Combate Americas today announced three new matchups for its historic, first event in Puerto Rico and the first live television Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event on the island in over 23 years, at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Among the three bouts announced today was a super heavyweight (over 265 pounds) matchup between former Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling tag team champion German “Apolo” Figueroa (0-0), who will make his MMA debut against John Calloway (0-3).
Figueroa, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound goliath, is best known to professional wrestling fans for his three stints with TNA. He has been preparing in San Juan for the last year for his transition to MMA.
The 6-foot-1, 265-pound Calloway hails from Chesterfield, Va. and will look for his first win as a professional after suffering a first round (2:47) submission (rear-naked choke) loss to Anhony Horn in Calloway’s lone 2019 start on October 19.
In other action announced today for the show, unbeaten, rising star Zedekiah “Zed” Montanez (4-0) will take on Combate Americas veteran Billy Molina (5-4) in a featherweight (145 pounds) contest.
Fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa., Montanez is a hard-hitting, 27-year-old protégé of retired, former MMA star Sam Oropeza. Montanez, who recently signed an, exclusive, multi-fight promotional contract with Combate Americas, is coming off a first round (4:26) TKO (punches) of Mike Putnam on September 28.
The 33-year-old Molina of San Juan will return to competition for the first time since his first round (4:50) technical submission (stoppage due to strikes) at the hands of superstar Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo at “Combate Clásico” in Miami, Fla. on July 27, 2017.
Prior to the loss, Molina had reeled off victories in five of six starts, including a first round (1:20) TKO (strikes) of former “COPA COMBATE” tournament competitor Michael Erosa.
A lightweight (155 pounds) tilt announced today pits veteran Omar “El Salvaje” Vega (9-6) of San Juan against Jomal Rodriguez (3-2) of Plant City, Fla.
Additional fights for Combate Americas’ debut event in San Juan will be announced soon.
Priced from $50, tickets for the Combate Americas event are on sale at TicketeraPR.com.
In a previously announced, featured 130-pound women’s matchup and rematch under MMA rules to a 2017 world championship boxing showdown, seven-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (1-0-1 MMA; 37-1-1 (27 KO’s), boxing) will face off with Dahianna “La Cobra” Santana (0-0 MMA; 36-12 (15 KO’s), boxing)
Fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y., Serrano, who was born in Carolina, PR, is the only Puerto Rican and only female fighter to win seven world titles in seven different weight classes, a feat matched only by fellow icons Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.
Hailing from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Santana is a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) world featherweight champion, who has been preparing for her crossover to MMA since earlier this year at the Santo Domingo-based Team Mordan camp.
The historic Combate Americas event will mark the first time that a live television MMA show takes place on the island since Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren, a co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), executive produced UFC 8 in November 1996.
