AXS TV and Fight Network (FN) are presenting a special live broadcast of the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts franchise Combate Americas on Friday, December 13 at 10pE/7pP from Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif. The night gives MMA fans a preview of AXS TV’s and FN’s 2020 Combate Americas coverage that will consist of 35 live televised events next year.
Combate Americas: North America vs. South America will be broadcast in its entirety, over 3.5 hours, live on AXS TV across the U.S. and FN in Canada and internationally in Europe and Africa. The fully-loaded fight card shines the spotlight on a roster of established talent and rising superstars, including main and co-main event bouts between prolific athletes from North America and South America.
Announced as the show’s new main event was a featherweight (145 pounds) collision between knockout artist Horacio “The Punisher” Gutierrez (6-3)and fellow hard-hitting battler Marlon “Deriko Siete” Gonzales (15-4).
“Combate Americas is so thrilled about our partnership with the all-new AXS TV and Fight Network that we couldn’t wait for 2020 to begin, so we are going to start airing our live shows in English with them on December 13, with an explosive event filled with hard-hitting Spanish flavor and main and co-main event fights between some of the best talent from North and South America,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.
“Due to the positive response we received from our initial Combate Americas announcement, we spoke with Campbell McLaren and we both decided to launch our partnership now rather than wait for 2020,” said Ed Nordholm, Chief Corporate Officer of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of AXS TV and FN. “We’re thrilled to be able to broadcast ‘Combate Americas: North America vs. South America and we look forward to sharing this action-packed evening with our audiences in the U.S., Canada and across the globe.”
Hailing from Guadalajara, J..L., Mexico, the 29-year-old Gutierrez fights out of Chicago, Ill., and is a former semi-finalist on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America competition reality television series. He is coming off a devastating, first round (2:41) TKO (punches) of Chase Gibson at Combate Americas’ event in Guadalajara on September 27.
The 27-year-old Gonzales of Lima, Peru will look to earn his second straight win after edging out a split decision over Chile’s Pablo Villaseca at Combate Americas’ inaugural event in Peru and South America on May 31.
In the co-main event that will also be contested at featherweight, Javier “Blair” Reyes (8-3) of Bogota, Colombia will face off with Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez protégé Joe “Nine Lives” Neal (6-4) of Hayward, Calif.
In a featured, women’s bantamweight (135 pounds) bout announced today, undefeated Tina Pettigrew (5-0) of San Diego, Calif. will battle Maritza Sanchez (5-6) of El Dorado, Calif.
Elsewhere on the card, knockout artist Alejandro “Hulk” Sanchez (6-1) of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico will face unbeaten Cameron Church (2-0) of Lake Tahoe, Nev. at lightweight (155 pounds).
In a 140-pound catchweight preliminary bout contest, undefeated Dan Arguetta (3-0) of Orland Park, Ill. will face Roger Severson (3-3-1) of Vallejo, Calif.
An atomweight (105 pounds) women’s affair will see Yajaira Cunningham (1-1) of Miami, Fla. meet McKenna Mitchell (0-2) of Aptos, Calif.
Combate Americas veteran and Nate Diaz teammate Jose Aguayo (3-2) of Stockton will square off with an opponent to be determined.
Additional preliminary card bouts will be announced soon.
The English-language broadcast will feature play-by-play commentary by veteran national television sports journalist Max Bretos, and color commentary from MMA superstar Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña.
Leading up to the Network’s official Combate Americas telecasts in 2020, AXS TV and FN will air a trio of Best Of Combate Americas specials kicking off on December 6 at 10pE with a 60-minute preview of “Tito Vs. Alberto-What Side Are You On”—an inside look at the much-anticipated showdown between MMA trailblazer Tito Ortiz and multiple-time WWE Heavyweight Champion Alberto “El Patrón” Rodriguez (formerly “Alberto Del Rio” of the WWE) on December 7.
The following two specials will air on Friday, Dec. 20 at 10pE/7pP (90-minute program), and on Friday, Dec. 27 at 10pE/7pP, and will cover the 2018 “Copa Combate” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament and the most exciting Combate Americas fights from 2019, respectively.
