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 lik'hilograma tse) E tsoakiloeng 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 Moqebelo, November 11 ka 11:30 p.m. LE/10:30 p.m. CT.

Ketsahalo ena e, 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.

Ka 36 le lilemo li, 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 lik'hilograma tse) in his native Argentina.

A former semifinalist on The Ultimate Fighter: Amerika boroa reality television series, Rojo has produced 10 ea hae 12 mosebetsi wins ka tsela ea (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) ea Mission, Texas, will clash with fast-rising star Carlos “Lobo” Rivera (12-2) ea 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 Roma Salazar ka April 20, le phetho yeo se dumelelanago fetang Chris Avila ka July 27.

Rivera is a 24-year-old member of the famed “Bonebreakers” fight squad. He has produced 8 ea hae 10 litsebi mosebetsi wins ka tsela ea (T)KO kapa ho ikokobelletsa, 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) ea Mankato, Ho. 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 ka 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, ntoa a lekoa, 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.

Ka feela 25 le lilemo li, Gómez has already racked up 30 setsebi bouts, making him the most experienced of the tournament field and, ea hae 20 mosebetsi tlholo, an astonishing 17 ba ea tla ka (T)KO kapa ho ikokobelletsa.

Ayala is a gutsy, 27-year-old striker who also boasts a spectacular finish rate, le 9 ea hae 11 career conquests having come by way of (T)KO kapa ho ikokobelletsa. 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 lik'hilograma tse) co-main event between undefeated knockout artist Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (2-0) ea 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.

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ABOUT COMBATE Amerika
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 “go bapatsa le tsusumetso e ka mor'a UFC” le Yahoo! Sports bolela hore a “tseba ho eketsehileng ka papali feela ka mang kapa mang ea ho eona kajeno.” 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.