Telemundo Broadcasts of Combate Americas Deliver Highest-Rated MMA

Levy Saul Marroquin (center) of Mexico celebrates his victory of the first-ever “COPA COMBATE” one-night, eight-man tournament that saw him defeat three consecutive opponents to take home the $100,000 USD grand prize. The event marked the first live Telemundo broadcast of MMA in history and scored a massive ratings success for the television network and Combate Americas.

NEW YORK, NY – December 13, 2017 –Combate Américas’ “COPA COMBATE” and “Combate 19: Queen Warriors” that aired live on Telemundo on Saturday, Nov. 11 and Friday, Dec. 1, respectively, delivered the two largest audiences for MMA shows in the summer and fall of 2017, on Spanish-language television in the U.S.

“COPA COMBATE,” which marked Combate Americas’ premiere on Telemundo, airing at 11:30 p.m. ET/ 10:30 p.m. CT on November 11, delivered an average of 280,000 total viewers, 137,000 adults 18-49 and 70,000 adults 18-34. The show increased the network’s 18-34 audience in that time slot by 30 percent, and by 10 percent among adults 18-49, compared to the four prior Saturdays.

Meanwhile, “Combate 19: Queen Warriors,” which aired live on Telemundo at 12:00 a.m. ET/11:00 p.m. CT on December 1, delivered an average of 293,000 total viewers, 156,000 adults 18-49 and 73,000 adults 18-34.

“We are encouraged by the strong viewership the two broadcasts of Combate Americas delivered and look forward to working with the franchise again in the near future, and continue growing Telemundo’s MMA offering,” Ray Warren, president of Telemundo Deportes.

“We are delighted with the incredible ratings and viewership that the first two live MMA events in Telemundo history generated,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

“COPA COMBATE” was headlined by an action-packed, one-night, eight-man tournament in the bantamweight (135 pounds) division that spawned a Cinderella story after underdog Levy Marroquin (11-2) of Monterrey, Mexico defeated three consecutive opponents in the same night to earn the $100,000 USD tournament grand prize.

In the main event of “Combate 19: Queen Warriors,” Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (7-4) of Las Vegas, Nev. extended her unbeaten run in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, dominating aggressive striker and arch-rival Paulina “Firefox” Granados(4-3) of Corpus Christi, Texas before earning a unanimous decision in the atomweight (105 pounds) showdown in San Antonio, Texas.

Calling the live action for both events were multiple-time WWE heavyweight champion Alberto Del Rio alongside Telemundo’s famed NFL and Olympics announcer Edgar Lopez, and blow-by-blow man Andres Bermudez.