MIAMI – June 27, 2023 – COMBATE GLOBAL today announced a five-fight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) card headlined by the return of unbeaten welterweight (170 pounds) “Jimbo Slice” (2-0) on Saturday, July 1, live on Paramount+
Saturday’s live Paramount+ stream will begin with a 30-minute COMBATE GLOBAL pre-show at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, and will continue with the first preliminary bout at 11:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. PT.
The 27-year-old Jimbo Slice, aka Jimmie Pace, Jr., of Miami will make his third professional start against Boris Garcia (2-1).
A member of the fast-growing fight team at Goat Shed Academy, Jimbo, a former professional football player, went unbeaten with a 5-0 record as an amateur before bursting onto the professional scene last year and taking out “Big Al” Albert Gonzales, a veteran of seven professional bouts, just one minute into their matchup, by way of TKO with a flurry of punches.
Jimbo returned to action for the first time this year, again stopping his opponent, Jose Matuz of Mexico, inside of the first round (4:36) with an arm triangle choke.
Standing opposite Jimbo, Garcia of Barcelona, Spain is a 33-year-old member of MMA Barcelona Team.
Garcia will return to competition for the first time since July 3, 2021 when he scored a second round (2:41) TKO (punches) on Mohamed Dial.
In a featured flyweight (125 pounds) matchup, Diego “El Terror” Ortiz (10-4) will collide with Elias “El Pescador” Garcia (8-2).
The 34-year-old Ortiz hails from Guatemala City, Guatemala and is fighting out of Tjuana, B.C., Mexico, and is looking to secure his third consecutive victory after defeating each of his last two opponents – Erick Rodriguez and Christian Cerda – by way of submission (rear-naked choke and heel hook) in the third (1:39) and first (1:54) rounds, respectively.
Ortiz has earned 7 of his 10 professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.
Like Ortiz, the 30-year-old Garcia, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis., is seeking his third straight win after defeating each of his first two Combate Global opponents – Ivan Lopez and Leandro Soares – via third round (2:36) submission (rear-naked choke) and unanimous decision, respectively.
Garcia, a former undefeated amateur competitor, has notched 6 of his 8 professional wins by way of (T)KO or submission.
The third main card bout, a women’s atomweight (105 pounds) contest, will pit professional debut competitor Marina Rodriguez (0-0) of Seville, Spain against Lupe “Dynamite Kid” Mateo (0-1) of Miami.
In preliminary bout action, Marcos “El Lobo” Lloreda (12-8) of Miami will face Rogelio Melgoza (5-4) of Albuquerque, N.M.
Kicking off the undercard will be an atomweight clash between Natalie Schlesinger (2-1) of Tinton Falls, N.J. and Stephanie Hernandez (2-1) of Boise, Idaho.
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.