AXS TV and Fight Network (FN) present an hour-long special preview show of the highly-anticipated Combate Americas fight between Tito Ortiz and Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez, tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT, in advance of the MMA pay-per-view extravaganza in McAllen, Texas tomorrow night, Dec. 7. The fight between MMA trailblazer Ortiz and multiple WWE Heavyweight Champion Rodriguez (formerly “Alberto Del Rio” of the WWE), is available live on pay-per-view in the U.S. for $29.99.
Hosted by veteran TV sports journalist Max Bretos and MMA superstar Julianna Peña, the special, Tito Vs. Alberto-What Side Are You On, features analysis and commentary from such accomplished experts as UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock and Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.
Following are quote highlights from Tito Vs. Alberto-What Side Are You On airing tonight on AXS TV and FN.
Shamrock on Ortiz vs. El Patron:
“I think Tito [Ortiz] knows who he is. He’s had all the competition in the world and has always risen to the level of being a champion. Being confident is much different than being cocky. Being confident means he put in the training and he knows where he’s at, he knows who his opponent is, and he feels very comfortable where he’s going into this fight.”
“Anybody that has an eye and understanding of fighting knows that Alberto [El Patron] is fighting an uphill battle. There’s no question. But, some of the things that I have seen form Alberto almost reminds me sometimes of when I was growing up, living in the street, having to struggle to get from here to there, fighting for everything that you can get. To me, that bids well for him going into the fight, knowing that he’s willing to do whatever he needs to do to try to win this fight. Which means even probably taking a whole lot of punishment, trying to get into the later rounds, and possibly catching Tito [Ortiz] when he’s wearing out.”
McLaren while addressing both Ortiz & El Patron about the end of the fight:
“I think what happens at the end of that fight is our purpose, because a lot of people are gonna have very strong opinions on this fight. Supporting one guy over another guy. Supporting WWE over UFC. Political sides to this, right? So I think you two represent the best aspects of combat sports. I think at the end regardless of the outcome, how you guys act is gonna be the defining moment. And there’s a lot on you guys. I know how much you both care about your kids. I know how much you both care about children. I know how much you both care about setting an example. This is gonna be a great place to set an example.”
McLaren on the political nature of the fight:
“We call the event ‘What Side Are You On?’ for a lot of different reasons. There’s obviously the political overtones. I spent a day and a half going and doing every show on Fox [News] with Tito. We certainly saw the political side of that. I also think ‘What Side Are You On?’ can also mean WWE vs. UFC. We got a WWE champ and a UFC champ. So I think there’s a lot of aspects to this.”
McLaren on why Ortiz vs. El Patron is in McAllen, Texas:
“I put this in McAllen, Texas for obvious reasons. It’s right on the border. President Trump went there to show off the wall. I thought it got us in Texas, it got us in Mexico, it got us in the U.S., it might get us in trouble.”
In addition to tonight’s preview special, tune in next week to the live MMA event “Combate Americas: North America vs. South America” on AXS TV Friday, Dec. 13 at 10pE/7pP from Stockton, CA.
Finishing the year in style, don’t miss two Combate Americas specials airing on Friday, Dec. 20 at 10pE/7pP (90-minute program) showcasing the 2018 “Copa Combate” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament and on Friday, Dec. 27 at 10pE/7pP featuring the most exciting Combate Americas fights from 2019.
