Combate Americas has announced their third Copa Combate one-night tournament, this time featuring lightweights who will compete on December 20 in Lima, Peru.
Combate Americas has announced their one-night tournament, the Copa Combate, for 2019 which will feature lightweights competing on December 20 in Lima, Peru. Eight fighters will compete in the special event with a $100k grand prize going to the winner. An added twist, the winner will lock in a shot at current lightweight champion Rafa “Gifted” Garcia in 2020. The event is set to take place at the Coliseo Manuel Bonilla.
Leading the field will be Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez, the recent title challenger who went to war with Garcia back in September. With the inaugural title on the line, Gonzalez took an early lead before Garcia rallied back to win the fight.
Other entrants include: Humberto Bandenay (15-7-1) who is a local favorite from Lima, Jose Luis Verdugo (10-8) of Mexico, undefeated Esteban Ribovics (7-0) of Argentina, Hugo Prada (8-3) of Colombia, undefeated Lucas Corbage (10-0) of Brazil, Yoel Jimenez (5-3) of Spain, and wild card entrant Salvador Becerra (8-2) of Modesto, California who notched a victory at Combate Americas’ most recent event last week. In the only alternate bout, Ignacio Bahamondes (9-3) of Chile will take on local fighter Milko Tucto (4-1) of Lima.
It is expected that the Copa Combate will follow the same format in years past with the following rules for each stage of the tournament.
Quarterfinals: 1 x 5 minute round with no elbows allowed.
Seminfinals: 3 x 3 minute rounds with no elbows allowed.
Final: Standard 3 x 5 minute rounds with elbows allowed.
The past two years have seen a winner in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions. Andres Quintana won the tournament as the favorite in 2018 while Levy Marroquin shocked the field by winning as an alternate in 2017.
