Combate Americas
Combate Americas is the first Hispanic mixed martial arts sports and media franchise.[1] It was founded in August 2011 by UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren.[2] It premiered on Mun2 on February 23, 2014.[3]
Combate Americas recently announced that they are partnering with TV Azteca.[4] Live fights will continue to be available on UFC Fight Pass in Engish.
Alberto "El Presidente" Rodríguez
On October 11, 2016, former MMA fighter Alberto Rodríguez was named President of Combate Americas.[5]
When asked about his role in Combate Americas, Alberto Rodríguez described it as "I'm going to be doing what Dana White does for the UFC. I’m putting my face out there for the people to see and to learn about the company, finding the talent, finding new places for our events that want to see good competition and good MMA. I’m working hand in hand with Combate Americas to see where we’re going and what we’re doing."[6]
Combate Americas in Mexico
The first live event in Mexico will be in Mexico City on January 19, 2017. John Castaneda ("Sexy Mexy") will rematch Gustavo Lopez for the bantamweight championship, after Castaneda defeated Lopez with a technical knockout at Combate: Empire Rising in October, 2016.[7]
Combate Americas Events
CombateOCHO
August 11, 2016. The Exchange, Los Angeles, California.
Main Event: Hakob Ter-Petrosyan vs. George Hernandez
| Fighters | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakob Ter-Petrosyan (W) vs. George Hernandez | TKO (Punches) | 2 | 0:00 |
| Daniel Rodriguez (W) vs. Hector Saldana | Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) | 1 | 3:45 |
| John Castaneda (W) vs. Angel Cruz | TKO (Punches) | 2 | 2:25 |
| Danny Martinez (W) vs. Benjamin Vinson | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Benji Gomez (W) vs. Heinrich Wassmer | Decision (Split) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Albert Tapia (W) vs. Jonathan Santa Maria | Decision (Majority) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Marcos Bonilla (W) vs. Izic Fernandez | Decision (Split) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Jose Estrada (W) vs. Christian Cardona | KO (Punches) | 1 | 2:34 |
| Eric Gonzalez (W) vs. Yoandy Carrillo | TKO (Punches) | 2 | 3:13 |
| Jonathan Quiroz (W) vs. Ryan Lilley | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
Combate: Empire Rising
October 14, 2016. Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York.
Main Event: John Castaneda vs. Gustavo Lopez
| Fighters | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Castaneda (W) vs. Gustavo Lopez | TKO (Punches) | 4 | 2:24 |
| Julian Marquez (W) vs. Matt Hamill | TKO (Punches | 1 | 1:22 |
| Marc Stevens (W) vs. Victor Reyna | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Jose Ceja (W) vs. Irwin Rivera | KO (Punches) | 1 | 4:22 |
| Paulina Granados (W) vs. Jenna Serio | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| James Rodriguez (W) vs. Alex Henry | Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | 1 | 2:03 |
| Matt Almy (W) vs. Freddy Arteaga | TKO (Kick to the Body Punches | 1 | 2:59 |
Awards
Combate Americas was the winner of the Imagen Award for “Best Reality or Variety Series,” making it the first fight TV program to win a major award.[10]
References
- ↑ Cepida, Elias (April 6, 2014). "Combate Americas looks to bring MMA to Latin audience" (Yahoo Cagewriter). Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ Ozanian, Mike (July 23, 2014). "Combate Americas Targets Hispanic MMA Fans". Forbes. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ Bohn, Mike (February 19, 2014). "MMA legend Royce Gracie explains how 'Combate Americas' differs from 'TUF'". MMAJunkie. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ↑ Doyle, David (October 26, 2016). "Combate Americas inks deal with Azteca, schedules debut Mexico City show". MMA Fighting.
- ↑ Campbell, Brian (October 11, 2016). "Combate Americas signs Alberto Rodriguez as president". ESPN.com.
- ↑ Barnett, Josh (October 13, 2016). "Alberto Del Rio on his split with WWE, stabbing incident and future with Combate Americas". USA Today Sports.
- ↑ Holland, Jesse (October 26, 2016). "Combate Americas bringing MMA to Mexico following landmark deal with TV Azteca". MMA Mania.
- ↑ "COMBATE AMERICAS COMBATE OCHO". Sherdog.
- ↑ "COMBATE AMERICAS EMPIRE RISING". Sherdog.
- ↑ "29th Annual Imagen Awards - Winners and Nominees". The Imagen Awards. The Imagen Foundation. Retrieved 31 August 2015.