Tag: combate americas

Alberto El Patron files lawsuit against Combate Global

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Alberto El Patron has filed a lawsuit against MMA promotion Combate Global for breach of contract. 

PW Insider reports that Patron filed suit against Combate in July in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging the contract breach, unjust enrichment and conversion. 

El Patron is seeking payment that he alleges he is owed for an MMA fight against Tito Ortiz, interest on the money he says he is owed, plaintiffs’ costs and attorney’s fees, such other and further relief as may be just and proper, plus return of control of his social media accounts. 

In the lawsuit, El Patron alleges that he was promised $500,000 to promote his December 2019 fight against Tito Ortiz, plus an additional $250,000 for fighting. The suit states that El Patron was not paid the additional $250,000 and that Combate has ignored invoices. 

El Patron alleges that Combate maintained control of his social media accounts that they had used to promote the fight with Ortiz, which would fall under unjust enrichment and conversion in the lawsuit. 

Combate has not filed an official response to the lawsuit, but have filed documentation with the District Court regarding their legal representation in the matter. 

El Patron lost the fight in question to Ortiz by submission. 

El Patron is awaiting trial on one count of aggravated kidnapping and four counts of sexual assault related to a May 9, 2020 arrest. His trial has been postponed several times, but is currently set for October 25 in San Antonio. 

El Patron has stated that he expects the charges to be dropped, but prosecutors have yet to do so. 

Tito Ortiz-Alberto Del Rio MMA fight changed to a ‘no decision’

Posted on by Josh Nason

When it comes to MMA, the beleaguered Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has had quite a month, beginning with UFC 247 which featured several bizarre decisions including a major conflict of interest where a judge trained with one of the fighters he was judging.

On Wednesday, it continued as MMA Junkie reported that Tito Ortiz’s lopsided win over Alberto El Patron at December’s Combate Americas PPV has been changed into a no decision. Junkie got a quote from a state official which said the result was changed “pending further investigation.” 

Junkie also reported that the promotion was made aware of the change Tuesday, but they were unable to offer any further information. As of now, neither Combate CEO Campbell McLaren, Ortiz, or El Patron have commented publicly.

Because Ortiz won that night in Hidalgo, the result being changed likely means the issue is with him and not the former WWE star. However, the official gave no details as to what the investigation is regarding and who.

It was the first MMA fight for the former Alberto Del Rio since 2010 while Ortiz had fought the year prior against Chuck Liddell for Oscar De La Hoya’s failed MMA promotion.

Tito Ortiz submits Alberto Del Rio in Combate Americas main event

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz submitted former WWE champion Alberto Del Rio via first round submission in the Saturday main event of Combate Americas’ debut pay-per-view in Hidalgo, TX. 

The submission came at 3:10 in a fight that was so in the lightest sense of the word.

Del Rio posed no semblence of offense as Ortiz got the fight to the ground quickly and after working for a guillotine, Ortiz started landing some ground and pound. Ortiz eventually got a rear naked choke and Del Rio tapped quickly.

With the victory, Ortiz won Del Rio’s WWE title belt. Had Del Rio won, he would have taken home Ortiz’s UFC light heavyweight title.

Wearing a t-shirt that had a similar style to the classic Saturday Night’s Main Event logo, Ortiz walked out to “Real American” by Rick Derringer, the iconic walkout song for Hulk Hogan during his 80s WWF run. The promotion carried a “What side are you on?” tag line designed to play off the U.S. vs. Mexico border war narrative. This was despite the fact Ortiz is Mexican-American and Del Rio is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

This was both the promotional debut for both men and the first MMA fight for Del Rio since February 2010. Ortiz came out of retirement again for this fight after defeating Chuck Liddell last November for Oscar De La Hoya’s one-and-only MMA event.

Tito Ortiz-Alberto Del Rio headlining Combate Americas PPV debut

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former WWE Champion Alberto El Patron will fight former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in the main event of Combate Americas’ debut pay-per-view on December 7th in Hidalgo, Texas, announced on Ariel Helwani’s ESPN show.

The fight will be at a 210 pound catchweight and the event itself will cost $39.99.

The former Alberto Del Rio signed with Combate last October, returning to a sport he hasn’t competed in since 2010. During that run, the 42-year-old went 9-5 and famously was knocked out by Mirko Cro Cop while wearing a mask at a 2003 PRIDE event. Helwani said El Patron (Jose Rodriguez) has been training with Bellator two-division champion Ryan Bader and UFC light heavyweight C.B. Dolloway for the fight.

After a tumultuous few years that saw El Patron released from both WWE and Impact Wrestling, he has been relatively quiet on the wrestling scene outside the co-creation of Nacion Lucha Libre with Chavo Guerrero.

The 44-year-old Ortiz is coming out of retirement again after runs with Bellator and a one-off fight with Oscar De La Hoya’s failed MMA effort last November when he knocked out Chuck Liddell. He signed with Combate, the brainchild of UFC co-founder Campbell McLaren, earlier this year. He has won four of his last five dating back to May 2014.

The two had a slight confrontation in August at a Combate event:

Combate Americas planning Tito Ortiz-Alberto Del Rio fight

Posted on by Josh Nason

The plans for a rumored fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and former WWE champion Alberto Del Rio are indeed moving ahead.

Combate Americas founder Campbell McLaren (seen above with Del Rio) confirmed as much while doing an interview with Spanish YouTube show Generacion MMA while giving no date or venue.

MMA Fighting reported the fight is being looked at for the final quarter of 2019 and that it would be at a 210-pound catchweight. In a February interview with Marca, Del Rio said he would doing one last fight this November at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV.

The 44-year-old Ortiz signed a deal with Combate in April while Del Rio (Jose Alberto Rodriguez) signed last October. While Ortiz has fought as recently as last November, Del Rio hasn’t competed in MMA since 2010.

The former wrestling star fought several times in Japan and Mexico between 2001 and 2010, compiling a record of 9-5. Most of his opponents were relatively unknown, although he did score a stoppage win over former UFC fighter Brad Kohler in the DEEP promotion in Japan in 2003.

Combate has made some headlines lately with good viewership numbers on Univision, edging out both UFC and Bellator in the same weekend. They also have a deal with DAZN.

Tito Ortiz coming out of retirement for Combate Americas

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz is coming out of retirement…again.

The 44-year-old signed a deal with Combate Americas, the promotion co-founded by UFC co-founder Campbell McLaren, while he was cageside at the company’s Friday night event.

Ortiz was last seen in action for the much-maligned November triology fight against Chuck Liddell for Golden Boy Promotions, a bout he won via first round knockout.

After a long career in the UFC, he came out of retirement after a two-year absence for Bellator and ran up a 3-1 record over three years. He retired again after a first round submission win over Chael Sonnen in January 2017 before returning for the Liddell fight.

McLaren didn’t announce when Ortiz’s debut fight would be or against who. The promotion currently has a deal with DAZN, home of Bellator MMA and many boxing events.

Combate Americas has made some headlines with recent signings that include former WWE star and former fighter Alberto el Patron last October and former Lucha Underground champion Sexy Star in February.

Lucha Underground’s Sexy Star signs MMA deal with Combate Americas

Posted on by Josh Nason

Dulce Maria Garcia Rivas, otherwise known as Sexy Star in Lucha Underground and AAA, has signed a deal to fight in Combate Americas.

The former Lucha Underground world champion and Gift of the Gods champion will make her MMA debut on Friday, April 12th in Monterrey, Mexico. Her opponent has not yet been named. 

The 36-year-old Rivas carries a 5-0 pro boxing record and went 3-0 in 2018, last competing in August with a decision victory.

She first started in wrestling back in 2006, beginning with AAA and Lucha Libre AAA before her multi-year run in Lucha Underground. She made headlines last year for winning the LU title in an Aztec Warfare match before dropping it to Johnny Mundo, and also gained some notoriety for a 2017 altercation in a match with Rosemary.

Rivas won’t be the only pro wrestler competing for Combate Americas as former WWE and international star Alberto Rodriguez (aka Alberto del Rio, Alberto el Patron) is expected to make his promotional debut this year after a near decade absence from fighting, something he did 14 times between 2001 and 2010. 

Alberto El Patron returning to MMA for Combate Americas

Posted on by F4W Staff

By Joseph Currier and Paul Fontaine

During an appearance on this week’s edition of the MMA Hour, Alberto El Patron announced that he’s returning to mixed martial arts and planning to fight for Combate Americas in 2019.

El Patron said the plan is for him to fight at the first pay-per-view in Combate Americas’ history. El Patron mentioned that he’d be facing a “former super champion” who is well known in Mexico and the United States, but it was noted that the deal for his opponent hasn’t been finalized yet.

Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren said they’re targeting February 2019 for the PPV, and El Patron brought up Arena Ciudad de Mexico as a possible venue for it.

El Patron said he thinks his return will only be for one fight, but he and McLaren both indicated that they weren’t closing the door on it being more than just a one-and-done thing.

El Patron has been working with Combate Americas as an ambassador and an announcer. He said his working relationship and friendship with McLaren started when McLaren wanted him to fight for the promotion, but El Patron was doing professional wrestling at the time and wasn’t that hungry to fight again. El Patron mentioned that the wrestling business has changed and, while others love how it’s going, he doesn’t enjoy it anymore.

El Patron fought several times in Japan and Mexico between 2001 and 2010, compiling a record of 9-5. Most of his opponents were relatively unknown, although he did score a stoppage win over former UFC fighter Brad Kohler in the DEEP promotion in Japan in 2003.

That win built El Patron up for the most high-profile fight of his MMA career, where he was knocked out in less than a minute by Mirko Cro Cop on the first Pride Bushido show. He was unique in the sense that he fought wearing a Lucha Libre mask and using his pro wrestling persona of Dos Caras Jr.

Alberto El Patron stepping down from position with Combate Americas

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Campbell McLaren, the CEO of Combate Americas, said today in an interview with MMAUNO.com that Alberto El Patron, the figurehead president of his company, was stepping down from his position.

McLaren, who has staunchly defended Alberto at every turn, said that the decision was Alberto’s, and that he wanted to concentrate fully on his pro wrestling career.

Alberto was making a very strong salary for his figurehead role where his main job was to promote the brand, particularly in the Mexican media. Combate Americas is most popular in Mexico where it airs on TV Azteca, one of the country’s strongest stations, in a Friday night weekly time slot, with either a news show or a fight show.

“What Alberto is telling me is that his first love is wrestling,” said McLaren in the interview. “You know, his father was Dos Caras, a very famous wrestler and Saraya’s family is third generation English wrestlers, you know about, her, right? And so what Alberto has said to me, and we haven’t unveiled this yet, but we can talk about it, he’s probably stepping back his official roles from Combate and he’s going to focus more on wrestling for the next year or two.”

McLaren had called Alberto “El Presidente,” which was his nickname in the WWE locker room because he looked and carried himself like a political leader.

“I think he’s reaching a point in his career when he knows that the physical demands of wrestling are not what he wants to continue doing,” said McLaren. “But I think he knows he’s got a couple of years still left to keep maintaining his level of performance. It’s a very challenging enterprise and I think it’s very, very hard on the body and difficult to do. Very physical. Very athletic. So he’s kind of asked me if he can step away and with Saraya (girlfriend Paige), focus on wrestling.”

Alberto has been in and out of controversy for the past year.

Alberto Del Rio appointed as president of Combate Americas

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Additional notes added by Dave Meltzer

The former Alberto Del Rio has found a new job.

Combate Americas announced on Tuesday night that Del Rio, now known as Alberto El Presidente, has joined the organization as its president. Combate Americas is a mixed martial arts promotion geared towards Hispanic fans.

“El Presidente” was Del Rio’s backstage nickname at times in WWE because he had the look and came across like a politician

He will be essentially in the Dana White role, but unlike White, more of a figurehead as the public face of the group headed by Campbell McLaren, who ran the UFC in its early days.

The promotion announced that he will be introduced on their show on Friday night at the Turning Stone Resort Center in Verona, NY. Both Del Rio and girlfriend Paige are in New York for the show and will be doing media in his new role all week.

The press release issued by the promotion boasted that he would be involved in “all aspects” of athlete relations and development.

“I am excited to enter a new chapter in my career in combat sports, and to have the opportunity to spearhead the Combate Americas mission of delivering to fight fans everywhere, an authentic and first-rate Hispanic MMA product,” Del Rio said.

Combate Americas runs live MMA events aimed at the Hispanic audience with shows on UFC Fight Pass in English.

Aside from his career in professional wrestling, Del Rio competed in 14 professional MMA fights. He was a world class Greco Roman wrestler who was 9-5 as a heavyweight MMA fighter while at the same time being a main event star with CMLL in Mexico, before later signing with WWE.

Del Rio had teased that he was in talks with the promotion during his press conference after leaving WWE. Del Rio parted ways with WWE in September after coming to a mutual release with the company.

Recently, Del Rio has found himself generating headlines again after he alleged that he was stabbed earlier this month prior to boarding a plane for a scheduled appearance at AAA’s Heroes Inmortales show.