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FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 18, LIVE ON PARAMOUNT+
LIGHTWEIGHT SENSATION CRISTIAN “PUAS” PEREZ WILL FACE HIS TOUGHEST TEST TO DATE IN FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BRUNO “AQUILES” CANNETTI
MIAMI – June 7, 2023 – COMBATE GLOBAL has announced that a lightweight (155 pounds) showdown between submission expert Cristian “Puas” Perez (11-1) and former world champion Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (11-6) will headline its next event on Sunday, June 18, live on Paramount+
The start time of the Paramount+ live stream as well as the remainder of the fight card will be announced next week.
“This will be the greatest challenge of young Puas’s career, so far,” said COMBATE GLOBAL CEO Campbell McLaren. “He’s facing a credible, former world champion, who can hang with the toughest fighters wherever the fight goes.”
At just 23 years old, Perez, who hails from Ensenada, B.C., Mexico and is better known by his nickname, will aim for his 12th victory as a professional, having taken on all comers in La Jaula since making his professional debut with Combate Global in 2019.
Puas will seek his fourth consecutive victory after earning wins in each of his three starts in 2022, including his last effort on November 18, when he secured an arm-triangle submission on Colombian veteran Gilber Ordonez in the second round (3:28) of action.
Perez’s only defeat to date came at the hands of American star Enrique “Baby Bull” Gonzalez, in the championship stage of a one-night, eight-man tournament on November 12, 2021, after Puas had already defeated two capable opponents in Mexico’s Alfrego “Slayer” Ruelas and Irish rising star Patrick “The Leech” Lehane.
Standing opposite Puas, the 34-year-old Cannetti of Buenos Aires, Argentina will return to COMBATE GLOBAL action for the first time since August 23, 2019 when he defeated American Andres “The Bullet” Quintana via unanimous decision in the first and only COMBATE GLOBAL world featherweight title fight, to date.
In defeating Quintana, the Argentinian fighter avenged a first round (2:05) knockout (punches) loss to Quintana that took place in the semifinal stage of the 2018 “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man tournament before Quintana went on to win the tournament and the $100,000 grand prize.
Cannetti, the younger brother of MMA star Guido “Ninja” Cannetti, will hunt for his third straight win when he faces Puas.
Additional information about COMBATE GLOBAL and its athletes can be found on www.COMBATEGLOBAL.com as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About COMBATE GLOBAL
COMBATE GLOBAL is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise that is rapidly becoming the number two sport after soccer for Spanish speaking fans worldwide, and that consistently garners superior television ratings to those of other major, longer established sports television properties. It is the only MMA property regularly airing on broadcast television in the U.S. (Univision) and the only MMA property owned, in part, by a major Hispanic media company, as a result of TelevisaUnivision purchasing a significant equity stake in COMBATE GLOBAL in 2021. In 2021, the company partnered with CBS Sports to distribute COMBATE GLOBAL’s live shows in English in the U.S. on Paramount+, and closed out 2022 by entering into a multi-year partnership with global entertainment powerhouse, IMG, for media rights representation worldwide. 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 discovered and engaged a new MMA audience with its World Cup-like, country vs. country format of competition.
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, 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 CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.
