UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz And More To Appear Live This Friday as Part of AXS TV’s ‘Combate Americas: North America vs. South America’

Los Angeles: Fresh off his dominating victory over Alberto “El Patrón” Rodriguez in the Combate Americas “Tito Vs. Alberto – What Side Are You On?”  pay-per-view and Televisa event last weekend, UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz is stopping by AXS TV’s Los Angeles studio this Friday to discuss the results of the historic match with Combate Americas play-by-play veteran Max Bretos, and MMA superstar Julianna Peña. The lively conversation will take place between matches during the live telecast of “Combate Americas: North America vs. South America” in Stockton, Calif. on Friday, December 13 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT—available in English on AXS TV and Fight Network.

Also appearing in-studio for the event is undefeated Combate Americas world lightweight (155 pounds) champion Rafa “Gifted” Garcia (11-0) and former world championship Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez (10-4). Gonzalez is one of the challengers participating in the annual, year-end “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament on Friday, Dec. 20.

Ortiz, Garcia and Gonzalez will each provide their own unique insight, expertise, and commentary as they call select fights throughout the event, joining Bretos, and Peña to breakdown the exciting bouts and discuss their strategies for emerging victorious from the COPA COMBATE tournament.

The Combate Americas eight-fight lineup on Friday is headlined by the previously announced featherweight (145 pounds) showdown of Mexico’s own Horacio “The Punisher” Gutierrez (6-3) vs. Peru native Marlon “Deriko Siete” Gonzales (15-4).

Gutierrez is a former semi-finalist on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America competition series, coming off a devastating first-round (2:41) TKO (punches) of Chase Gibson at Combate Americas’ event in Guadalajara on September 27. Gonzales will look to earn his second straight win after edging out a split decision over Chile’s Pablo Villaseca at Combate Americas’ inaugural event in Peru and South America on May 31.

In the co-main event, two more featherweights faceoff as Javier “Blair” Reyes (8-3) of Bogota, Colombia takes on Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez protégé Joe “Nine Lives” Neal (6-4) of Hayward, Calif.

In a featured women’s bantamweight (135 pounds) bout, the undefeated Tina Pettigrew (5-0) of San Diego, Calif. will battle Maritza Sanchez (5-6) of El Dorado, Calif.

Rounding out the Main Card matchup is Hugo Lujan (3-5) of Soledad, Calif. who will take on Manteca, Calif.’s Samuel Alvarez (4-3).

Elsewhere on the card, knockout artist Alejandro “Hulk” Sanchez (6-1) of Tijuana, B.C., Mexico goes toe-to-toe against the unbeaten Cameron Church (2-0) of Lake Tahoe, Nev. at lightweight (155 pounds).

In a 140-pound catchweight preliminary bout contest, undefeated Dan Arguetta (3-0) of Orland Park, Ill. will face Roger Severson (3-3) of Vallejo, Calif.

Art “Warhorse” Hernandez (4-4) of Fresno, Calif. leads the charge against the unbeaten Louis “The Monster” Cosce (5-0) of Arcata, Calif. in a ferocious preliminary super lightweight showdown (165 pounds).

Saad Ul-Hassan (2-4) of Palmdale, Calif. looks to get back in the win column against Joseph “Exodus” Vidales (3-2) of Woodland, Calif. in this middleweight fight (185 lbs).

Upcoming AXS TV & Fight Network Combate Americas programming includes two specials, starting with the best moments from the one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize 2018 “Copa Combate” tournament on Friday, Dec. 20 at 10pE/7pP (90-minute program). Then, on Friday, Dec. 27, both networks present a look at the most exciting Combate Americas fights of 2019 at 10pE/7pP.

Roberto Villa

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.