Combate Global Announces New Main Event For Sunday, May 29

Reigning Combate Global World Bantamweight Champion David “The Black Spartan” Martinez (right) of Mexico City, Mexico has been dealt a new opponent – Chile’s Arturo “El Makako”Vergara – for Sunday, May 29. Martinez’s original opponent, Frans Mlambo, was forced to withdraw from the commitment due to an injury. The fight between Martinez and Vergara will be contested as a non-title fight.
Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Combate Global.

NEW YORK – May 19, 2022 – Combate Global today announced a new main event for its show on Sunday, May 29 in Miami, Fla., due to an abdominal injury sustained by Ireland’s Frans “The Zulu Irishman” Mlambo (13-5), who had been scheduled to challenge reigning Combate Global World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion David “The Black Spartan” Martinez (6-1) for Martinez’s title.

Mlambo, the number one contender in Combate Global’s bantamweight division, will be replaced by hard-hitting Arturo “El Makako” Vergara (2-0 MMA; 3-1 Kickboxing) of Los Andes, Chile via Miami. Vergara will challenge Martinez of Mexico City, Mexico in a bantamweight non-title bout.

Combate Global will announce television programming details as well as the complete fight card for the event on Tuesday, May 24.

“We wish Frans a full and speedy recovery,” said Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren, “and are excited to debut Chile’s Arturo Vergara, who is coming off an incredible, nine-second knockout! I have a lot of respect for Arturo stepping up because David Martinez is as tough an opponent as they come.”

Unbeaten to date under MMA rules, Vergara produced a stunning, nine-second knockout via a flying knee strike of Cody Schieve on May 6.

The speedy win followed another first round (2:21) TKO (strikes) that Vergara notched in his MMA rules debut against Steven Orozco on February 19.

Prior to his first MMA start, Vergara had competed exclusively under kickboxing rules, amassing over 80 bouts as an amateur, and a 3-1 record as a professional.

The 23-year-old Martinez of Mexico City will enter La Jaula, the Combate Global competition cage, for the first time since he was crowned world champion one year ago, on May 29, 2021.

A member of Team Bonebreakers, Martinez defeated three consecutive opponents – including championship round adversary Francisco “Cisco” Rivera, Jr. via second round (0:17) TKO (head kick and punches) – in one night, to become world champion.

Additional information about Combate Global and its athletes can be found on www.CombateGlobal.com as well as on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

###

About Combate Global
Combate Global, previously “Combate Americas,” is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, rapidly becoming the number two sport after soccer for Spanish speaking fans worldwide. It is the only MMA property regularly airing on broadcast television in both the U.S. (Univision) and Mexico (Televisa). In 2021, Combate Global partnered with CBS Sports to distribute its live shows in English in the U.S. on Paramount+. The company’s programming is available in over 70 countries in Europe, Africa and elsewhere globally.

Nielsen research indicates that an astounding 91 percent of Combate Global viewers in the U.S. are not regular viewers of other MMA content, demonstrating that Combate Global has garnered a new MMA audience with its World Cup-style, country vs. country-style competition. Each year of Combate Global action culminates with “COPA COMBATE,” the toughest event in sports, and the most coveted destination for representing one’s country.

Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren, also the co-founder and creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has been described by New York Magazine as “the marketing genius behind the UFC,” while Yahoo Sports has said he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” Under his direction, the growth of Combate Americas’ television footprint and worldwide audience triggered a re-branding in 2021 to Combate Global.