Fighters hit the scale and faced off today, one day before Combate Americas’ annual “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament that will take place in the lightweight (155 pounds) division and air live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on Univision (12 a.m. ET/11 p.m. CT) and TUDN USA (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT), and in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Coliseo Manuel Bonilla in Lima, Peru.
The 2019 tournament marks the first time that the annual event will take place in South America. The winner, who will have defeated three opponents in one night to earn the $100,000 grand prize, will become the number one contender and next challenger to reigning undefeated Combate Americas world champion Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (11-0).
Kicking off with the tournament entrants, Group A tournament bracket fighter Hugo “Hache” Prada (8-3) of Colombia weighed in at 155.6 pounds while his opponent Humberto Bandenay (15-7) of Peru weighed in at 154.4 pounds.
In tournament bracket Group B, Yoel “El Pitbull” Jimenez (5-3) of Spain weighed in at 155.2 pounds and his opponent Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez (10-4) of Los Angeles, California weighed in at 155.9 pounds.
In Group C, Jose Luis “Dos Lobos” Verdugo (10-8) of Mexico weighed in at 155.6 pounds while his opponent, undefeated Brazilian Lucas “Lubera” Corbage (10-0) weighed in at 153.5 pounds.
Finally in Group D, California native Salvador Becerra (8-2) weighed in at 156 pounds, while his scheduled opponent Kevin “El Polaco” Koldobsky (9-6) of Argentina weighed in at 159 pounds.
As a result of Koldbosky’s failure to make the weight limit, he has been scratched from the tournament and fight card, and Becerra will square off with Renzo Tucto (4-1) of Lima.
Tucto, who weighed in at 154.4 pounds, was originally scheduled to face Ignacio “Nacho” Bahamondes (9-3) of Santiago, Chile in a tournament alternate bout.
Bahamondes weighed in at 155.9 pounds, and will serve as the sole tournament alternate competitor.
Should one of the tournament’s quarterfinal stage fight winners be unable to continue his bid in the semifinal stage of action due to injury, Bahamondes will replace the injured fighter in the tournament.
The winner of the bout between Bandenay and Prada will face the winner of the bout between Verdugo and Corbage in the semifinal stage of the tournament.
The winner of the matchup between Jimenez and Gonzalez will face the winner of the Becerra-Tucto fight in the semifinal stage of the tournament.
The two semifinal stage bout winners will square off in the championship round of the tournament.
In the co-main event, Renzo “El Nene” Mendez (13-6), who was scheduled to take on Juan “El Molo” Pablo Gonzalez (7-3-2), will meet fellow Lima resident and undefeated, rising star Kevin Borjas (5-0) at a catchweight of 139 pounds.
Mendez weighed in at 137 pounds, and Borjas weighed in at 193 pounds after Gonzalez was forced to withdraw due to his inability to make weight.
In the scheduled women’s strawweight (115 pounds) contest, Sandra Lavado (7-2) of Lima weighed in at 116 pounds, while her opponent, Lina Franco Rodriguez (4-2) of Bogota, Colombia will forfeit 20 percent of her purse after weighing in at 119.1 pounds.
COMBATE AMERICAS WEIGH IN RESULTS:
LIGHTWEIGHT (155 LBS.) TOURNAMENT:
- Group A: Hugo “Hache” Prada (155.6 lbs.) vs. Humberto Baneday (154.4 lbs.)
- Group B: Yoel “El Pitbull” Jimenez (155.2 lbs.) vs. Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez (155.9 lbs.)
- Group C: Jose Luis “Dos Lobos” Verdugo (155.6 lbs.) vs. Lucas “Lubera” Corbage (153.5 lbs.)
- Group D: Salvador Becerra (156 lbs.) vs. Renzo Tucto (154.4 lbs.)
CO-MAIN CATCHWEIGHT (139 LBS.) EVENT: Renzo “El Nene” Mendez (137 lbs.) vs. Kevin Borjas (139 lbs.)
FEATURED STRAWWEIGHT (115 LBS.) WOMEN’S BOUT: Lina Franco Rodriguez (119.1 lbs.) vs. Sandra Lavado (116 lbs.)
