Tito Ortiz needed less than a round to stop Alberto “El Patron” Rodriguez in what ended up being the biggest night in Combate Americas history.
In what was the biggest showcase of homegrown talent for Combate Americas, it was former UFC champion Tito Ortiz who capped off the show as he stopped long-time brand ambassador and former WWE champion Alberto Del Rio. “El Patron” opened the fight with an impressive throw but was reversed quickly by Ortiz who controlled the top position with his efficient ground-and-pound attack. Del Rio found his way back to the feet before Ortiz brought him back to the mat again, this time eventually taking the back of the former WWE superstar and sinking in a rear-naked choke to stop the fight within the first round.
Ortiz presented the WWE belt he won from Del Rio to his sons, whom he told cage reporter Melissa Santos were big WWE fans. He expressed his desire to continue fighting, stating the possibility of competing again in Combate Americas but leaving the door open for other options. After having promised $50k to a charity of Del Rio’s choice should make it to the second round, Ortiz said he would donate $10k to a charity for having shared the cage with him. His victory also drew acknowledgement from President Donald Trump who tweeted congratulations. Ortiz’s fight gear all week displayed his support for Trump in the upcoming 2020 election. Ortiz was part of the Celebrity Apprentice reality show back in 2007 which famously starred the future President.
In the night’s co-main event, rising prospect Melissa “Super Mely” Martinez faced great adversity against the relentless Desiree “Dirty Dez” Yanez. Yanez opened the fight by clinching immediately with Martinez and working against the fence. Yanez went on to score a brief takedown but Martinez was able to break away and land shots on the feet to close out the round. The second round saw Martinez open up with more shots on the feet but Yanez scored a huge takedown and spent the majority of the round in top position where she rained down punches. After a gear change in-between rounds for Martinez stemming from a wardrobe issue, the Mexican born striker opened the third aggressively. Yanez would get a brief takedown but Martinez defended and was able to threaten with a guillotine attempt. The fight ended with a final guillotine attempt for Martinez and several strikes at the bell. In the end, the judges were split with one judge scoring the fight 29-27 for Yanez and the other two giving Martinez 29-28 to award “Super Mely” the inaugural women’s title in Combate Americas.
The pay-per-view broadcast saw several impressive performances from top Combate Americas talent. Bellator veteran turned Combate Americas commentator Gaston “Tonga” Reyno had a dominant victory in his return to the cage with a unanimous decision victory over Rey Trujillo to open the broadcast. Inaugural Copa Combate winner Levy Saul Marroquin survived a dominant grappling attack from Enrique Gonzalez before securing a late guillotine for an electrifying first round stoppage. Finally, pro-wrestler turned mixed martial artist “Sexy” Dulce Garcia engaged in a fun battle with Analí Lopez in which Lopez controlled the early portion of the fight with her movement before Garcia connected with several huge shots and was able to grab hold of a guillotine for her own first round stoppage.
The event kicked off the promotion’s new partnership with AXS TV who had supplementary programming for the event. In attendance, Mexican telenovela star and Combate Americas co-owner Kate del Castillo presented Melissa Martinez with her title belt. The event also served to promote the upcoming slate of events with another one-night tournament coming up on December 20 and an event in Puerto Rico set for the new year on January 25. Finally, current UFC star and recently crowned BMF champion Jorge Masvidal joined the event as a special guest commentator who worked on both the English and Spanish broadcasts.
Main Card Results:
Tito Ortiz def. Alberto Rodríguez via Submission (RNC) – Rd. 1 (3:10)
Melissa Martínez def. Desiree Yanez via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-29)
Levy Marroquín def. Enrique González via Submission (Guillotine) – Rd. 1 (4:53)
Daniel Barez def. Joao Camilo via Split Decision (30-27 29-28, 28-29)
Dulce García def. Analí López via Submission (Guillotina) – Rd. 1 (2:47)
Gastón Reyno def. Rey Trujillo via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card Results:
Víctor Martínez def. Luis Luna via TKO (Punches) – Rd. 1 (1:30)
Raymond Banda vs Edmilson Freitas – Majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Luke Flores def. Clarence Brown via Submission (RNC) – Rd. 1 (3:16)
Elías Urbina def. Mikey Tovar via KO (Head kick) – Rd. 1 (3:14)
