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MIAMI – June 14, 2023 – COMBATE GLOBAL today announced the completion of its next fight card with four new bouts, streaming live on Paramount+, on Sunday, June 18.
Sunday’s live coverage of COMBATE GLOBAL on Paramount+ will begin with a 30-minute pre-show, co-hosted by play-by-play announcer Jimmy Smith and color commentator, Rodolfo Roman, at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT, and will be immediately followed by the first live bout at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
In the previously announced lightweight (155 pounds) main event, 23-year-old burgeoning star Cristian “Puas” Perez (11-1) will square off with former world champion Bruno “Aquiles” Cannetti (11-6).
Among the new matchups announced today was a featured, main card featherweight (145 pounds) showdown between Martin “El Toro” Bravo (13-3) and undefeated Jose “Tiro Loco” Ferreira (10-0).
Fighting out of Cerritos, Calif., the 29-year-old Bravo, who hails from Rosarito, B.C., Mexico, was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 competition reality television show that pitted a collection of the best lightweight (155 pounds) fighters from nine different Spanish speaking countries against one another.
Bravo signed with Combate Global in 2021, and resurrected his career with back-to-back, first round victories – a TKO (punches) of Andrew Whitney on September 17, followed by a submission (armbar) of Jose “Froggy” Estrada on December 3.
Sidelined for the entirety of 2022 due to an injury, Bravo will look to return to form in 2023, beginning with the fight with Ferreira.
The 25-year-old Ferreira of Temuco, Chile has been an unstoppable force in competition, thus far, since turning professional five years ago and competing regionally in his home country.
Two years ago, Ferreira re-located to Chicago, Ill. where he joined one of the top MMA camps in the world in Mike Valle’s Team VFS.
Ferreira made his COMBATE GLOBAL debut last September 16, dominating Irish upstart Patrick “The Leech” Lehane, the dark horse winner of the COMBATE GLOBAL one-night, four-man European tournament in 2021, to earn a unanimous decision over Lehane.
Last November 4, Ferreira returned to La Jaula, scoring a first round (4:39) TKO (knee strike to the body, followed by punches) on Venezuelan Genier Penagos.
In a featured women’s atomweight (105 pounds) contest announced today, another unbeaten Chilean, Melissa Gomez (2-0), will take on American Anna Somers (1-1).
The 31-year-old Gomez jumpstarted her professional career with Combate Global in 2022, earning back-to-back victories – a unanimous decision over Jharely Reyes and a split decision over Elizabeth Avila – on May 20 and August 12, respectively.
Like Gomez, the 29-year-old Somers of Chicago notched her first professional career win in 2022 with a first round (4:05) technical submission of Mexico’s Irlanda Galindo by way of kimura, after Galindo refused to tap out on April 8.
The preliminary bout card will be highlighted by a bantamweight (135 pounds) tilt between Hector Ferral (6-2) of Juarez, Chih., Mexico and Fabia “Potro” Sintes (4-2) of Barcelona, Spain.
A women’s strawweight (115 pounds) matchup will see Damari Olivares (1-1) of Gran Canaria, Spain face off with Tyler Schaefer (1-3) of San Diego, Calif.
Additional information about COMBATE GLOBAL and its athletes can be found on www.COMBATEGLOBAL.com as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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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.
