Levy Marroquin and José Estrada to collide in Monterrey battle
Combate Americas today announced its return to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico as well as the first three bouts for what is shaping up to be another sensational Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Gimnasio Nuevo Leon Unido on Saturday, Nov. 17, live in English in the U.S. and Canada on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), and live on television in Spanish in the U.S. on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).
A ticket pre-sale for the event will begin on SuperBoletos.com soon.
Announced today was a featherweight (145 pounds) showdown between 2017 “COPA COMBATE” tournament winner, Levy “El Negro” Marroquin (11-2) and rising star Jose “Froggy” Estrada (5-1); an atomweight (105 pounds) matchup between Irene “La Nina” Cabello Rivera (8-5) and Yajaira “Shoko Late” Romo (4-3); and a lightweight (155 pounds) knockout artist Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas (11-2) and relentless battler Ricardo “El Loco” Arreola (6-5).
Levy “El Negro” Marroquin vs. Jose “Froggy” Estrada
The winner of last year’s inaugural, $100,000 grand prize “COPA COMBATE” eight-man tournament, the 23-year-old Marroquin of Monterrey will see action for the first time this year after withdrawing from two previous bouts due to illness in April and September, respectively.
Marroquin became an overnight sensation, defeating three consecutive opponents, including world-ranked John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda in the championship stage of action, to become the first “COPA COMBATE” tournament champion in history last November in Cancun, Mexico.
Estrada, a prolific, 27-year-old warrior from Oxnard, Calif., USA, will return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, for the second time this year, after scoring a monstrous, second round (1:43) TKO (knee strikes and punches) on “Ruthless” Rudy Morales at “Combate Estrellas I” in Los Angeles, Calif., USA on April 13.
Estrada has notched all five of his professional wins to date by way of (T)KO or submission, four of which he earned in the first round of battle.
Irene “La Nina” Cabello Rivera vs. Yajaira “Shoko Late” Romo
The 25-year-old Rivera of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain will return to La Jaula and Monterrey for the second time after scoring a phenomenal, second round (2:18) TKO (punches) on Lezly Hinojosa Compean at “Combate Estrellas II” on April 20.
To date, Rivera has produced all of her professional victories by way of (T)KO or submission, including five first round stoppages.
Like Rivera, the 21 year-old Romo, who hails from Monterrey, reeled off a stunning, second round (2:46) victory at “Combate Estrellas II,” taking out Spain’s Vanesa Rico with a barrage of leg kicks, to bring about another showdown between fighters representing Spain and Mexico, respectively, in the women’s atomweight division.
Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas vs. Ricardo “El Loco” Arreola
The 33-year-old Vargas of Mexico City, Mexico will make his fifth career start for Combate Americas and will look for his third consecutive victory.
Vargas is coming off a stunning, 18-second head kick knockout of Mike “El Cucuy” de la Torre at “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. El Mundo” in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on May 18.
Fighting out of Monterrey, the 28-year-old Arreola made an incredible stand in his last start, and emerged victorious over Ivan Perez, the older brother of Combate Americas superstar Erik “El Goyito” Perez, by way of split decision in what was widely regarded as the fight of the night at “Combate Estrellas II.”
