Combate Americas has announced an inaugural lightweight title fight between Erick Gonzalez and Rafa Garcia on September 20 in Mexicali, Mexico.
Combate Americas has announced a lightweight title fight between the two winningest fighters in their lightweight division as Erick Gonzalez will battle Rafa Garcia for the opportunity to become the first champion in the weight class in promotional history.
Both Garcia and Gonzalez have been on a collision course for the past year after turning in several exciting performances to stand apart in the lightweight division. The men are tied for the most wins in the lightweight division (six) and the winner would obviously stand apart with the championship. The fight is culmination of several years of work for both men as Gonzalez has been with the company since 2016 while Garcia made his debut in 2017.
Erick Gonzalez (10-3) has become one of the most exciting fighters on the roster over the past several years, avenging his only loss in the promotion and even trying a bout at featherweight for the chance to enter the Copa Combate. This year “Ghost Pepper” had an impressive stoppage over Alejandro Martinez in March and made a quick turnaround to get a victory over Won Sik Park a month later in another exciting contest.
Rafa Garcia (10-0) has been impressive in victories over the likes of Chase Gibson and is riding a streak of three consecutive stoppages over LaRue Bailey, Edgar Escarrega, and Estevan Payan. Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren has been a large proponent of Garcia, going as far to say “Gifted” will be the next MMA superstar in the same vein as Conor McGregor.
Notably, the fight comes together earlier than expected as the two were expected to enter as the fighters to watch in the previously mentioned Copa Combate that was set to feature lightweights this year. It is unclear if the company will put on another one-night tournament this year or if it will feature lightweights and still include Gonzalez and Garcia.
More fights will be announced in the coming weeks. The fight is set to be held on September 20 at the Auditorio del Estado in Mexicali, Mexico. Tickets are on-sale now.
