Combate Americas announced its first live television Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event of 2019 that will take place at Auditorio del Estado in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico on Friday, Feb. 8, live on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) in English in the U.S. and Canada.
Priced from MX $300, tickets for the 11-bout Combate Americas live event go on sale tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. CT at CombateAmericas.com/Mexicali.
In the lightweight (155 pounds) main event, undefeated Cub Swanson-protégé Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (8-0) will collide with hard-hitting, rising star Edgar “Nasty Boy” Escarrega (5-2-1).
Fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif., USA where he trains under Swanson, the 24-year-old Garcia, a product of Mexicali, is coming off his best victory to date – a first round (2:26) knockout (punches) of veteran standout LaRue “The Cannibal” Burley – in a Combate Americas bout on September 14, 2018.
One of the fastest rising stars in the sport, Garcia has produced seven of his eight career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, with five of them coming inside of one round of action.
The 29-year-old Escarrega of Ensenada, Baja California will seek his fifth consecutive victory in what will mark his debut in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage.
In the flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event, Edgar “Pitbull” Chairez (4-1) of Mexicali will take on decorated Muay Thai champion Jose Alejandro Salazar (0-0) of Playas de Rosarito, Baja California.
The Combate Americas event will also feature the much-anticipated promotional debut of submission ace Misael “Pitbull” Iñarritu (6-2) of Phoenix, Ariz., USA via Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
The 25-year-old Iñarritu will face off with Alex “Bam” Velasco (7-3) of Ensenada in a lightweight contest.
In preliminary bout action, undefeated Jose “500’s” Antonio Marquez (5-0) of Tijuana, Baja California will square off with Christopher “Chiva” Ortega (7-8) of Mexicali at lightweight.
Another lightweight tilt will see Saul “El Prodigio” Cabrera (3-1) of Mexicali battle Christian Perez (0-0) of Ensenada.
In women’s flyweight (125 pounds) action, Jenny Favela (0-0) of Mexicali and Yasmine Jauregui (0-0) of Tijuana will face one another in their respective professional debuts.
A second women’s matchup between two professional debut upstarts will take place in the atomweight (105 pounds) division between Laura Huizar (0-0) of Mexicali and Dulce Hernandez (-0) of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico.
Unbeaten, rising stars Ramon Vizcarra (2-0) of Mexicali and Ernesto Ibarra (2-0) of Ensenada will risk their unblemished records against each other in a 130-pound catchweight fight.
Undefeated Christian Gonzales (2-0) of Tijuana will meet Carlos Ernesto Ochoa (3-6) of Mexicali in a 140-pound catchweight bout.
Another unbeaten prospect, Santiago Monreal (3-0) of Mexicali will throw down with Combate Americas veteran Heber Castillo (1-2) of Indio, Calif., USA., at flyweight.
The preliminary bout card will kick off with a lightweight matchup between Ramiro Jimenez (0-0) of Mexicali and Jesus Blanco (0-1) of Tijuana.
Doors at Auditorio del Estado will open for “Combate Baja” at 6 p.m. local time, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m.
COMPLETE “COMBATE BAJA” FIGHT CARD
LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN EVENT:
Rafa Garcia vs. Edgar Escarrega
FLYWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
Edgar Chairez vs. Jose Alejandro Salazar
PRELIMINARY BOUT CARD:
Lightweight: Alex Velasco vs. Misael Iñarritu
Lightweight: Christopher Ortega vs. Jose Antonio Marquez
Lightweight: Saul Cabrera vs. Christian Perez
Atomweight: Laura Huizar vs. Dulce Hernandez
Catchweight (140 pounds): Carlos Ernesto Ochoa vs. Christian Gonzales
Catchweight (130 pounds): Ramon Vizcarra vs. Ernesto Ibarra
Flyweight: Jenny Favela vs. Yasmine Jauregui
Flyweight: Santiago Monreal vs. Heber Castillo
Lightweight: Ramiro Jimenez vs. Jesus Blanco