Tag Archives: Rafa Garcia

NEW MAIN EVENT, CO-MAIN EVENT ANNOUNCED FOR ‘CRICKET WIRELESS PRESENTS COMBATE AMERICAS’ MMA EXTRAVAGANZA IN TUCSON, ARIZONA LIVE ON UNIVISION, UDN AND DAZN ON FRIDAY, JUNE 7


NEW BANTAMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
JOSE “POCHITO” ALDAY VS. JUAN PABLO “EL MOLO” GONZALEZ
 
LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA VS. ESTEVAN “EL TERRIBLE” PAYAN
 
STRAWWEIGHT FEATURED BOUT:
YAZMIN JAUREGUI VS. CODIE WAREHAM
 Tickets on sale now

LOS ANGELES – May 13, 2019 – Combate Americas today announced both a new main event and a co-main event for it’s star-studded return to AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz., presented by Cricket Wireless, on Friday, June 7, live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and UDN (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m.PT), and in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).
 
Announced today for the “Cricket Wireless Presents Combate Americas: Tucson Unbreakable” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event was a new bantamweight (135 pounds) main event between former world champion Jose “Pochito” Alday (12-4-1) of Tucson and Juan Pablo “El Molo” Gonzalez (7-2-2) of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
 
Alday was previously scheduled to square off with Irwin “The Beast” Rivera (7-4) in the main event contest, but Rivera has since been forced to withdraw.
 
Also announced today was a lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event featuring the return of undefeated phenom Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (9=0), who will face the most seasoned opponent of his career in Estevan “El Terrible” Payan (17-12, 1 NC).
 
Fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif. via Mexicali, B.C., Mexico, the 24-year-old Garcia, a protégé of MMA superstar Cub Swanson, has been an unstoppable force in La Jaula, the Combate Americas competition cage, since the MMA sports franchise discovered him at an open tryout in 2016.
 
To date, Garcia has earned all but one of his victories by way of (T)KO or submission, including his last conquest, a second round (1:07) submission (rear-naked choke) of Edgar Escarrega at the Combate Americas live event on February 8.


Above: Undefeated finisher Rafa “Gifted” Garcia will return to action in the live televised, Combate Americas lightweight co-main event against Estevan “El Terrible” Payan.

A veteran of over 30 professional bouts, including matchups with a collection of world-ranked rivals, Payan of Tempe, Ariz. will make his debut under the promotion of Combate Americas.
 
Payan will look to notch his second consecutive victory since he defeated Dominic Clark by way of second round (3:17) TKO (punches) on April 21, 2018.
 
In a featured strawweight (115 pounds) bout announced today, Yazmin Jauregui(1-0) will return to action on the heels of her incredible, 13-second knockout (punch) of Daniela Espinosa, and face off with fellow unbeaten upstart Codie Wareham (2-0).

The 21-year-old Jauregui of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico recorded the second fastest finish in Combate Americas history with her stoppage of Espinosa at the ‘Combate Reinas’ event on April 26.
 
Wareham is an aggressive-minded, 24-year-old fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.  She earned her professional debut victory over Carolyn Biskup-Roe via submission (armbar) last November 2, and her second career win by way of first round (2:29) TKO (punches) on Wendy Rodriguez on November 28.
 
In preliminary bout card action, Justin Rascon (2-2) of Tucson will battle Jesus “Bear” Rivas (1-2) of Tucson at flyweight (125 pounds).
 
The previously announced lightweight matchup between Levi Escobar (1-0) of Tucson and Austin Wourms (1-1) of Phoenix has been scrapped due to injury sustained by Escobar.
 
Priced from $15, tickets for “Cricket Wireless Presents Combate Americas: Tucson Unbreakable” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tucson.    
 
Additional preliminary bouts will be announced soon.
 
Doors at AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol will open for “Cricket Wireless Presents Combate Americas: Tucson Unbreakable” at 6 p.m. local time on June 7, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m. 

 
“CRICKET WIRELESS PRESENTS 
COMBATE AMERICAS: TUCSON UNBREAKABLE” FIGHT CARD

 
BANTAMWEIGHT MAIN EVENT
Jose Alday vs. Juan Pablo Gonzalez
 
LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT
Rafa Garcia vs. Estevan Payan
 
FEATURED STRAWWEIGHT BOUT:
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Codie Wareham
 
PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:
Catchweight (190 pounds): Javier Torres vs. Joel Champion
Bantamweight: Eduardo Alvarado Osuna vs. Jose Luis Calvo
Flyweight:  Justin Rascon vs. Jesus Rivas


 
 
# # #

GUSTAVO LOPEZ REPLACES LEVY MARROQUIN IN  COMBATE AMERICAS  WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT AGAINST JOSE ALDAY  

Former world championship challenger Gustavo Lopez (Pictured below) will replace Levy Marroquin in the Combate Americas bantamweight world championship main event bout tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 14, live on DAZN, Univision and Univision Deportes Network.

LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION, & UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM PHOENIX, ARIZ. TONIGHT, FRIDAY, SEPT. 14

FLYWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
TRACY CORTEZ VS. KAREN CEDILLO

FEATURED LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT: 
RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA  VS. LARUE “THE CANNIBAL” BURLEY

Tickets for “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Alday” on sale now

PHOENIX – September 13, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced that former world championship challenger Gustavo Lopez (8-3) will challenge Jose “Pochito” Alday (11-3-1) in the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise’s bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship main event in Phoenix tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 14.

Alday’s original world championship opponent, Levy Marroquin (11-2) of Monterrey, Mexico, was forced to withdraw from the commitment due to symptoms of influenza detected by the Arizona Boxing Commission physician, Dr. Ken Ota.

The much-anticipated, world championship event’s three-fight main card airs live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)

The complete, nine-bout fight card airs in its entirety on DAZN, the live and on-demand sports streaming platform, in English in the U.S. and Canada, beginning with the first preliminary card bout, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The 29-year-old Lopez of Las Vegas, Nev. via Yakima, Wash. is a five-time Combate Americas veteran who, in his last start under the promotional banner, notched an impressive, first-round (2:34) submission (guillotine choke) of Steve Swanson, the brother of MMA superstar Cub Swanson, in the main event of Combate Americas’ debut event in Mexico City, Mexico.

A member of MMA legend Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture fight camp in Las Vegas, Lopez has produced all of his victories in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, by way of (T)KO or submission.

Lopez previously challenged fellow star John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda for the vacant Combate Americas world bantamweight championship on October 14, 2016, but was stopped via fourth round (2:24) TKO (punches) by Castaneda in an epic, see-saw battle. Because Castaneda failed to make weight for the fight, he was not awarded the title.

Alday, who will celebrate his 27th birthday tomorrow, is a native of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and resident of Tucson, Ariz., coming off his career-best victory to date, a split decision win over Castaneda in the main event of the historic, first, live Univision and UDN simulcast of MMA action with “Combate Estrellas I” in Los Angeles, Calif. on April 13.

Priced from $30, tickets for “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Lopez” are on sale at CelebrityTheatre.com and Ticketon.com.

Doors at Celebrity Theatre open at 5 p.m. PT, with the first preliminary bout will beginning at 7 p.m.

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES NEW CO-MAIN EVENT, SIX OTHER NEW BOUTS FEATURING FIGHTERS REPRESENTING FIVE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FOR ‘MARROQUIN VS. ALDAY’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT

Combate Americas has announced seven new bouts, including a new 125-pound limit, co-main event matchup between previously announced Tracy Cortez (below left) of Phoenix, Ariz., USA and Karen Cedillo (below right) of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, for the ‘Marroquin vs. Alday’ world championship event, live on Univision and Univision Deportes Network from Phoenix on Friday, Sept. 14.  

LIVE ON UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK
FROM PHOENIX, ARIZ. ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 14

NEW FLYWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
TRACY CORTEZ VS. KAREN CEDILLO

FEATURED LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT:
RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA  VS. LARUE “THE CANNIBAL” BURLEY

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

NEW YORK – August 23, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced a new women’s flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event – Tracy Cortez (3-1) vs,  Karen Cedillo (1-0) – as well as six other new bouts featuring fighters representing five different countries, for the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) franchise’s world championship event in Phoenix  on Friday, Sept. 14, live on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

The unbeaten, 29=year-old Cedillo of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico will replace Brandi Narvaez, who was originally slated to face off with Cortez of Phoenix, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

 

 

In the previously announced, world championship bantamweight (135 pounds) main event, Monterrey’s Levy Saul Marroquin (11-2), the winner of the inaugural, 2017 “COPA COMBATE,” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament, will collide with fellow star Jose “Pochito” Alday (11-3-1) of Tucson, Ariz. via Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

 

 

Among the other new fights announced today for the “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Alday” world championship event that will take place at Celebrity Theatre were a featured, live televised lightweight (155 pounds) contest between undefeated, rising star and Cub Swanson protégé Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (7-0) and LaRue “The Cannibal” Burley (8-3).

 

 

The 5-foot-7, 24-year-old Garcia of Palm Springs, Calif., USA by way of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, has been on a tear since he made his professional debut nearly four years ago, defeating all but one of his opponents via (T)KO or submission.

 

 

Burley, a 5-foot-10, 34-year-old, seasoned competitor who hails from Phoenix, has faced off with top level adversaries, and is best known for his upset, third round (3:40) TKO (knee strike to the body and punches) of 2011 NCAA Division I national wrestling champion and previously undefeated MMA prospect Bubba Jenkins on Sept. 20, 2013.

 

 

Also announced today was a featherweight (145 pounds) preliminary bout card contest between two unbeaten prospects – Tino Gilaranz (1-0) of Madrid, Spain and Austin Wourms (1-0) of Phoenix.

 

 

In a 140-pound catchweight matchup on the undercard, Roman “El Gallito” Salazar (12-7) of Mammoth, Ariz., USA will return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, for the second time in his career, to face Eduardo “El Pube” Alvarado (3-4) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

 

 

Another featherweight scrap will see Javier “Blair” Reyes Rugeles (7-1) of Bogota, Colombiá square off with “Magic” Mike Hamel (5-2) of Gilbert, Ariz., USA.

 

 

In flyweight action, undefeated, rising star Richard Palencia (6-0) of Mesa, Ariz. will take on Federico “The Argentinian Ninja” Oliveira (3-4) of Mendoza, Argentina.

 

 

Battle-tested veterans Yaotzin Meza (21-11) of Glendale, Ariz., USA and Gilbert Aguilar (17-18-1) of Phoenix by way of Mexico City, Mexico will collide at featherweight.

 

 

Additional preliminary bout matchups for “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Alday” will be announced soon.

 

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “Combate Americas: Marroquin vs. Alday” are on sale at

CelebrityTheatre.com and Ticketon.com.

 

Doors at Celebrity Theatre open at 6 p.m. PT, with the first preliminary bout beginning at 7 p.m.

COMBATE AMERICAS SIGNS MMA STAR GASTON “TONGA” REYNO TO EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT

Featherweight MMA star Gaston “Tonga” Reyno (7-2) of Montevideo, Uruguay has signed an exclusive, multi-year promotional contract with Combate Americas.  Photo: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas, LLC
NEW YORK – APRIL 6, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced the signing of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) featherweight (145 pounds) star Gaston “Tonga” Reyno (7-2) to an exclusive, multi-year promotional contract.

 

The 5-foot-10, 31-year-old Reyno, who hails from Montevideo, Uruguay, will make his promotional debut for Combate Americas on a May date to be announced soon.

 

“We are proud to welcome Gaston Reyno, one of the most exciting fighters from South America, to the Combate Americas roster,” said  Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

Reyno is a seasoned, multiple-time champion in Muay Thai, kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do, and has competed across four different continents – North America, South America, Asia and Australia.

 

To date, Reyno has notched all of his professional victories by way of (T)KO or submission, including his latest conquest, a first round (2:30) TKO (punches) of Henri Kakiuchi of Japan in a main event contest in Punta Del Este, Uruguay onFebruary 13.

 

In Combate Americas, Reyno joins a stacked and ferociously competitive featherweight division that includes knockout artists Andres “The Bullet” Quintana and Jose “Froggy” Estrada of the U.S.; recently signed Horacio “The Punisher” Gutierrez, undefeated Rafa “Gifted” Garcia and Pablo “El Gallo Negro” Sabori of Mexico; and Pablo Villaseca of Chile.

 

The 2018 Combate Americas live television event series begins on Friday, April 13 with a live Univision (12 am ET/12 am PT) and Univision Deportes Network (12 am ET/9 pm PT) broadcast of “Combate Estrellas I” from The Shrine in Los Angeles, Calif.

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

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: UNDEFEATED BANTAMWEIGHTS MARK DELAROSA AND IVAN HERNANDEZ FLORES FACE OFF IN MEXICO CITY ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 19

FIGHT CARD COMPLETE WITH NINE BOUTS, INCLUDING PROMOTIONAL DEBUT OF UNDEFEATED COMBATE AMERICAS OPEN TRYOUT SIGNEE RAFA “GIFTED” GARCIA

LIVE FROM EL PLAZA CONDESA ON
AZTECA AMERICA AND UFC FIGHT PASS®

NEW YORK – January 6, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced the completion of a stellar, nine-bout Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card, including a bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown between two fast-rising, undefeated stars – Mark “The Bumblebee” Delarosa (7-0) and Ivan “El Brasil” Hernandez Flores (8-0-1) – for the league’s much-anticipated, historic debut in Mexico on Thursday, Jan. 19, live on Azteca America (10 p.m. ET/PT) and UFC FIGHT PASS® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).

The “Combate10” event, which will take place at El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City, will also air via tape delay in Mexico the following night, Friday, Jan. 20 at 11 p.m. CT., on TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECA; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world.

The fight card is headlined by the previously announced, bantamweight battle between knockout artist Steve Swanson (14-2) and Xtreme Couture prodigy Gustavo Lopez (6-2).

One of the latest athletes to sign an exclusive, multi-fight agreement with Combate Americas, the 22-year-old Delarosa of Dallas, Texas will enter La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, for the first time in his young career.

To date, Delarosa has notched four of his six professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.  In his last start on April 2, he earned a unanimous decision over Arthur Oliveira.

A multiple-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament champion, Delarosa holds a brown belt in the discipline and is a three-time MMA champion in regional competition.

At 25 years old, Hernandez Flores of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico is ranked as high as number one in Mexico and number two in all of Latin America in the sport’s flyweight (125 pounds) division.

Five of Hernandez Flores’ victories, thus far, have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

In other action on the card, undefeated, 22-year-old prospect Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (3-0) of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico will make his promotional debut after being discovered at the Combate Americas open tryout in Pasadena, Calif. last August.

Garcia will take on submission expert Raul “The Cobra” Najera Ocampo (4-2) of Mexico City in a featherweight (145 pounds) contest.

Unbeaten, 18-year-old phenom Kevin Garcia (4-0) of Monterrey will face off with hard-hitting Enrique “Kike” Barragan (5-1) of Saltillo, Coahila, Mexico in a bantamweight battle.

Garcia and Barragan have each claimed all of their professional career victories, thus far, by way of (T)KO or submission.

In one of two welterweight (170 pounds) matchups, Heriberto Tovar (6-3-1) of Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico will square off with Christofer Ramirez (4-1) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

In the other welterweight scrap, Alex Velasco (5-1) of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico will meet Julio Cesar Cruz (9-9) of Mexico City.

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“COMBATE AMERICAS: COMBATE10”

MAIN CARD (Live on Azteca America and UFC FIGHT PASS):

Bantamweight Main Event:
Steve Swanson vs. Gustavo Lopez

Atomweight Co-Main Event:
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Lisbeth Lopez Silva

Bantamweight:  Mark Delarosa vs. Ivan Hernandez Flores
Bantamweight:  Jose Ceja vs. Joey Ruquet

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on UFC FIGHT PASS):

Bantamweight:  Rafa Garcia vs. Raul Najera Ocampo
Lightweight:  Rodrigo Vargas vs. Marco Antonio Elpidio
Bantamweight:  Kevin Garcia vs. Enrique Barragan
Welterweight:  Alex Velasco vs. Julio Cesar Cruz
Welterweight:  Heriberto Tovar vs. Christofer Ramirez