Tag Archives: John Castaneda

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

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES  THE MMA RETURN OF SIX-DIVISION  WORLD BOXING CHAMPION AMANDA SERRANO  IN TUCSON, ARIZ. ON SATURDAY, OCT. 13

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Six-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (below left) will return to MMA action in the co-main event of the star-studded Combate Americas fight card in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday, Oct. 13.  Serrano will face off with Mexico’s Erendira Ordoñez (below right), live on DAZN in English and on both Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) in Spanish.
 

 

SERRANO TO FACE OFF WITH MEXICO’S ERENDIRA ORDOÑEZ IN “COMBATE AMERICAS: MEXICO VS. USA” CO-MAIN EVENT LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK

MAIN EVENT: ERIK “EL GOYITO” PEREZ VS. JOHN CASTANEDA

NEW YORK – September 20, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) return of six-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0-1), who will square off with former Mexican national kickboxing champion Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordoñez (2-1) in a flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event attraction at “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA” at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday, Oct. 13.

 

The star-studded event, headlined by a previously announced bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown between world-ranked superstars Erik “El Goyito” Perez of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda of Mankato, Minn., USA, will stream live in its entirety on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), while the three-bout main card will air live on television in Spanish on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

 

Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico and fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y. the 29-year-old Serrano’s return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, comes on the heels of her latest feat in the boxing ring – capturing the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Welterweight Championship with a unanimous decision win over Yamila Esther Reynoso of Argentina at Barclay’s Event Center in Brooklyn on September 8.

 

 

In doing so, Serrano joined Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya as the only boxers in history to capture six world titles in six different weight classes.

 

 

“It is an honor to have the world’s greatest women’s boxer in history, who is on par with De La Hoya and Pacquiao, back in La Jaula for Combate Americas,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

 

Serrano’s second-career start under MMA rules will take place exactly six months after she battled Corina Herrera to a draw in a thrilling, co-main event contest at “Combate Estrellas I” in Los Angeles, Calif. on April 13.

 

 

The 22-year-old Ordoñez of Mexico City is a three-time San Shou-style kickboxing gold medalist, who holds a professional kickboxing record of 2-2, in addition to her MMA experience.

 

 

Priced from $15, tickets for “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA,” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets.

 

 

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

 

 

Doors at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol open at 6 p.m. PT, with the first preliminary bout will beginning at 7 p.m.

 

 

UPDATED “COMBATE AMERICAS: MEXICO VS. USA” FIGHT CARD

 

Bantamweight Main Event:

 

Erik Perez vs. John Castaneda

 

 

Flyweight Co-Main Event:

 

Amanda Serrano vs. Erendira Ordoñez

 

 

Preliminary Bout Card:

 

Bantamweight: Anthony Birchak vs. Adam Martinez

 

 

Bantamweight: Juan Pablo Gonzalez vs. Mario Bautista

 

 

Bantamweight: Arturo Guzman vs. KaseyTanner

 

 

Featherweight: Jair Perez vs. Peter De La Cruz

 

 

Catchweight (160 pounds): Misael Iñarritu vs. Peter Quezada

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES ‘MEXICO VS. USA’   HEADLINED BY BANTAMWEIGHT SHOWDOWN BETWEEN ERIK “EL GOYITO” PEREZ AND JOHN “SEXI MEXI” CASTANEDA

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LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION & UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM TUCSON, ARIZ. ON SATURDAY, OCT. 13

PLUS
ANTHONY BIRCHAK FACES ADAM MARTINEZ AT BANTAMWEIGHT
FOUR OTHER MATCHUPS ANNOUNCED

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

NEW YORK – September 18, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA,” a star-studded Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event that will be headlined by a bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown between world-ranked superstars Erik “El Goyito” Perez (18-6) and John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-4), live from the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday, Oct. 13.

 

The three-bout main card airs live on television in Spanish on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT), while the entire event including the preliminary bout card, will stream live in English on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

 

 

Priced from $15, tickets for “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA,” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets.

 

 

“Both Mexico and the U.S. have eagles as symbols, and this fight between ‘Goyito’ Perez and John Castaneda is, indeed, a clash of ferocious, fighting eagles,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

 

The winner of the matchup between the 28-year-old Perez of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and the 26-year-old Castaneda of Mankato, Minn., USA will become the number one contender to newly crowned Combate Americas bantamweight world champion Jose “Pochito” Alday.

 

 

Perez, who recently left the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on a three-fight win streak and with an overall record of 7-2, made his Combate Americas debut on April 20, avenging one of his only career defeats by scoring a third round (1:22) knockout (punches) on D.J. Fuentes in the main event of “Combate Estrellas II.”

 

 

Castaneda, the runner-up of the inaugural “COPA COMBATE,” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament that took place in Cancun, Mexico on November 11, 2017, is looking to return to the win column after suffering a split decision defeat at the hands of Alday at “Combate Estrellas I” on April 13.

 

 

Also announced today was a bantamweight preliminary bout matchup pitting Anthony “El Toro” Birchak (12-6) of Tucson against Adam “The American Bully” Martinez (5-1) of Colorado Springs, Colo., USA.

 

 

In another bantamweight battle, Juan “El Molo” Pablo Gonzalez (7-1-2) of Buenos Aires, Argentina will square off with undefeated Mario Bautista (5-0) of Glendale, Ariz.

 

 

Also at bantamweight, Arturo “Chucky” Guzman (2-2) of Tucson will collide with unbeaten Kasey Tanner (1-0) of Scottsdale, Ariz.

 

 

In a meeting between unbeaten upstarts, the 20-year-old brother of ‘El Goyito,’Jair “El Lupe” Perez (1-0) of Monterrey, will take on Peter De La Cruz (1-0) of Scottsdale.

 

 

Elsewhere on the card, Misael “Pitbull” Iñarritu (6-2) of El Paso, Texas via Juarez, Mexico will face off with Peter Quezada (1-4) of Tempe, Ariz. in a 160-pound catchweight contest.

 

 

Additional matchups for “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA,” including the co-main event, will be announced soon.

 

 

Doors at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol open at 6 p.m. PT, with the first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m.

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

COMBATE AMERICAS KNOCKS OUT THE COMPETITION WITH RECORD RATINGS

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Over 4.6 Million Television Viewers Tune In For “Combate Estrellas I” Across Univision And Univision Deportes Network In The U.S. And Azteca 7 in Mexico

 

U.S. Television Ratings Increase By 10 Percent with “Combate Estrellas II”
 On Friday, April 20

 

Sponsors Included Anheuser-Busch’s Estrella Jalisco, Advanced Auto Parts, Double Cross Vodka, Hot 6 Energy Drink and Battle Boom Gaming

 

 

NEW YORK– April 26, 2018– Combate Americas today announced ratings for its first two live, 2018 events – “Combate Estrellas I” and “Combate Estrellas II” – which also marked the historic, first-ever live Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) televised Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events, on Friday, April 13 and Friday, April 20, respectively.

 

Despite its start time of midnight ET in the United States, “Combate Estrellas I” delivered a total of 583,000 persons 2+, including 296,000 adults in the coveted 18-49 age group, on the Univision and Univision Deportes Network simulcast, beating Bellator 197, which aired in primetime on the Paramount Network.

 

In Mexico, the event delivered over 4 million live broadcast television viewers on Azteca 7.

 

The Facebook LIVE stream of the “Combate Estrellas I” preliminary bout card, which immediately preceded the 90-minute live television airing of the main card, delivered over 294,000 streams.

 

“The amazing growth of our TV ratings confirms we are the hottest MMA promotion in the world,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

Airing exclusively on UDN in the midnight ET slot the following Friday, April 20, “Combate Estrellas II” delivered another 200,000 total viewers, a 10 percent increase from the first installment of the two-part, “Combate Estrellas” live event series.

Of the total UDN viewers for “Combate Estrellas II,” 67 percent were in the 18-49 age group.

 

The Facebook LIVE stream of the “Combate Estrellas II” preliminary bout card garnered over 630,000 streams, more than doubling the online audience from one week earlier.

 

Like Combate Americas, advertisers also emerged victorious from the record-ratings.

 

“We were thrilled to partner with Anheuser-Busch’s Estrella Jalisco, Advanced Auto Parts, Double Cross Vodka, HOT 6 Energy Drink and Battle Boom Gaming for the event, which allowed them to engage with the consumer on location, as well as reaching millions of consumers through multi-platforms with respective key brand messaging,” said Combate Americas CRO, Mike Pine. “Combate Americas is the only MMA engine in existence today that serves 100 percent a Hispanic demographic, allowing brands to streamline and reach the fastest growing population in the world and a consumer set that will spend close to $1.7 trillion in 2018.”

 

The bantamweight (135 pounds) main event of “Combate Estrellas I” at The Shrine in Los Angeles, Calif. saw Jose “Pochito” Alday (11-3) of Mexico edge out a split decision over superstar John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-4) of the U.S., while the flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event featured the MMA debut of five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0-1) who, representing Puerto Rico, valiantly fought Corina Herrera (3-4-1) of the U.S. to a draw.

 

In the first live televised fight of the night, ferocious, featherweight (145 pounds) rising star Jose “Froggy” Estrada (5-1) of the U.S. score a second round (1:43) TKO (knees and punches) on “Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-6) of Guatemala.

 

Amongst the celebrities who took in the action at The Shrine were Diego Boneta, Camila, Cynthia Olavarria, Victoria La Mala, Flor de Toloache and Forggie.

 

In the bantamweight main event of “Combate Estrellas II” at Gimnasio Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico, world-ranked superstar and Monterrey native Erik “Goyito” Perez (18-6) avenged a previous defeat at the hands of David “D.J.” Fuentes (13-10) of McAllen, Texas, U.S., scoring a third round (1:22) KO (punches) on Fuentes while, in the bantamweight co-main event, Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo (14-5) of Cordoba, Argentina decimated Fabian Galvan (8-3) of Monterrey via first round (2:34) knockout (punch).

 

Leading off the live telecast, 20-year-old sensation Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (4-0) extended her unbeaten run by earning a dominant, unanimous decision over Ivanna Martinenghi (4-2) of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Combate Americas returns to UDN on Friday, April 27, beginning at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT, with “Combate Estrellas III,” a compilation of the best, non-televised fight action from the “Combate Estrellas I” and “Combate Estrellas II” preliminary bout cards.

 

Source: Nielsen, NPM, L+SD data

Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES TRIO OF LINEUP CHANGES FOR FIRST-EVER LIVE MMA EVENT ON UNIVISION ON FRIDAY, APRIL 13 FROM LOS ANGELES

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Detached retina forces Marc Gomez out,

John Castaneda now faces Jose Alday

in new “Combate Estrellas I” bantamweight main event

 

 

Five-division world boxing champion Amanda Serrano battles Corina Herrera in new flyweight co-main event

 

 

“Froggy” Estrada collides with new opponent Rudy Morales

in first live televised, main card bout
 

 

Los Angeles (April 11, 2018) – Combate Americas, the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today announced a trio of lineup changes, including a new bantamweight (135 pounds) main event between John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-3) of the U.S. and Jose “El Pochito” Alday (10-3) of Mexico, for “Combate Estrellas I,” live on Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) from Los Angeles on Friday, April 13.

 

 

 

The 90-minute, live Univision (12 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT) and UDN (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT) broadcast of “Combate Estrellas I” from The Shrine marks Univision Deportes’ first-ever live MMA program.

 

 

Originally slated to face off with rival Castaneda in the headlining bout, Marc “Lufo” Gomez was declared medically unfit to compete due to a detached retina that was discovered during the pre-fight physical exam required by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

 

 

 

In the women’s flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event, five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0), representing Puerto Rico, will battle a new opponent in veteran Corina Herrera (3-4) of the U.S., after Serrano’s original opponent, Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordonez of Mexico was unable to secure a work visa for the commitment.

 

 

 

Additionally, knockout artist Jose “Froggy” Estrada (4-1) of the U.S. will square off with “Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-5), representing Guatemala, in the first, live televised main card bout, after Estrada’s original opponent, Pablo Sabori of Mexico, was forced to withdraw from the commitment due to a shin injury.

 

 

 

The three-bout, live televised “Combate Estrellas I” main card will be preceded by a five-fight preliminary bout card.

 

 

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “Combate Estrellas I” are on sale at Ticketon.com.

 

 

 

“Combate Estrellas I” marks Combate Americas’ first live television event of 2018, and the first event of a two-part series featuring a collection of the organization’s top estrellas, or “stars.”

 

 

# # #

 

 

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.

Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

UNIVISION DEPORTES AND COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR, LIVE PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT FOR WORLD’S PREMIER HISPANIC MMA SPORTS SERIES

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2018 Lineup includes 16 Television Airings
Across Univision Networks
Historic Partnership Begins with Live Univision Broadcast
 of “Combate Estrellas I” from Los Angeles on Friday, April 13

NEW YORK – March 29, 2018 – Univision Deportes and Combate Americas, the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today jointly announced a historic, multi-year partnership to produce and distribute live Combate Americas fight programming on Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN).
 

The agreement marks the first time ever that Univision Deportes will produce and distribute live MMA programming and, in 2018, will include a total of 16 television airings, beginning with a live, 90-minute broadcast on Univision (12am ET/ 12am PT) and UDN (12am ET/ 9pm PT) of the recently announced “Combate Estrellas I” show at Shrine in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, April 13.
 

“We’re incredibly excited that our growth last year has culminated with a new partnership with Univision Deportes, a sports media brand that is home to some of the best sports and entertainment programming,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.
 

“Univision Deportes is proud to partner with Combate Americas in an effort to bring fans the best programming of one of the most popular sports today,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, President, Univision Deportes. “As the leading Spanish-language sports brand, our commitment to deliver high-quality sports content is reinforced through this new partnership, bringing fanáticos the top MMA events in a way that only Univision Deportes knows best.”

 

The complete 2018 schedule, which will be announced soon, will include several dates across Univision and UDN.

 

The live shows will all air in a 90-minute window and will follow the live stream of Combate Americas preliminary bout cards on UnivisionDeportes.com.

 

The live Univision broadcast of “Combate Estrellas I” will be headlined by a much-anticipated, bantamweight (135 pounds) rematch between John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-3), representing the U.S., and Marc “Lufo” Gomez (21-11), representing Spain.

 

In the co-main event, five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0), fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y., will make her long-awaited MMA rules debut, representing Puerto Rico against rising star Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordoñez (2-1) of Mexico in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest.

 

A featherweight (145 pounds) contest between hard-hitting knockout artist Jose “Froggy” Estrada (4-1), representing the U.S. and fellow striking machine Pablo “Gallo Negro” Sabori (8-4) of Mexico, will open the live broadcast.

 

The complete preliminary bout card, which will stream live on UnivisionDeportes.com, will be announced soon.

 

Since it launched its live event series in 2015, Combate Americas has emerged as a destination for the best, new fighters from the U.S., Latin America and Spain, and a platform pitting athletes, in a country versus country style format, facing each other in “La Jaula,” the Combate Americas competition cage.

Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES SIX NEW MATCHUPS FOR “COMBATE ESTRELLAS I” IN LOS ANGELES ON APRIL 13

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JOSE “FROGGY” ESTRADA TO FACE PABLO “GALLO NEGRO” SABORI IN FEATHERWEIGHT MAIN CARD CONTEST

PLUS PRELIMINARY CARD MATCHUPS:

LIGHTWEIGHT: RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA VS. CHASE “EL GUERO” GIBSON
ATOMWEIGHT: PAULINA “FIREFOX” GRANADOS VS. SHEILA PADILLA
LIGHTWEIGHT: DANNY “THE REALIST” RAMIREZ VS. ERICK GONZALEZ
LIGHTWEIGHT: JAVIER “EL MARIACHI” GARCIA VS. GABRIEL GREEN
FLYWEIGHT: HEINRICH WASSMER VS. “MALICIOUS” MICHAEL REYES
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

NEW YORK – March 13, 2018 – Combate Americas announced six new matchups today for “Combate Estrellas I,” the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise’s first live television event of 2018, and the first event of a two-part series featuring a collection of Combate Americas’ top estrellas, or “stars,” that will take place at Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, April 13.
 

 

 

Priced from $40, tickets for “Combate Estrellas I” are on sale at Ticketon.com.
 

 

 

The newly announced bouts include a featherweight (145 pounds) main card battle between fellow rising stars Jose “Froggy” Estrada (4-1), representing the U.S., and Pablo “Gallo Negro” Sabori (8-4) of Mexico.
 

 

The matchup between Estrada, 27, who fights out of Ventura, Calif., and the 26-year-old Sabori of Tecate, Baja California, will precede the flyweight (125 pounds) women’s co-main event between five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, (0-0) representing Puerto Rico in her much-anticipated MMA rules debut, against Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordoñez (2-1) of Mexico, and the bantamweight (135 pounds) main event rematch between John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-3), representing the U.S., and Marc “Lufo” Gomez (21-11), representing Spain.
 

 

 

In “Combate Estrellas I” preliminary bout card action, Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (5-0) of Mexico will risk his perfect record in a lightweight (155 pounds) scrap against fellow streaking prospect Chase “El Guero” Gibson (8-2) of the U.S.
 

 

A winner of Combate Americas’ first-ever open fighter tryout in 2016, the 25-year-old Garcia of Mexicali, Baja California, has defeated all of his opponents to date by way of submission inside of two rounds, while the 28-year-old Gibson, who fights out of Los Angeles, is a winner of his last five bouts.
 

 

 

In women’s atomweight (105 pounds) action on the preliminary bout card, Paulina “Firefox” Granados (4-3) will battle fellow American Sheila Padilla(3-2).
 

 

 

Lightweight American rivals Danny “The Realist” Ramirez (6-3) and Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez (7-2) will face each other for the second time, in a grudge bout, just over one year after Ramirez took a unanimous decision from Gonzalez at “Combate 11” on February 16, 2017.
 

 

 

Undefeated Javier “El Mariachi” Garcia (3-0) will collide with fellow American and aggressive-minded finisher Gabriel Green (7-2) in another lightweight affair.  Both Garcia and Green have claimed all of their respective victories to date by way of (T)KO or submission.
 

 

 

In a flyweight contest, submission ace Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (6-2) of the U.S. will face “Malicious” Michael Reyes (3-4-1) of the U.S.

 

 

 

UPDATED “COMBATE AMERICAS: COMBATE ESTRELLAS I” FIGHT CARD

 

 

 

MAIN CARD:
 

 

 

Bantamweight Main Event:
John Castaneda (16-3) vs. Marc Gomez (21-11)
 

 

 

Flyweight Co-Main Event:
Amanda Serrano (0-0 vs. Erendira Ordoñez (2-1)
 

 

 

Featherweight: Jose Estrada (4-1) vs. Pablo Sabori (8-4)

 

 

UNDERCARD:
 

 

Lightweight:  Rafa Garcia (5-0) vs. Chase Gibson (8-2)

 

Atomweight: Paulina Granados (4-3) vs. Sheila Padilla (3-2)

 

Lightweight:  Danny Ramirez (6-3) vs. Erick Gonzalez (7-2)

 

Lightweight:  Javier Garcia (3-0) vs. Gabriel Green (7-2)

 

Flyweight: Heinrich Wassmer (6-2) vs. Michael Reyes (3-4-1)
# # #
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

Amanda Serrano Set For MMA Debut, Castaneda vs. ‘Lufo’ II

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Five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano will make her highly anticipated MMA rules debut  n the co-main event of “Combate Estrellas I,” the first Combate Americas live television event of the year, in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, April 13.  Photo: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas, LLC.

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES “COMBATE ESTRELLAS I:”
FIRST LIVE, STAR-STUDDED MMA EVENT OF 2018
HITS THE SHRINE EXPO HALL IN LOS ANGELES ON APRIL 13

John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda faces off with Marc “Lufo” Gomez in
a much-anticipated, bantamweight main event rematch

 

 

 

 

Five-division world boxing champion Amanda Serrano to make her MMA debut against Erendira Ordoñez in the flyweight co-main event

Tickets for “Combate Estrellas I” on sale next Friday

NEW YORK – February 28, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced“Combate Estrellas I,” the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise’s first live television event of 2018, and the first event of a two-part series featuring a collection of Combate Americas’ top estrellas, or “stars,” that will take place at Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, April 13.

Priced from $40, tickets for “Combate Estrellas I” go on sale on both AXS.com and Ticketon.com on Friday, March 9.

Headlining the 10-bout card will be a much-anticipated, bantamweight (135 pounds) rematch between John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-3) and Marc “Lufo” Gomez (21-11).

The second meeting between Castaneda of Mankato, Minn. and Gomez of Barcelona, Spain comes after the two collided in the semifinal stage of the inaugural “COPA COMBATE,” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament that saw Castaneda advance to the championship stage of the historic event in Cancun, Mexico on November 11, 2017 after being awarded a unanimous decision over Gomez.

In the co-main event, five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0) of Brooklyn, N.Y. will make her long-awaited MMA rules debut against Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordoñez (2-1) of Mexico City, Mexico in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest.

“As the creative force behind MMA, which is in its 25th year of existence, I am poised for Combate Americas to take our great sport into the next era with our estrellas from the U.S., Mexico, Spain and around Latin America,” said Campbell McLaren, CEO of Combate Americas.

Leading off the three-bout live televised main card, the programming information for which will be announced soon, will be a featherweight (145 pounds) matchup between hard-hitting knockout artist Jose “Froggy” Estrada (4-1) of Oxnard, Calif. and an opponent to be determined.

The complete preliminary bout card for “Combate Estrellas I” will be announced soon.
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.

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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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