The Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts organization Combate Americas announced its return to the Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, Dec. 7 with an “unprecedented and historic ‘Winner Take All’ title-belt challenge” between former UFC champion Tito Ortiz and former WWE champion Alberto “El Patrón” Del Rio at Payne Arena in Hidalgo.
Ortiz, a UFC Hall of Fame member and pioneer of the sport, will take on Del Rio, a former Pan American Games Greco Roman wrestling medalist with multiple MMA fights under the PRIDE banner.
The “Winner Take All” bout will be fought at a catchweight of 210-pounds. If Ortiz emerges victorious, El Patrón will have to hand over his WWE title belt. If El Patrón wins, however, Ortiz will have to give his UFC title belt to his opponent.
“This is a one-of-a-kind, larger than life fight – one of the greatest MMA superstars of all-time, facing off with one of professional wrestling’s most decorated champions and an accomplished MMA fighter in his own right,” Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren said in a news release. “On top of all that, these two legends are putting their belts where their mouths are. It’s the type of fight that comes around once or twice in a lifetime, and Combate Americas is going to deliver it to fans worldwide from the U.S.-Mexico border.”
The last time Ortiz saw MMA action, he scored a first-round knockout of fellow UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell on Nov. 24, 2018. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” holds a record of 20-12-1 with 10 career knockouts, four submissions and six wins by way of decision.
Meanwhile, El Patrón (9-5, 3 KOs, 6 Submissions) announced his return to MMA with Combate Americas last October and will now make his debut against Ortiz on December 7 in Hidalgo.
Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11 at Ticketmaster.com.
