions Presents: Combate 19 (Queen Warriors)” – taking place at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio – onFriday, December 1, live on Telemundo (12 a.m. ET/11 p.m. CT).

The preliminary fight card will stream live in its entirety on the Telemundo Deportes En Vivo app, TelemundoDeports.com and Facebook Live, beginning at9 p.m. ET/8 p.m., CT, immediately prior to the live Telemundo broadcast of the three-fight main card headlined by the much-anticipated women’s atomweight (105 pounds) showdown between rivals Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (6-4) of Las Vegas, Nev. and Paulina “Firefox” Granados (4-2) of Corpus Christi, Texas.

At the top of the undercard lineup, rising star and former Fort Hood U.S. Marine Corps Combatives Instructor Ray “The Judge” Rodriguez (12-4) of San Antonio will battle submission ace Michael “Mayhem” Rodriguez (9-5) of Donna, Texas in a bantamweight (135 pounds) contest.

On the heels of her professional debut win in September, Brenda “Little Hands of Stone” Enriquez (1-0) of Salt Lake City, Utah will face off with 12-time Spanish National Judo Champion Vanesa Rico (2-3) of Alicante, Spain in a second women’s atomweight tilt.

Aggressive-minded finisher Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (6-1) of Los Angeles, Calif. will return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, to lock horns with undefeated Juan Deantes (3-0) of Harlingen, Texas in a flyweight (125 pounds) scrap.

In a lightweight (155 pounds) meeting between two San Antonio residents, unbeaten Fernando Rodriguez (2-0) and Jesse Almaraz (1-2) – will face off against each other.

Priced from $30, tickets for TS-1 Promotions Presents: “Combate 19 (Queen Warriors),” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Calling the action live will be multiple-time WWE Heavyweight Champion and retired, former MMA star Alberto Del Rio, Telemundo Deportes’ Edgar Lopez, Combate Americas superstar Erik “Goyito” Perez, play-by-play man Andres Bermudez and Andrea Calle.

Complete Preliminary Fight Card

  • Catchweight (140 pounds):
    • Ray Rodriguez (12-4), San Antonio, TX vs. Michael Rodriguez (8-5), Donna, TX
  • Atomweight (105 pounds):
    • Vanesa Rico (2-3), Alicante, Spain vs. Brenda Enriquez (1-0), Salt Lake City, UT
  • Bantamweight (135 pounds):
    • David Jesus Fuentes (12-10), McAllen, TX vs. Joel Scott (6-6), Port Arthur, TX
  • Flyweight (125 pounds):
    • Heinrich Wassmer (6-1), Los Angeles, CA vs. Juan Deantes(3-0), Harlingen, TX
  • Catchweight (140 pounds):
    • Javier Obregon (11-14), Ft. Worth, TX vs. Jose Ceja (4-4), Port Arthur, TX
  • Flyweight (125 pounds):
    • David Miramontes (3-2), San Antonio, TX vs. Federico David Olivera (2-4), Irving, TX
  • Lightweight (155 pounds):
    • Fernando Rodriguez (2-0), San Antonio, TX vs. Jesse Almaraz (1-2), San Antonio, TX

Complete Main Fight Card

  • Atomweight (105 pounds) Main Event:
    • Kyra Batara (4-2), Las Vegas, NV vs. Paulina Granados (4-2), Corpus Christi, TX
  • Featherweight (145 pounds) Co-Main Event:
    • Andres Quintana (12-2), Albuquerque, NM vs. Rey Trujillo(21-19), Houston, TX
  • Welterweight (170 pounds) Featured Bout:
    • Daniel Rodriguez (4-0), Los Angeles, CA vs. Victor Reyna (9-3), Dallas, TX

 
Combate Americas

 Women’s Main Event Features Long-Awaited Showdown Between Fierce Rivals Kyra Batara and Paulina Granados

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Winner of Batara-Granados matchup to represent the U.S.
in first-ever Pan-Regional championship

Multiple-time WWE Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio to call the action alongside Telemundo Deportes’ Edgar Lopez live on Telemundo at 12 a.m. ET/11 p.m. CTCOMBATE AMERICAS AND TELEMUNDO DEPORTES
ANNOUNCE LIVE BROADCAST OF STAR-STUDDED MMA EVENT
FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ON FRIDAY, DEC. 1

MIAMI – November 21, 2017 – On the heels of a historic, first partnership together, Combate Americas and Telemundo Deportes announced today, the live broadcast on Telemundo, (12 a.m. ET/11 p.m. CT) of the worldwide premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise’s much-anticipated next event, headlined by a women’s showdown between fierce atomweight (105 pounds) rivals Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (6-4) and Paulina “Firefox” Granados(4-2), from the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, Dec. 1.

The victor of the matchup between the 23-year-old Batara of Las Vegas, Nev. and the 29-year-old Granados of Corpus Christi, Texas – both unbeaten to date in La Jaula – will represent the U.S. against ferocious finisher Lisbeth “Coneja” Lopez Silva (5-3) in the first-ever Combate Americas Pan-Regional championship bout in February 2018.

“We are thrilled to continue this tremendous partnership with Telemundo Deportes as Combate Americas closes out a banner year filled with incredible milestones, and presents a fight card on December 1 that is highlighted by one of the most competitive rivalries in our sport today, the culmination of which will see it’s winner represent the U.S. in a high-stakes championship fight,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

Calling the action live on Telemundo will be famed, multiple-time WWE Heavyweight Champion and retired MMA star Alberto Del Rio, Telemundo Deportes’ Edgar Lopez, Combate Americas superstar Erik “Goyito” Perez, play-by-play man Andres Bermudez and Andrea Calle.

In a previously announced, featherweight (145 pounds) co-main event, hard-hitting, fast-rising star Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (12-2) of Albuquerque, N.M. will face his most formidable opponent to date, battle-tested Rey “The Warrior” Trujillo (21-19) of Houston, Texas.

Opening the live Telemundo Deportes broadcast will be a welterweight (170 pounds) contest between two heavy-handed knockout artists, undefeated Daniel Rodriguez (4-0) and Victor “Kelevra” Reyna (9-3).

The 30-year-old Rodriguez of Los Angeles, Calif. has yet to be pushed the distance of a fight, finishing all of his opponents to date by way of (T)KO or submission.

In his last start for Combate Americas on April 20, Rodriguez scored a thunderous, first round (1:55) knockout (punches) on Joel Champion.

Like Rodriguez, the 31-year-old Reyna of Dallas, Texas is a devastating striker who has notched eight of his nine professional career wins by (T)KO or submission.

Reyna also last saw action for Combate Americas on April 20, punishing Andrew Perez with a flurry of punches to score a first round (1:53) victory by way of (T)KO.

Priced from $30, tickets for TS-1 Promotions Presents: “Combate 19: Batara vs. Granados,” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

The event takes place just three weeks after Combate Americas made its live debut on Telemundo Deportes on Saturday, Nov. 11 with “COPA COMBATE,” an epic affair headlined by a one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) tournament that awarded its winner – Levy Saul Marroquin (11-2) of Monterrey, Mexico – a grand prize of $100,000.

“COPA COMBATE,” which took place in Cancun, Mexico, marked the first live Telemundo broadcast in history of MMA programming, and saw Marroquin defeat three top-ranked, world-class opponents in one night to emerge the tournament victor.

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. It is also the home of the FIFA Club World Cup until at least 2018. 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 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

TS-1 PROMOTIONS ANNOUNCES LIVE COMBATE AMERICAS MMA TELEVISION EVENT ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

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Tickets for “TS-1 Promotions Presents: Combate 19” at
Freeman Coliseum on sale now at Ticketmaster.com  

Main Event: Kyra Batara vs. Paulina Granados

Co-Main Event:  Andres “The Bullet” Quintana vs. Rey “The Warrior” Trujillo
Plus: “Froggy” Estrada vs. Jesse Vasquez

 

NEW YORK – October 27, 2017 – TS-1 Promotions announced today that it will bring the Combate Americas live Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) television series to the state of Texas for the first time ever with a stacked, 12-bout event at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on Friday, Dec. 1.

Tickets for “TS-1 Promotions Presents: Combate 19” are on sale atTicketmaster.com.

“TS-1 Promotions is thrilled to debut the incredibly fast-growing Combate Americas live television event series in the great state of Texas,” said TS-1 Promotions CEO Greg Bloom.  “We are going to deliver to fans a memorable night of MMA action featuring some of the fastest rising stars in the sport, including several of San Antonio’s hottest, young prospects.”

In the women’s atomweight (105 pounds) main event and long-awaited grudge match, Eddie Bravo protégé Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (6-4) will square off with Paulina “Firefox” Granados (4-2).

In a featherweight (145 pounds) co-main event, Andres “The Bullet” Quintana(12-2) will face off with fellow, hard-hitting knockout artist Rey “The Warrior” Trujillo (21-19).

Elsewhere on the fight card, Jose “Froggy” Estrada (4-1) will square off with Jesse Vasquez (2-3) in another featherweight contest.

Additional bouts for the “TS-1 Promotions Presents: Combate 19” event will be announced soon.

Kyra Batara vs. Paulina Granados
The 23-year-old Batara of Las Vegas, Nev., a former high school cheerleader turned grappling expert, is coming off a stellar, second round (3:46) submission of 12-time Spanish national judo champion Vanesa Rico at “Combate Clasico” in Miami, Fla. on July 27.

To date, Batara is unbeaten in Combate Americas television action, winning all four of her bouts – three by way of submission.

Granados is a 29-year-old native of Corpus Christi, Texas, now fighting out of San Diego, Calif. where she trains with a handful of the world’s top fighters.

Granados will look to notch her third straight victory on December 1.

Andres Quintana vs. Rey Trujillo

Quintana is a heavy-handed, 26-year-old rising star fighting out of Roswell, N.M.  He is aiming for his third consecutive victory after earning back-to-back unanimous decisions over Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez and Mexican contender Levy Saul Marroquin on February 16 and June 30, respectively.

Nine of Quintana’s twelve career wins, thus far, have come by way of (T)KO.

The 35-year-old Trujillo of Houston, Texas is a battle-tested, eight-year veteran of professional MMA.

A known finisher, Trujillo has earned 16 of his 21 career wins via (T)KO or submission.

Jose Estrada vs. Jesse Vasquez

The 26-year-old Estrada’s return to action comes on the heels of a successful debut at featherweight on September 15 when the Fillmore, Calif. resident stopped Izic Fernandez with a series of vicious strikes on the ground in the first round (3:59) of battle.

One of the sport’s top, young prospects, Estrada has already produced memorable, highlight reel-worthy moments, defeating his first three professional adversaries inside of one round.

Fighting out of Dallas, Texas, the 28-year-old Vasquez will look to rebound from two straight defeats.

Vasquez was victorious in his first two professional starts, defeating Josh Nealyby way of first round (3:57) submission (rear-naked choke) on October 2, 2015, and finishing Joshua Hunter via third round (2:01) TKO (punches) on February 27, 2016.

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.
Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF WOMEN’S CO-MAIN EVENT TO LIVE TELEMUNDO BROADCAST OF “COPA COMBATE” ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 FROM CANCUN, MEXICO

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Pictured: Undefeated Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (right) of Mexico and Miesha Tate pupil Gloria “Gloriosa” Bravo (left) of Chile will square off in a strawweight (115 pounds) co-main event on the live Telemundo broadcast of “COPA COMBATE” from Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.  Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas

MELISSA MARTINEZ OF MEXICO FACES GLORIA BRAVO OF CHILE IN STRAWWEIGHT SHOWDOWN PRECEDING
$100,000 GRAND PRIZE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT

NEW YORK – October 18 2017 –Combate Americas today announced the addition of a women’s strawweight (115 pounds) showdown between undefeated knockout artist Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (2-0) and Gloria “Gloriosa” Bravo (4-2) that will serve as the co-main event on the highly-anticipated, live Telemundo broadcast (11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT, or following “Titulares y Mas”) of the “COPA COMBATE” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) extravaganza from Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The battle between the 20-year-old Martinez of Mexico City, Mexico and the 31-year-old Bravo, of Santiago, Chile, will immediately precede the championship stage bout and finale of the one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) “COPA COMBATE” tournament that will award its winner a grand prize of $100,000 and that, for the first time ever, will see top-ranked fighters from the U.S., Latin America and Spain represent their respective countries in a quest for glory.

“This is a phenomenal addition to an already stellar and historic fight card created for the Telemundo broadcast television platform,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

“With the incredibly relentless and hard-hitting action we have seen from the women of Combate Americas,” continued McLaren, “it is only fitting that we showcase a matchup between two of the sport’s brightest and fastest rising female stars like Melissa Martinez and Gloria Bravo on the ‘COPA COMBATE’ platform.”

“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 5-foot-2 Martinez will return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, for the second time in her career after shelling out a stunning, highlight reel knockout of Yajaira “Shokolate” Romo in the second round (2:45) of battle at Combate 15 in Mexico City on June 30.

Following the promotional debut victory, Martinez, also a decorated Muay Thai competitor, earned a second-place finish at WAKO Kickboxing’s “The World Games 2017 – Wroclaw” tournament in Poland on July 30.

The 5-foot-5 Bravo will enter La Jaula for the first time ever and put a three-fight winning streak on the line.  All three of her latest victories came by way of armlock submission.

Bravo recently ventured from Chile to Las Vegas, Nev. to train for the upcoming matchup with famed, retired, former UFC world champion Miesha Tate.

In addition to the “COPA COMBATE” tournament championship bout and the featured women’s fight between Martinez and Bravo, 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.
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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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.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES $100,000 GRAND PRIZE ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN ‘COPA’ TOURNAMENT ON SATURDAY, NOV. 11 FROM CANCUN, MEXICO

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Combate Americas has announced “Copa Combate,” a one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament in the bantamweight (135 pounds) division, for Saturday, Nov. 11 in Cancun, Mexico.  

Bantamweight showdown on the 24th anniversary of Campbell McLaren’s UFC 1 pits ferocious fighters from the U.S., Latin America and Spain in an unprecedented ‘Copa’-style, country versus country showdown

NEW YORK – September 20, 2017 –Combate Americas today announced a historic, one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) tournament – “COPA COMBATE” – the winner of which will have heroically battled through three bouts in one night to earn a $100,000 grand prize and the inaugural winner’s cup, in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The epic event will take place on the 24th anniversary 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 that forever changed the world of combat sports.

“We are excited to unveil the first ‘COPA COMBATE’ tournament ever, and to revitalize and deliver to fans one of the most compelling and athletically challenging formats for a live fight show,” said McLaren.

“When I launched the UFC 24 years ago, we changed the world and, onNovember 11, we are going to do so again with a dynamic tournament that assembles a collection of fighters that most deserve to represent their respective countries,” continued McLaren.  “These fighters will put their national pride on the line with a substantial payoff.”

Hailing from the U.S., Latin America and Spain, the eight “Copa Combate” competitors, whose names will be announced soon, will go to war 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 also marks the first time in history that fighters will represent their respective countries on a quest to win the inaugural ‘COPA.’

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.

The host venue in Cancun for “Copa Combate,” as well as ticket on-sale information for the event, will be announced soon.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC, WWE

COMBATE AMERICAS NAMES SPORTS MEDIA SPONSORSHIP SALES EXECUTIVE  MIKE PINE, FIRST-EVER CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

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Combate Americas has named Mike Pine (pictured) the company’s first-ever Chief Revenue Officer.  Pine joins Combate Americas after a two-year stint with FanDuel, where he served as GM, Integrated Partnerships.

Former FanDuel GM, UFC, IRONMAN AND WWE Global Head of Sales
 joins the world’s premier Hispanic MMA sports franchise
In its most explosive growth period to date

NEW YORK – September 13, 2017 – Combate Americas announced today that it has named storied, sports industry business development and sponsorship sales leader Mike Pine, the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports and media franchise’s first-ever Chief Revenue Officer.

Coming off a two-and-a-half-year tenure as GM, Integrated Partnerships for FanDuel, Pine, who was responsible for breaking unprecedented ground for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) by securing blue-chip advertising clients Bud Light and Harley Davidson, for the longest-standing MMA organization, will report to Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mike Pine, an authentic trailblazer in the world of sports and entertainment brand partnerships, to Combate Americas,” said McLaren, also the co-founder of the original UFC.

“Mike’s incredible track record,” continued McLaren, “and extensive book of high-level relationships with marketers from worldwide, renowned brands across a wide range of product categories, speak for themselves, and we are looking forward to having him spearheading our sales efforts as we continue to aggressively expand our footprint across the globe with a fast-growing schedule of live and special events, and television programming for 2018 and beyond.”

Pine will be responsible for building Combate Americas’ portfolio of sponsor partners which, to date, has included the U.S. Army; Aspira A Mas, a Hispanic consumer-targeted offshoot of health insurance industry giant IHC; and consumer electronics pioneer Altec Lansing, across the organizations’ year-round live television event series in the U.S., Mexico and overseas.

Combate Americas television programming airs weekly, including once per month live, in over 137 million homes across the U.S. and Mexico on Azteca America and TV Azteca, respectively, and has been averaging over 3.5 million viewers per episode since “Combate Azteca” premiered in November.

The franchise’s monthly live events also air in an additional 47 million plus homes across Latin America on ESPN LATAM, and it’s most recent event, “Combate Clásico,” a partnership with Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross’ RSE Ventures that took place on July 27, two days before RSE’s “El Clásico Miami” soccer match between legendary clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, ushered the Latino flavored brand to national television in Spain for the first time ever with coverage of the nine-bout fight card in over 20 million homes on the country’s popular sports network, GOL TV.

During his stint at FanDuel, Pine compiled an impressive roster of first-ever landmark industry advertising partners for the online daily fantasy sports platform, including Bud Light, FORD Motor Company, Corona Extra, HBO Sports, Chef’s Cut and Bacardi.

As Global Head of Sales & Partnerships for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Pine forged and developed a host of relationships for the publicly traded, worldwide leading professional sports entertainment brand, with leading consumer electronic, retail and food brands, including Norelco, XBOX, Footlocker, KMART and General Mills.

Prior to his time with WWE, Pine led and oversaw the development of globally renowned agency IMG’s NCAA collegiate sports.  His time at IMG was proceeded as IRONMAN Global Chief Sales Officer & Eight Years @ Turner Broadcasting.

Pine is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and served as Captain, U.S. Air Force.

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