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COMBATE GLOBAL KICKS OFF 2022 WITH ‘MEXICO VS. USA’ SHOWDOWN ON THURSDAY, MARCH 24, LIVE ON PARAMOUNT+
LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT: DANIEL SANCHEZ (MEXICO) VS. ANGEL ALVAREZ (USA)
PARAMOUNT+ LIVE COVERAGE BEGINS WITH A COMBATE GLOBAL PRE-SHOW AT 10:30 PM ET; FIRST BOUT BEGINS AT 11:00 PM ET
PLUS: COMBATE GLOBAL TO IMPLEMENT OPEN SCORING FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA
NEW YORK – March 17, 2022 – Combate Global announced that it will kick off a new year of 30 live television events with a six-fight, Mexico vs. USA-themed showdown that will be headlined by a lightweight(155 pounds) matchup between Sambo champion Daniel Sanchez (3-1) and undefeated Angel “Salsa King” Alvarez (4-0) in Miami, Fla. on Thursday, March 24, live on Paramount+.
Paramount+ live coverage will begin with a Combate Global pre-show at 10:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. CT, and will continue with the live fight action, beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/10:00 p.m. CT.
“Whenever Mexico and the U.S. face off in Combate Global with fighters like Daniel Sanchez and Angel Alvarez, fans are guaranteed to see high energy, high drama and Mucha Mas Acción in La Jaula,” said Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren.
Combate Global also announced today that the anticipated new season of live events will include the use of open scoring for the first time in both Combate Global and Florida State history.
Open scoring will allow the live audience and the athletes and their respective corners to know the scores of each of the three official fight judges, live, after each round, as opposed to the traditional manner whereby judges’ scoring is not revealed until after the conclusion of a fight.
Hailing from Mexico City, Mexico, the 26-year-old Sanchez, who holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in addition to his Sambo background, pulled off a massive upset in his last Combate Global start when he outworked previously unbeaten prospect and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Levi Escobar to earn a unanimous decision victory on October 29, 2021.
Above: Angel “Salsa King” Alvarez (right) will headline the first Combate Global live television event of 2022.
Standing opposite Sanchez and representing the U.S. will be the unbeaten, 27-year-old Alvarez, a Judo black belt and Sambo national champion who fights out of Miami.
In his Combate Global debut last October 22, Alvarez, who was unbeaten as an amateur before turning pro in 2020, notched a unanimous decision over Gerrick Bontekoe.
In a women’s flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event, undefeated Melissa Amaya (2-0) of Spokane, Wash. will return to Combate Global for the third time against Yessica Ortega (1-1) of Mexico City.
The 27-year-old Amaya, a protégé of trainer Rick Little and world champion Julianna Peña, reeled off two consecutive victories, beginning with her professional debut, in a span of just three weeks in 2021 under the Combate Global banner.
Ortega, 33, is a Mexico City resident who will seek her second consecutive victory in Combate Global competition following her unanimous decision win over Maria Del Rocio Velazquez on November 26, 2021.
Ortega is a member of Mexico City’s famed Bonebreakers training camp, which also serves as home to Combate Global World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion David “The Black Spartan” Martinez.
Leading off the live televised main card will be a 158-pound catchweight contest between Ruben “El Diamante” Lozano (9-5) of Monterrey, N.L., Mexico and Jimmy “Sandstorm” Sandlin (4-4) of Carlisle, Ohio.
The preliminary bout card will be headlined by a lightweight bout between Miguel “The Destroyer” Villegas (8-2) of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico and Jake Childers (8-2) of Peoria, Ill.
Unbeaten David “Doggy” Aguilar (2-0) of Mexicali, B.C. will take on Tyler “Yogi” Hinton (0-1) of Yuma, Ariz. at featherweight.
“Slick” Rick Zelada (2-0) of Los Angeles, Calif. will meet Ismael “Kraken” Zamora (1-1) of Mexico City at bantamweight.
In a second women’s contest and the sole non-Mexico vs. USA bout on the card, Yajaira “La Pantera Negra” Cunningham (3-3) of Homestead, Fla. will square off with Kayla Hracho (3-3) of West Palm Beach, Fla. in a 111-pound catchweight affair.
Additional information about Combate Global and its athletes can be found on www.CombateGlobal.com as well as on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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About Combate Global
Combate Global, previously “Combate Americas,” is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, rapidly becoming the number two sport after soccer for Spanish speaking fans worldwide. It is the only MMA property regularly airing on broadcast television in both the U.S. (Univision) and Mexico (Televisa). In 2021, Combate Global partnered with CBS Sports to distribute its live shows in English in the U.S. on Paramount+. The company’s programming is available in over 70 countries in Europe, Africa and elsewhere globally.
Nielsen research indicates that an astounding 91 percent of Combate Global viewers in the U.S. are not regular viewers of other MMA content, demonstrating that Combate Global has garnered a new MMA audience with its World Cup-style, country vs. country-style competition. Each year of Combate Global action culminates with “COPA COMBATE,” the toughest event in sports, and the most coveted destination for representing one’s country.
Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren, also the co-founder and creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has been described by New York Magazine as "the marketing genius behind the UFC,” while Yahoo Sports has said he "knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today." Under his direction, the growth of Combate Americas’ television footprint and worldwide audience triggered a re-branding in 2021 to Combate Global.
About Paramount+
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.
