Earlier this year, Combate Americas laid out plans to promote a fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and pro wrestler turned Combate Americas exec Alberto Del Rio.
That fight now has an official date.
Ortiz and Del Rio, who now fights under the name Alberto El Patron, will collide on December 7 in Hidalgo, Texas. The fight will air on pay-per-view at a price of $39.99.
This news was announced on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday.
The 44-year-old Tito Ortiz is currently on a two-fight win-streak, having recently knocked out arch rival Chuck Liddell under the defunct Golden Boy MMA banner, and defeated Chael Sonnen by decision in his final Bellator bout. Prior to these wins, the former champ lost to Liam McGeary in a Bellator light heavyweight title fight, and defeated Stefan Bonnar and Alexander Shlemenko by decision and submission respectively.
The 42-year-old Alberto Del Rio, on the other hand, has not fought since February 2010, when he was defeated by Yamamoto Hanshi in Spain. Prior to that loss, he was on a six-fight win-streak. The former pro wrestler has been serving as an executive at Combate Americas for some time, and has long been teasing a fight inside the surging organization’s cage.
Ortiz and Del Rio recently came face-to-face to promote their Combate Americas fight.
“Tito, Tito,” Del Rio told his rival during their tense encounter in the Combate America cage. “Now I’m going to call you out again. You son of a b**ch. Are you guys ready for this?”
“You gotta understand, this ain’t like no WWE match, partner,” Ortiz fired back. “I’m been doing this shit for 22 years. You know what? See this cage? Get used to looking up at those lights. Cause when this fight’s going to happen, I’m whooping your ass and your face is going to be going face-up.”
“You see this cage?” Del Rio concluded. “This company? This is my house, perro.”
Who do you think will win this fight between Tito Ortiz and Alberto Del Rio?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/7/2019.