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Combate Global welcomes their own crossover on the same weekend as Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz and Logan Paul’s match at WWE SummerSlam. “The Mexican Jake Paul” Javy Mendez makes his mixed martial arts debut in Miami on Sunday.
Mendez became a recognizable star on MTV Latin America’s “Acapulco Shore” — a spinoff of the ultra-popular reality series “The Jersey Shore” — and is set to appear on one of Mexico’s biggest networks, Televisa Canal 5, for a new season of “Hotel de Los Famosos.” Amid all the air time, Mendez makes his MMA debut against fellow debutant Johan Rodriguez in Sunday’s co-main event. Mendez, 34, does not plan on making this a one-off.
“The most challenging thing has definitely been training and getting to know everything that goes into being a fighter: cutting weight, dieting and preparation,” Mendez told CBS Sports. “What the haters or supporters say about me doesn’t really matter. What matters most to me is getting through all of this.
“I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. If I’m here, I’m committing myself 100% and I would really like to keep competing.”
There are less complex sports to dip into than MMA. The sweet science of boxing is difficult to master but there are fundamentally less components to learn than MMA, which incorporates Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing, kickboxing, judo, wrestling and more. Mendez’s background and MMA’s boom of popularity in Mexico made Sunday’s bout an opportunity worth jumping on.
“My biggest motivation was training karate from four to 17 years old,” Mendez said. “I love contact sports. I played football for many years. I’ve practiced boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai.”
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The main event is being billed as Mexico vs. Spain. Lucero Acosta looks to find stability in her up-and-down career by defeating Spain’s Silvia Juaneda. The Spanish flyweight has finished all of her pro career wins and pursues another stoppage against Acosta.
Below is the fight card and viewing information for Sunday’s Combate Global event.
Combate Global card
- Lucero Acosta vs. Silvia Juaneda, flyweights
- Jawy Mendez vs. Johan Rodriguez, 176-pound catchweight
- Tony Cortez vs. Matias Palma, featherweights
- Lazaro Dayron vs. Manuel Exposito, bantamweights
- Brandon Gonzalez vs. Arturo Vergara, bantamweights
Combate Global info
- Date: Aug. 6
- Location: Miami, Florida
- Start time: 7 p.m. ET (main card)
- How to watch: Paramount+