Combate Global
Combate Global (formerly known as Combate Americas) is an Hispanic American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company founded in 2011 by current-CEO Campbell McLaren and based in New York City, New York. Its business encompasses live events, television broadcasts, and mobile content catering to a millennial audience; with the average age of viewers being 27. In 2024, Combate Global was ranked by Forbes as the tenth most valuable combat sports organization in the world, with an estimated value of $120 million.
History
In December 2013, Mun2 greenlit a reality competition series called Combate Americas to air in 2014. The series would feature ten fighters in two weight classes competing for a chance to win an exclusive contract with the promotion. Founder and CEO Campbell McLaren has said that the company “was specifically created to present the best new Hispanic fighters and to introduce a whole new audience to this highly entertaining sport.”
Chino y Nacho hosted the series, while Daddy Yankee served as the first commissioner of Combate. The series culminated with Ismael Leon being crowned the featherweight champion, and Danny Morales winning the welterweight bracket.
Combate Americas was the winner of the Imagen Award for “Best Reality or Variety Series”. The show also won the 2014 Cable Fax Award for "Best Show or Series Reality/Competition/Game Show".
In 2017, Trenton Thunder Co-owner Joe Plumeri became the non-Executive Chairman of the board.
In 2018, Combate announced a live Programming Agreement with Univision Deportes. “Combate ESTRELLAS I” and “Combate ESTRELLAS II”, respectively broadcast on Friday, April 13 and Friday, April 20, would be the first live televised MMA events to air on the main Univision broadcast network and Univision Deportes.
“Combate ESTRELLAS I” delivered a total of 583,000 persons 2+, including 296,000 adults in the coveted 18-49 age group, on the Univision and Univision Deportes Network simulcast. The broadcast drew a bigger audience than Bellator 197, which aired in primetime on Paramount Network. The Facebook LIVE stream of the Combate ESTRELLAS I preliminary card delivered over 294,000 streams. In Mexico, the event delivered over 4 million live broadcast television viewers on Azteca 7. Airing exclusively on UDN in the midnight ET slot the following Friday, April 20, “Combate ESTRELLAS II” delivered another 200,000 total viewers, a 10 percent increase from the first installment of the two-part, “Combate ESTRELLAS” live event series. Of the total UDN viewers for “Combate ESTRELLAS II,” 67 percent were in the 18-49 age group. The Facebook LIVE stream garnered over 630,000 streams, more than doubling the online audience from ESTRELLAS I.
Rebranding and further television deals
In March 2021, Combate Americas announced a five-year broadcasting partnership with Univision, with a plan to produce 150 televised events. It was also announced the organization would be branded as Combate Global going forward. In June of that year, Combate Global announced that CBS Sports, through CBS Sports Network and Paramount Plus, would become the English language home for Combate Global. After increased ratings, Univision Communications bought a significant equity stake in Combate Global the following month.
In 2024, Combate's English language programming moved exclusively Fuse Media's namesake cable channel. In addition, Combate Global's library content would begin streaming on the company's El Rey Rebel FAST channel.
List of events
Combate Americas: Level vs. Arzeno
December 12, 2013 - Magic City Casino, Miami, Florida, United States
Main Event: Rene Martinez vs. Alan Arzeno
Combate Americas: Alvarez vs Patterson
September 17, 2015 - The D Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Main Event: Gustavo Lopez vs. Mauricio Diaz
Combate Americas: Hollywood
December 16, 2015 - Florentine Gardens, Hollywood, California, United States
Main Event: John Castañeda vs. Federico Lopez
Combate 5
April 18, 2016 - The Exchange, Los Angeles, California, USA
Main Event: Erick Sanchez vs. Mike Segura
Combate 6
April 26, 2016 - The Exchange, Los Angeles, California, United States
Main Event: John Castaneda vs. Gabriel Solorio
Combate 7
May 9, 2016 - The Exchange, Los Angeles, California, United States
Main Event: Ricky Palacios vs. Brandon Royval
Combate 8
August 11, 2016 - The Exchange, Los Angeles, California, United States
Main Event: John Castaneda vs. Angel Cruz
Combate 9: Empire Rising
October 14, 2016 - Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, United States
Main Event: John Castaneda vs. Gustavo Lopez
Combate 10
January 19, 2017 - El Plaza Condesa, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico
Main Event: Gustavo Lopez vs. Steve Swanson
Combate 11
February 16, 2017 - Burbank, California, United States
Main Event: Danny Ramirez vs. Erick Gonzalez
Combate 12
March 30, 2017 - Fausto Gutierrez Moreno Municipal Auditorium, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Main Event: Marcelo Rojo vs. Ivan Hernandez Flores
Combate 13
April 20, 2017 - Casino Del Sol Resort, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Main Event: Ricky Palacios vs. Roman Salazar
Combate 14
May 5, 2017 - Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura, California, United States
Main Event: Emilio Chavez vs. Jose Estrada
Combate 15
June 30, 2017 - Sala De Armas, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico
Main Event: Rodrigo Vargas vs. Danny Ramirez
Combate 16: Combate Clásico
July 27, 2017 - Mana Wynwood Convention Center, Miami, Florida, United States
Main Event: Ricky Palacios vs. Chris Avila
Combate 17: El Grito En La Jaula
September 15, 2017 - Splash Kingdom Amphitheater, Redlands, California, United States
Main Event: Jose Estrada vs. Izic Fernandez
Combate 18: Copa Combate
November 11, 2017 - Grand Oasis Cancún, Quintana Roo, México
Copa Combate Tournament
Extra Fights
Combate 19: Queen Warriors
December 1, 2017 - Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Main Event: Kyra Batara vs. Paulina Granados
Combate 20: Estrellas I
April 13, 2018 - The Shrine, Los Angeles, California, United States
Main Event: José “Pochito” Alday vs. John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda
Combate 21: Estrellas II
April 20, 2018 - Gimnasio Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
Main Event: Érik "El Goyito" Pérez vs. DJ Fuentes
Combate 22: México vs. USA
May 11, 2018 - McClellan Conference Center, Sacramento, California, United States
Main Event: Anthony “The Shark” Avila vs. José Luis Verdugo
Combate 23: México vs. El Mundo
May 18, 2018 - Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Baja C, Mexico
Main Event: Andres “The Bullet” Quintana vs. Marco Antonio “La Roca” Elpidio
SEASON 2
Combate 24: Alday vs. Lopez (Championship Fight)
September 14 - Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Main Event: Jose "El Pochito" Alday vs. Gustavo Lopez
Combate 25: Road to Copa Combate
September 28, 2018 - Walter Pyramid, Long Beach, California, United States
Main Event: Andres Quintana vs. Eric Gonzalez
Combate 26: Mexico vs. USA
October 13, 2018 - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Main Event: Anthony Birchak vs. Adam Martinez
Combate 27: La Batalla de Guadalajara
October 26, 2018 - Nissan Gymnastics Complex, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Main Event: Victor Hugo Madrigal vs. Cristian Quinonez
Combate 28: Combate Monterrey
November 17, 2018 - Nuevo León Gymnasium, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Main Event: Érik Pérez vs. Andres Ayala
Combate 29: Copa Combate
December 7, 2018 - Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, United States
Main Event: Andres Quintana vs. Alejandro Flores
Combate 30: Combate Baja
February 8, 2019 - Auditorio del Estado, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Main Event: Rafa Garcia vs. Edgar Escarrega
Combate 31: Mexico vs. USA
February 22, 2019 - Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, USA
Main Event: Daniel Rodriguez vs. Ivan Castillo
Combate 32: Mexico vs. Spain
March 8, 2019 - Arena Coliseo Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Main Event: Erick Gonzalez vs. Alejandro Martinez
Combate 33: Alday vs. Lopez 2 (Championship Fight)
March 29, 2019 - Casino del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Main Event: Jose Alday vs. Gustavo Lopez
Combate 34: Combate Estrellas
April 12, 2019 - Arena Jose Sulaiman, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Main Event: Alejandro Flores vs. Levy Marroquin
Combate 35: Combate Reinas
April 26, 2019 - Galen Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Main Event: Melissa Martinez vs. Caroline Gallardo
Combate 36: Combate Stockton
May 10, 2019 - Stockton Center, Stockton, California, United States
Main Event: Erick Sanchez vs. Alex Velasco
Combate 37: Combate Peru
May 31, 2019 - Coliseo Manuel Bonilla, Miraflores, Peru
Main Event: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Geanfranco Cortez
Combate 38: Combate Unbreakable
June 7, 2019 - Casino del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Main Event: Jose Alday vs. Juan Pablo Gonzalez
Combate 39: Combate Hidalgo
June 21, 2019 - State Farm Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, United States
Main Event: Ricky Palacios vs. Cooper Gibson
Combate 40: Combate Fresno
August 2, 2019 - Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, United States
Main Event: Reina Cordoba vs. Zoila Frausto
Combate 41: Combate Lake Tahoe
August 24, 2019 - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, United States
Main Event: Gustavo Lopez vs. Joey Ruquet
Combate 42: Combate Chicago
September 6, 2019 - Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois, Chicago
Main Event: David Argueta vs. Ronny Mendez
Combate 43: Combate Mexicali
September 20, 2019 - Auditorio del Estado, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Main Event: Rafa Garcia vs. Erick Gonzalez
Combate 44: Combate Guadalajara
September 27, 2019 - Foro Sur, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Main Event: Horacio Gutierrez vs. Chase Gibson
Combate 45: Combate Tucson
October 11, 2019 - Casino del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, California
Main Event: Joby Sanchez vs. Jose Alday
Combate 46: Combate Monterrey
May 31, 2019 - Dome Care, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Main Event: Alejandro Flores vs. Marco Elpidio
Combate Tucson
October 11, 2019 - Casino Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Main Event: Joby Sanchez vs. Jose Alday
Combate Monterrey
October 18, 2019 - Mexico Dome Care, Monterrey, Mexico
Main Event: Alejandro Flores vs. Marco Antonio Elpidio
Combate Día de los Muertos: Dallas
November 1, 2019 - Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas, United States
Main event: Gilbert Urbina vs. Angelo Trevino
Combate San Antonio
November 8, 2019 - Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Main Event: Nadine Mandiau vs. Melissa Cervantes
Combate Fresno
November 22, 2019 - Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, United States
Main Event: Salvador Becerra vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Combate Americas: Tito vs. Alberto
December 7, 2019 - Payne Arena, Hidalgo, Texas, United States
Main Event: Tito Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patrón
Combate Americas: Stockton
December 13, 2019 - Stockton, California, United States
Main Event: Cameron Church vs. Alejandro Sanchez
Combate 53: Copa Combate
December 20, 2019 - Lima, Peru
Main Event: Humberto Bandenay vs. Erick Gonzalez
Combate 55: Garcia vs. Bandenay
February 21, 2020 - Auditorio del Estado, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Main Event: Rafa Garcia vs. Humberto Bandenay
Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA
February 28, 2020 - Save Mart Center, Fresno, California, United States
Main Event: Alejandro Martinez vs. Adrian Guzman
Copa Combate
Copa Combate is an annual, one-night eight man tournament where the winner receives a prize of $100,000. Each fighter represents their own country, in a quest to win the "Copa." The inaugural Copa took place during the 24th anniversary of the now legendary UFC 1, which was executive produced by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder and Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.
Copa Combate: Cancun
In the fall of 2017, Combate Americas and Telemundo Deportes announced a partnership to produce Cope Combate, a tournament that took place on November 11, 2017, in Cancun, Mexico.
The eight bantamweight (135 pounds) fighters were separated into four brackets with the top four fighters given seeded positions based on their worldwide rankings, while the opponents were determined based on a lottery ball drawing. The tournament's semifinal stage consisted of two bouts that pit the winners of the quarterfinal stage bouts in each tournament bracket against one another. The two winners from the semifinal faced each other.
Mexican fighter Levy Saúl “El Negro” Marroquín was the winner of Copa Combate, after stepping in for Ricky Palacios after he failed to make weight.
Original Bracket
- Mikey "El Terrible" Erosa (Puerto Rico) vs. Marcelo “Pitbull" Rojo (Argentina)
- Carlos "Lobo" Rivera (Mexico) vs. Ricky "El Gallero" Palacios (USA)
- John "Sexi Mexi" Castaneda (USA) vs. Kevin "El Frío" Moreyra (Peru)
- Marc "Lufo" Gómez (Spain) vs. Andrés "Doble A" Ayala (Colombia)
Alternate Bouts
- Levy Saúl “El Negro” Marroquín (México) vs. Alejandro “The Pitbull” Abomohor (Colombia)
- Felipe Vargas (Colombia) vs. Víctor Madrigal
Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios and Andrés “Doble A Leal” Ayala were not able to make weight (the limit was 136 lbs). Therefore, Levy Saúl Marroquín took Palacios' place (now facing Rivera), while Alejandro Abomohor took Ayala's position (fighting against Gomez).
Quarter Finals
- Marcelo Rojo defeated Mike Erosa via Submission (armbar) at 2:20 of round 1
- Levy Saúl Marroquín defeated Carlos Rivera via Unanimous Decision (Score Cards: 10–9, 10–9, 10–8)
- John Castaneda defeated Kevin Moreyra via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 4:55 of round 1.
- Marc Gomez defeated Alejandro Abomohor via Unanimous Decision (Score Cards / Tarjetas: 10–9, 10–9, 10–8)
Semi-Finals Results
- Levy Saúl Marroquín defeated Marcelo Rojo via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:56 of round 3.
- John Castaneda defeated Marc Gomez via Unanimous Decision (Score Cards: 29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Final Result
- Levy Saúl Marroquín defeated John Castaneda via Unanimous Decision (Score Cards: 30–27, 29–28, 29–28)
Copa Combate: Cancun bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
 Mikey Erosa | 1 | |||||||||
 Marcelo Rojo | SUB | |||||||||
| Marcelo Rojo | 3 | |||||||||
 Levy Marroquín | SUB | |||||||||
| Carlos Rivera | 1 | |||||||||
| Levy Marroquín | UD | |||||||||
| Levy Marroquín | UD | |||||||||
 John Castaneda | 3 | |||||||||
| John Castaneda | SUB | |||||||||
 Kevin Moreyra | 1 | |||||||||
| John Castaneda | UD | |||||||||
 Marc Gomez | 3 | |||||||||
| Marc Gomez | UD | |||||||||
 Alejandro Abomohor | 1 | |||||||||
Copa Combate: Fresno
Original Bracket
- Andres Quintana (USA) vs. Marlon Gonzalez (Peru)
- Alejandro Flores (Mexico) vs. John Bedoya (Colombia)
- Pablo Villaseca (Chile) vs. Daniel Requeijo (Spain)
- Bruno Cannetti (Argentina) vs. Joey Ruquet (Puerto Rico)
Alternate Bouts
- Gustavo Lopez (USA) vs. Vincente Marquez (Spain)
- Pablo Sabori (Mexico) vs. Michael Irizarry (Puerto Rico)
Quarter Finals
- Andres Quintana defeated Marlon Gonzalez via Unanimous Decision (Score Cards: 10–9, 10–9, 10–9)
- Alejandro Flores defeated John Bedoya via Submission (D'arce Choke) at 3:03 of Round 1
- Pablo Villaseca defeated Daniel Requeijo vis Split Decision (Score Cards: 10–9, 10–9, 9–10)
- Bruno Cannetti defeated Joey Ruquet via Technical Knockout at 1:32 of Round 1
Semi-Finals Results
- Andres Quintana defeated Bruno Cannetti via Technical Knockout at 2:05 of Round 1
- Alejandro Flores defeated Pablo Villaseca via Unanimous Decision (Score Cards: 30–27, 30–27, 29-28 )
Final Result
- Andres Quintana defeated Alejandro Flores via Knockout at 2:49 of Round 1
Copa Combate: Fresno bracket
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| Andres Quintana | UD | |||||||||
| Marlon Gonzalez | 1 | |||||||||
| Andres Quintana | TKO | |||||||||
| Bruno Cannetti | 1 | |||||||||
| Bruno Cannetti | SUB | |||||||||
| Joey Ruquet | 1 | |||||||||
| Andres Quintana | KO | |||||||||
| Alejandro Flores | 1 | |||||||||
| Alejandro Flores | SUB | |||||||||
| John Bedoya | 1 | |||||||||
| Alejandro Flores | UD | |||||||||
 Pablo Villaseca | 3 | |||||||||
| Pablo Villaseca | SD | |||||||||
| Daniel Requeijo | 1 | |||||||||
Current World champions
Men
Women
World Championship history
Lightweight Championship
- 155 lbs (70 kg)
Featherweight Championship
- 145 lbs (66 kg)
Bantamweight Championship
- 135 lbs (61 kg)
Women's Strawweight Championship
- 115 lbs (52 kg)