Combate Global Event Set For Friday With Key Headliner

Unbeaten Cristian Perez headlines Friday night’s Combate Global event.

The card airs live on Paramount+ with Perez meeting Dumar Roa in a catchweight bout.

Paramount+ live coverage will begin with a Combate Global pre-show at 10:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. CT, and will continue with the live fight action, beginning at 11:00 p.m. ET/10:00 p.m. CT.
 
In addition, this week’s Combate coverage is complemented on CBS Sports Network with a one-hour recap show from the September 3 event, tomorrow, Thursday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
 
The 26-year-old Perez of Ensenada, B.C., Mexico will enter La Jaula, the Combate Global competition cage, for the third time in 2021, after reeling off back-to-back, first round submission victories, the first of which he produced in just 29 seconds via heel hook in April.
 
Fighting out of Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico, Roa is a 30-year-old native of Guateque, Boyaca, Colombia, and an aggressive finisher who has earned 10 of his 15 career wins via (T)KO or submission.
 
Also featured at the top of the card will be another 150-pound catchweight contest between aggressive strikers Isaac Ruelas (4-2) of Mexico City, Mexico and recent Combate Global one-night, four-man European tournament winner, Patrick Lehane (2-) of Cork, Ireland.
 
In a featured women’s flyweight (125 pounds) matchup between unbeaten prospects, Jazmin “La Pantera” Navarrete (1-0) of Santiago, Chile via Tijuana, B.C., Mexico will take on Mariel Celimen (1-0) of Miami.
 
Topping the preliminary bout card is a featherweight (145 pounds) battle between Fabricio Franco (8-3) of Rio Pardo, RGS, Brazil via Miami and Miguel “Destroyer” Villegas (7-2) of Tijuana.
 
In bantamweight (135 pounds) action, Cristian “Scorpio” Barraza (6-2) of Santiago, Chile will collide with Alex “Coyote” Gonzalez (3-3) of Mexico City.
 
Alana McLaughlin (0-0) of Portland, Ore. will make her professional MMA debut in a featherweight scrap with Celine Provost (0-0) of Paris, France.