Combate (formerly Combate Americas), formed in 2011, is the brainchild of UFC co-founder Campbell McLaren, who serves as the company’s CEO. The promotion caters to the Hispanic market, and previously aired on Univision for a six-year run.

20 live Combate Global events are set to be held at Estrella’s new network studio, starting in February 2026. The space can house roughly 500 spectators, per a report by the L.A. Times.

“It’s a bigger market, access to more talent, access to more behind-the-camera talent, access to more on-camera talent,” McLaren told the Times. “We feel we’re making a big, big step.”

Combate has seen UFC talents like John Castaneda, Gustavo Lopez, Daniel Zellhuber, and Erick Perez (who fought there between his UFC and Bellator stints) compete under its banner. Boxing star Amanda Serrano, who made a successful crossover to MMA, competed for the company twice in 2018, posting a 1-0-1 record. Perhaps its most notorious fight, however, saw former UFC light heavyweight champion and Hall of Fame member Tito Ortiz defeat pro wrestling’s Alberto del Rio (fighting as Alberto El Patrón) in December of 2019. Alberto, who competed for PRIDE as Dos Caras Jr., was submitted in just over three minutes in what would be the final MMA fight of “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”

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“Combate Female” is set to feature six fights on March 13, 2025, going down at the TelevisaUnivision Studio in Miami, Florida. It’s not the first time the promotion, led by UFC co-founder Campbell McLaren, has booked an all-female event. Another “Combate Female” card was held last June, with strawweights Melissa Amaya and Samantha Jean-Francois headlining.

Combate Global has produced talents like John Castaneda, Melissa Martinez and Gustavo Lopez, all of whom would go on to fight in the UFC.

Promotion officials announced the news in a press release late last month.

“With YouTube in our corner as it grows its interest in live sports, COMBATE GLOBAL will be able to achieve its mission of delivering ‘Much More Action’ to a global Spanish-speaking audience via the biggest streaming video platform on the planet,” said COMBATE GLOBAL CEO Campbell McLaren, quoted in the aforementioned press release. “COMBATE GLOBAL couldn’t ask for a better partner than YouTube as we launch full speed into the future and spearhead the rapid growth and engagement of our live audiences.”

The current Combate Female card on March 13 currently features the following match-ups:

• Maritza Sanchez vs. Kate Bacik
• Janet Garcia vs. Nicole Geraldo
• Kenia Enriquez vs. Hayley Valentine
• Yazmin Najera vs. Wiktoria Wojciechowska
• Sayury Canon vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc
• Sharon Martinez vs. Claudia Pizarro

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C6jktLviOhS/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D

One thing Alejandra Lara has always had is the ability to show her personality to the audience watching.  It is what has made her a fan favorite throughout a roughly seven year career with Bellator and has now brought her to a headliner for the Latin American centric promotion Combate Global.

Lara has long been one of the stand out female prospects to come out of Latin America, being a part of the highly respected Lobo Gym that has produced the likes of UFC champion Alexa Grasso, and contenders like Irene Aldana and Diego Lopes to name a few.  That’s not to mention her other work that has raised her profile, with appearances on the hit Latin American reality show Exatlon and working as a commentator for the Colombian based promotion Naciones MMA.

It is that fact that makes her next fight with Combate Global such a perfect pairing.  The promotion has become a staple of Spanish network television and consistently draws great ratings in South America and beyond.  While Bellator is widely respected as one of the top global promotions in the world, Lara acknowledges that this fight is being more promoted to the same audience that saw her on reality tv and that has been good for her business wise.

“Yes! It was actually even easier to get a couple sponsorships because of that.  They know Combate for Latino people which is my public, my main crowd.  It’s a great platform as you say.  I even have family in Miami.  Everyone is like ‘Oh where can we watch your fight? It’s easier for them now to watch this fight and now I’m glad.”

A veteran of Bellator since 2017, Lara had signed a new deal at the time of her last fight in January of 2024.  However, her multi-fight skid and the acquisition of Bellator by the PFL led to her being released from her contract by the new ownership.  While it was a blow, Lara said she knew to be prepared for anything from a business perspective.

“Well that was something that I was prepared for. I’m very into being prepared for the worst scenario so we were also considering ‘okay what are we going to do next if they don’t re-sign [me]? They actually renewed my contract but then everything changed and it’s okay. I just accepted that and we were expecting something to happen. I was just focusing on being ready for whatever and that’s what happened. I’m so glad and so grateful to Combate for this opportunity and very excited for this fight.”

Combate Global had originally planned to have Lara take on their homegrown talent Lucero “Loba” Acosta (5-2) in what would have been a pairing of two individuals with huge followings.  However, an injury to Acosta led to a new opponent for Lara: former Argentinian national kickboxing champion and 5-1 MMA professional Gisela Luna.  The fight is a notable change up, with Acosta being more known for her social media presence while Luna is an unknown who (on paper) figures to pose a more formidable challenge.  That said, Lara says the preparation has not veered that much from the original course.

“I think the game plan didn’t change that much because the style is pretty similar. They are kickboxers, they are very tough and come forward. So it didn’t change that much in my training or in my strategy. I think it’s a very good match. It’s an exciting match for me.”

At just 29 years old, “Azul” is still in a great place to have a strong third chapter in her professional career.  Whether that be in another showcase like the one she will have this Saturday for Combate Global, or another shot at joining a major MMA organization, Lara says she’s only focused on her upcoming challenge.

“The first thing is I feel I’m a new fighter now. I fixed some problems that were holding me from giving my full potential before. Like my back situation. Now I’m feeling so healthy, so capable of doing all that I can do and I know this is going to show up in the fight. I always like to go one step at a time. That’s the thing. I’ll start winning. Winning. And then let’s see what happens.”

Alejandra Lara takes on Gisela Luna at Combate Global’s event this Saturday on May 11, 2024.

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A 38-year-old former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces who began transitioning (male to female) in 2010, Alana McLaughlin made her MMA debut Friday night against Celine Provost at Combate Global’s latest event. As a transgender athlete in mixed martial arts, McLaughlin is a rare case. McLaughlin said prior to the bout that she was attempting to pick up the mantle that Fallon Fox put down.

Fox, of course, was the first transgender MMA fighter to fight in MMA, back from 2012 to 2014. He presence in the sport drew loads of controversy from notable MMA figures such as Joe Rogan and others, especially after she fractured the orbital bone and concussed her final opponent, Tamikka Brents. Fox was also in person for McLaughlin’s debut Friday night.

The first round was a rough one for McLaughlin, as Provost rocked her multiple times and seemed on the verge of getting a finish. However, McLaughlin would survive and in round two would secure an amazing comeback finish, as she would take down Provost and get the rear-naked-choke finish at 3:32 of the second frame. That moved McLaughlin to 1-0 in her MMA career.

The win was a historic one, given there has been no known transgender fighter since Fox in 2014 in MMA. However in boxing, Patricio Manuel became the first transgender male to compete in a professional bout in the United States when he beat Hugo Aguilar via unanimous decision.

McLaughlin made it known that she’s trying to open more doors for trans athletes to compete, saying:

“If we want to see more trans athletes, if we want to see more opportunities for trans kids, we’re going to have to work out way into those spaces and make it happen. It’s time for trans folks to be in sports and be more normalized.”

It’s worth noting that McLaughlin’s debut comes at a time as multiple states argue bills aimed at restricting transgender athletes from participating in youth, high school and college sports. Earlier this summer, Mississippi became the second U.S. state to ban trans athletes from competing in women’s sports. The Mississippi Fairness Act requires athletes to compete according to their sex at birth, rather than gender identity. More states are expected to follow suit.

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Combate Global, formerly Combate Americas, has found a new English broadcast partner as they announced a partnership with Paramount and CBS Sports.  The promotion will begin their partnership with their event on June 25 airing on the CBS Sports Network.  Afterward, their live events will air exclusively on the Paramount+ streaming service.  A weekly one-hour recap show for the most recent event will air on the CBS Sports Network.  Per a press release, the promotion plans to air 30 events annually in 2022 and 2023.

The company first gained traction by airing on UFC Fight Pass before later joining Bellator on the streaming service DAZN.  In late 2019, the promotion left the streamer to go to the more established AXS TV following the end of their partnership with LFA.  Combate aired several shows on the network, but went over a year without holding events due to the pandemic.  AXS on to sign a deal with Invicta FC.  Combate did not have an English language broadcast upon their return earlier this year.  The promotion’s Spanish broadcast has historically performed well by airing on major networks Telemundo and now Univision.

Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren said of the partnership:

We are thrilled to partner with CBS Sports and bring Combate Global action to the Paramount+ platform. Millions of combat sports fans have heard about Combate Global’s fast and furious version of MMA and can now see for themselves. Find out why Combate is ‘Much More Action’ with our world class announcing team calling the action.

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Combate Americas lives to fight another day.

The Latin American centered promotion announced earlier this week that they will now be branded as Combate Global going forward along with an extended television deal.  In a press release, Combate Global announced that they had signed a new five year deal with their current Spanish language broadcast partner Univision that will feature 150 live events over the next five years.  The promotion has been a part of the network since 2018.  Combate Global had signed a new English broadcast deal with AXS TV in 2019 with a plan to feature 35 events in 2020.  It is unknown what the current status of the deal is as only three events were held on AXS before the promotion was shut down due to the pandemic.  The event on April 9 is the promotion’s first since February of last year and it is unclear if the AXS TV deal remains active.

President of Univision Sports Juan Carlos Rodriguez said in the release:

We are excited to extend our relationship and look forwar to growing the Combate brand in new and innovative ways across our Univision platforms. With our audience’s passion for thrilling, live action, Combate has teamed with our portfolio of soccer rights to deliver a powerful one-two punch.  Combate is a fast-ascending property and we are committed to delivering more events from the premier Hispanic MMA franchise to fight fans than ever before.

As part of the rebrand, Combate Global also expressed interest in signing more athletes from beyond the United States and Latin America.  The promotion is known for loading the prelims with local talent that is usually just starting out their careers, with the televised portions featuring longer tenured fighters.  It is unknown what the state of the Combate Global roster is as several fighters such as former champions Rafa Garcia, Gustavo Lopez, and more became free agents in the past year.

More information on the April 9 card is expected to be released in the upcoming days.

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The year 2020 will go down in history for a lot of reasons: a celebrity from the Apprentice was leading one of the most powerful nations in the world, a terrible virus plagued the planet and caused a pandemic, and now it has its next big strange story. UFC Hall of Famer and former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, 45, is beginning his political career, running for Huntington Beach City Council according to TMZ.

The “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has always represented his hometown inside of the cage, and he’s now looking to represent it on the city council. Ortiz officially filed to appear on the November ballot for Huntington Beach city council, where three seats are up for grabs in the next election. Ortiz’s paperwork doesn’t designate a political party, however, he has long been a vocal supporter for current Republican sitting President Donald Trump.

Ortiz had been kicking around the idea of a career change for the last few months, first saying he was going to be a police officer, before deciding to run for public office. The city council is in charge of things including setting policies under which the city will operate, and budgets for city services. The most important detail of this, perhaps, is that the Huntington Beach Mayor is selected yearly from it’s sitting council members.

So hypothetically Ortiz could potentially one day be the mayor of Huntington Beach. However, before he can worry about being called Mayor Ortiz, he would obviously need to win a seat in the city council in November.

Ortiz last competed in MMA in December, defeating former WWE champion Alberto El Patron in Combate Americas inside of the first round. He currently holds a professional record of 21-12-1.

If he wins, Ortiz would one of the few politicians to have MMA experience. Among the most famous of which currently is Sharice Davids, who is currently a Kansas Representative and holds a professional record of 1-1. Internationally, Fedor Emelianenko was elected as deputy of the Belgorod Regional Duma in his native Russia in 2010, and later served as a member of Russia’s Council of Physical Fitness & Sports.

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On Tuesday afternoon, Combate Americas announced that they would be postponing their return to action next month. The promotion had planned their first show since February with the first of three shows on August 28 that were set to be held in Florida. The promotion cited health and safety concerns as the reason for the postponement.

In a statement, Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren wrote:

“This is not a decision we took lightly, and is based entirely on our focus to prioritize the safety of our employees, broadcast partners, fighters and the broader MMA community. We explored many alternatives to avoid this measure, including the possibility of moving our in-studio fights to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the state of California is in a similarly precarious situation with COVID outbreaks, and it seems untenable to proceed without taking into consideration the health of those we love.”

Prior to the postponement, the company had planned to kick off their return with the crowning of a new champion in the flyweight division on August 28 with a fight between Juan Puerta and David Duran. As of two weeks ago, the company had continued to announce fights for thee event with several local fighters being announced for the undercard and the addition of former title challenger Desiree Yanez in the co-main event. Further events had also been planned for September 11 and September 25.

Combate Americas had planned to hold events at a closed studio set in Miami without spectators in attendance. The promotion also stated that they had plans for their Los Angeles based staff to utilize the free testing available in Los Angeles County and to have a private physician on-site to oversee testing in Florida.

Currently, no date for a return has been announced.

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On Tuesday morning, Combate Americas announced that the promotion will be returning with a trio of events on August 28, September 11, and September 25 respectively and crown an inaugural champion in the flyweight division.  Notably, the promotion will be using a closed set studio in Miami to broadcast events without fans in attendance.

Per a press release, the promotion will be having their Los Angeles based staff tested for COVID-19 prior to having them travel to Miami by utilizing the free testing recently made available in Los Angeles County.  The release further states that the promotion has hired a private physician who will administer and oversee testing for all athletes, staff, and officials on-site in Miami.

Regarding the studio, Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren said “As live sports return to television, Combate Americas is going to utilize this closed set studio series to deliver something that fans have never seen before and that will bring them closer than ever to the action from their screens.”  Though no further details were given, it would mean that the promotion is utilizing a unique venue compared to those being used by the UFC and LFA.  While no fans are allowed inside the UFC Apex currently being used in Vegas, the facility does have the capacity for a small audience that has been seen during past seasons of Dana White’s Contender Series.  LFA will be using the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota that has a capacity for just over 3,000 spectators, although their upcoming events are also closed to the public.

Headlining the event on August 28 will be Atlanta’s Juan “Leadfeather” Puerta (18-6) against David “The Farmer of Destruction” Duran (8-6) of California for the inaugural flyweight championship.  Puerta will be making his promotional debut having fought previously in Titan FC and goes into the bout on an eight fight win-streak.  Duran has previously fought in both Bellator and BAMMA USA and is undefeated under the Combate banner with three victories.

Combate Americas put on two events in 2020 prior to the coronavirus pandemic cancelling sporting events across the globe.  Following the fight between Puerta and Duran, the promotion will have three champions with the winner joining featherweight champion Bruno Cannetti and strawweight champion Melissa Martinez.  No further bouts for the newly announced cards have been made official at this time.

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When she’s not belting out tunes, Fulco also trains in MMA — and boyfriend Jesse Strader happens to be a promising knockout artist for Combate Americas.

We caught up with the power couple, virtually of course, to see how things are going during lockdown.

Strader (5-1) was just days away from his next fight for Combate when the proverbial excrement hit the fan. He was planning to fight in Mexico City, when the coronavirus pandemic forced the plug to be pulled.

“I was utterly devastated,” Strader said. “I was on my way, me and her were together actually when my manager called me. Just devastated, man, absolutely devastated. Just in shock, couldn’t believe it. Then the following week, everything was getting cancelled. The NBA, the NHL, everyone was cancelling everything. It kind of made me feel a little bit better, like ‘okay this thing’s really serious, maybe they’re not just messing me over, messing up my grind over here.'”

A lot of time and effort, not to mention money, went into his camp for Mexico City, noted Strader. “Even more so than the other camps, because I was really preparing for the altitude up there in Mexico City.”

Strader, however, has come to terms with it all. “I’ve soaked up the situation, and now I’m ready to get back, get things rolling, and when Combate gets their schedule of events together and figures out a solution, I’ll be ready to go for sure.”

When he does return to the cage, it’s gold that’s on his mind. Strader is coming off two straight knockout wins, and is 3-1 overall for the promotion. “The bantamweight division specifically for Combate Americas, it’s huge, it’s massive, it’s exciting. We’ve got a lot of tough, good opponents,” exclaimed Strader. “But just flat out, I’m the guy for the title next. For sure. 100%.”

As for Fulco, while she trains in MMA, she’s a spectator in her boyfriend’s career. As with many fighting couples, being the spectating half has its ups and downs.

“It’s awful and it’s fantastic at the same time,” she admitted. “His last fight, I actually got to be cageside. So I was right down there. It’s terrifying, because I love him, and I don’t want anybody to hit his pretty little face. But I know the name of the game, I know that’s part of it, and I know also how he is. And I’m so confident in his abilities. I’ve seen him do things that would blow your mind, just in his training.”

Still, there’s that thought: “Just don’t hit him in the face. Don’t hit him.” The nerves, and some prayers, come ahead of her partner’s fights, Fulco added. Ultimately, watching Strader compete is far more nerve wracking than preparing for her performances on The Voice.

“Hands down,” responded Fulco. “I’ve been excited and pumped for being on TV. When I see him, I’m genuinely praying to God that he’s okay.”

Strader admits that when his girlfriend appears on The Voice, he’s a bit of a nervous wreck too. “When she was going on stage for The Voice, I get nervous. It kind of put it in perspective. ‘Oh, is this how you feel?'”

Now, he admits, “I get it.”

Watch our full interview with Joei Fulco and Jesse Strader below!

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