NEW YORK – Combate Global recently announced a five-bout lineup for its final event of the year, live on television in the U.S. on Univision and TUDN (12 a.m.) from Miami on Friday.
In the lightweight main event, 23-year-old Mexican sensation Cristian “Puas” Perez (10-1) will enter la jaula, the Combate Global competition cage, for the third time this year and face off with scrappy veteran and Combate Global newcomer, Gilber Orodoñez Huila (10-5).
Hailing from Ensenada, Mexico and fighting out of Miami, Perez is a Combate Global homegrown talent who has been competing for the organization since his professional debut in 2019. In 2021, the upstart caught the attention of the greater MMA world for the first time when he submitted Geraldo Almonte with a heel hook in just 29 seconds in Combate Global action.
Perez is a ground fighting specialist, who has earned seven of his 10 professional career victories by way of knockout or submission. His only loss came by way of unanimous decision at the hands of American Enrique Gonzalez in the championship stage of a one-night, eight-man tournament in which Perez had already defeated two previous opponents that same night.
The 31 year-old Orodoñez Huila of San Juan de Pasto, Colombia is a former competitive boxer who transitioned to MMA in 2013 and ran to seven straight wins as well as a regional championship in his first seven professional MMA starts.
Last year, Orodoñez Huila left Colombia for Warsaw, Poland where he had the opportunity to compete for three different promoters. He is looking to rebound from a June 18 unanimous decision loss at the hands of Norbert Daszkiewicz in Orodoñez Huila’s sole start this year.
Returning to la jaula in the women’s flyweight co-main event will be another Combate Global homegrown talent in Maritza Sanchez (3-1), who will take on fellow streaking upstart Dee Begley (3-1).
Fighting out of Placerville, Calif., the 24-year-old Sanchez will look for her fourth consecutive Combate Global victory following a unanimous decision win over Aitana Alvarez of Spain on April 15.
Begley is a 27-year-old native of Dublin, Ireland and protege of famed trainer John Kavanagh. Like Sanchez, Begley will seek out her fourth straight win following back-to-back conquests in Combate Global this year.
At welterweight, Ovidio Bojorquez (3-1) of Hermosillo, Mexico will make his way back to la jaula less than two months after he turned in a highlight-reel performance with a flying knee strike knockout of Matthew Colquhoun in the first round of their meeting on September 24. Bojorquez will do battle with Eddie Perez Bruno (2-1) of Orlando, Fla.
A lightweight preliminary bout card attraction will pit Alejandro “Bam Bam” Velasco (8-5) of Ensenada against Richie Palomino (5-4) or Irvine, Calif.
Also in action on the undercard will be Natalie Schlesinger (1-1) of Tinton Falls, N.J. Schlesinger will face Jharely Reyes (0-1) of Ensenada at atomweight.
