Combate Americas announced that Alejandro “El Pato” Martinez (4-4) will replace an injured Pablo “El Gallo Negro” Sabori (9-6) as Mexico’s representative in the ‘Mexico vs. USA’ lightweight (155 pounds) main event against fast-rising American star Adrian Guzman (6-1) when the world’s premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise returns to Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. on Friday, Feb. 28.
The Combate Americas ‘Mexico vs. USA’ event airs live on television in the U.S. in Spanish on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and TUDN USA (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT), and in English on AXS TV (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), and in Mexico on Televisa Canal 5 (11 p.m. local time).
A rugged battler, the 28-year-old Martinez of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco has earned all four of his professional career wins via (T)KO or submission. He is looking to bounce back after a split decision loss to Enrique “Baby Bull” Gonzalez last June 21.
Guzman of Parlier, Calif. is coming off an electrifying, three-round unanimous decision win over Danny “The Realist” Ramirez in Combate Americas main event action at Save Mart Center last November 22.
Guzman has earned four of his six career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, and will look for his third consecutive win.
Also announced today was a featured, women’s strawweight (115 pounds) contest between Stephanie “Macaquinha” Frausto (7-6) and Charisa Sigala (4-1).
The matchup between Frausto of Madera, Calif. and Sigala of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. will replace the previously announced flyweight (125 pounds) meeting between Frausto’s sister, Zoila Frausto (14-6), and Karla Benitez (17-15-1, 1 NC), after Benitez was deemed ineligible to compete on the scheduled date of the event.
The 29-year-old Stephanie Frausto will aim for her third consecutive win following a spectacular, second round (4:59) TKO of Celine Haga in what marked Frausto’s Combate Americas debut last November 22.
Sigala is a 35-year-old, aggressive-minded finisher who had been victorious by way of (T)KO or submission in each of her first four professional starts before finding herself on the losing end of a split decision against Spain’s Irene Cabello Rivera at Combate Americas last May 10.
In one of five preliminary bouts announced today, Lucero “La Loba” Acosta (1-0) of El Centro, Calif. will square off against Martiza Sanchez (0-1) of El Dorado, Calif. in a bantamweight (135 pounds) contest.
A bantamweight matchup between two unbeaten prospects will see Shane Torres (2-0) of Santa Cruz, Calif. face off with Holt “The Incredible” Felkins (2-0) of Bakersfield, Calif.
In featherweight (145 pounds) action, Jose “Stilmatik” Avalos (4-2) of Parlier will battle Roger “Rare Breed” Severson (3-4-1) of Vallejo, Calif.
Another featherweight bout will pit Brock Dias (0-0) of Tulare, Calif. against Anthony Parham, Jr. (0-1) of Bakersfield.
Mike Tubera (0-1) of Ceres, Calif. will meet Austin “The Dynasty” Liu (0-1) of Fresno at bantamweight.
In one of two previously announced, featured ‘Mexico vs. USA’ scraps, Ivan “Choko” Castillo (17-13) of Ensenada, B.C. will battle Danny “The Realist” Ramirez (6-6) of Dorado Hills, Calif. at lightweight and, in the other, unbeaten Carlos Reyes (1-0) of Tijuana will face rising star Paul Elizondo (3-1) of Fresno at flyweight.
Priced from $22, tickets for the ‘Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA’ event are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.
Doors at Save Mart Center will open at 6 p.m. local time for the Combate Americas event, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m.
COMBATE AMERICAS ‘MEXICO VS. USA’ UPDATED FIGHT CARD
LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
Adrian Guzman (6-1) vs. Alejandro Martinez (4-4)
FEATURED LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT:
Ivan Castillo (17-13) vs. Danny Ramirez (6-6)
FEATURED WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT BOUT:
Stephanie Frausto (7-6) vs. Charisa Sigala (4-1)
PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:
Flyweight: Paul Elizondo (3-1) vs. Carlos Reyes (1-0)
Bantamweight: Lucero Acosta (1-0) vs. Maritza Sanchez (0-1)
Bantamweight: Shane Torres (2-0) vs. Holt Felkins (2-0)
Featherweight: Jose Avalos (4-2) vs. Roger Severson (3-4-1)
Featherweight: Brock Dias (0-0) vs. Anthony Parham, Jr. (0-1)
Bantamweight: Mike Tubera (0-1) vs. Austin Liu (0-1)
