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Home Nation Mexico Impress with Standout Submission Victories, El Salvador’s Calderon Extends Winning Streak | 2024 IMMAF Pan American Championships
On Day 4 of the 2024 IMMAF Pan American Championships, fans from around the world tuned in to witness the rising stars of Pan American MMA showcase their talents in front of a lively Mexican crowd.
The action kicked off with the first Junior bout of the tournament, where Alejandro Cantu Rodriguez (Mexico) made an emphatic statement in the Men’s Bantamweight division. The hometown favourite locked in a textbook triangle choke, forcing Dylan Vera (Peru) to tap in the very first round. Rodriguez now advances to the Semi-Finals, where he will face fellow countryman, Daniel Martinez.
In the Senior divisions, Team Mexico continued to impress. Jorge Cobos Marin, a former IMMAF World and Pan American silver medalist, once again demonstrated his elite grappling skills. Marin secured a third-round rear-naked choke against Diego Torres Valbuena (Venezuela), punching his ticket to the Flyweight Semi-Finals.
Rodriguez and Marin weren’t the only Mexican athletes to shine on Day 4. Israel Rodriguez Salcido delivered a clinical performance, earning a victory with his own triangle submission, while former Pan American Champion Diego Torres Rangel wowed the crowd by finishing his bout with a stunning kneebar submission.
Team USA, a perennial powerhouse at the IMMAF Pan American Championships, also had a successful day. In the Senior Lightweight division, Dante Bazan secured a rear-naked choke submission against Gabriel Mello, advancing to the Semi-Finals and setting the stage for a potential final showdown with Mexico’s Israel Rodriguez Salcido.
Another standout from Team USA was Gabriel Muscat, who delivered one of the few KO/TKO finishes of the day. The welterweight fighter dominated his opponent with high-octane takedowns, eventually securing top control and raining down strikes to claim a stoppage victory.
Teams Colombia also claimed a number of key victories, with Day 5 set to feature an all-Colombian matchup in the Men’s Welterweight division. Having both secured decision wins on Day 4, Yerson Cujar and Jeisson David Neita Jimenez will now lock horns for a shot at IMMAF Pan American gold.
Finally, credit must be given to El Salvador’s Rodrigo Jose Lopez Calderon. One of the few athletes to have competed in the Round of 16, Calderon pulled off his second armbar finish of the tournament, cementing his status as a serious contender at Welterweight. However, the Salvadoran is now set to take on his toughest test to date, facing off against the aforementioned Diego Torres Rangel.
Looking ahead, Day 5 will see athletes across multiple weight classes compete for a place on the podium. Notable veterans from the 2023 IMMAF World Championships, including Delffy Humer (Dominican Republic) and Cary Miller (USA), will all make their tournament debuts.
Catch all the action live on IMMAF.tv.
