Alberto Del Rio says Combate Americas will supersede UFC in Mexico by end of 2017

Alberto Del Rio knows that Combate Americas is a long way from competing with the UFC on a global level. However, he thinks small battles can be won over the world’s leading MMA organization in the coming year.

Del Rio, the famous pro wrestler who also serves as the president of the Latino-slanted fight promotion, said the goal for Combate Americas in 2017 is to become the MMA leader in Mexico. That starts tonight with Combate10, the debut fight card for the company in Mexico.

“2016 was an amazing year for our brand, but 2017 is going to be even better,” Del Rio told MMAjunkie. “We’re having our first international event in Mexico City, and my main goal is to have Combate Americas be the No. 1 organization in Mexico. No one is going to mention UFC. It’s just going to be about us.”

Combate10 takes place at El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City. The card is headlined by a bantamweight bout between Gustavo Lopez (6-2) and Steve Swanson (14-2). The English-language broadcast streams on UFC Fight Pass.

The promotion also signed a broadcast deal with ESPN Latin America ahead of tonight’s show. The deal will broadcast the event in 17 counties across Latin America in a total of 47.6 million homes. That’s big exposure, and Del Rio said it will be vital for the growth of the organization.

“The deal with ESPN is going to help us a lot,” Del Rio said. “It’s going to help Combate get to the place where we want Combate to be. Our biggest partners in Mexico are pushing the product to the top, to the sky. All the efforts to make MMA big in Mexico are in the works.”

Del Rio’s responsibilities extend well beyond just television deals, he said. His reach also involves scouting talent, working closely with the athletes and serving as the public figurehead for the promotion.

Del Rio used to be an MMA fighter himself, most famously losing to Mirko Filipovic by head-kick knockout under the now-defunct PRIDE banner in 2003. He ruled out ever fighting again, and instead will direct his energy toward discovering the next generation of talent.

“Our main focus is Latin America, but we are willing to talk to and sign anyone from any place around the world,” Del Rio said. “We want our fighters not just to be great athletes and great fighters, but we want them to be superstars. We want them to be famous. Because when they make money, we make money, and with more money, everyone is happy. I want all these fighters to be the next superstars of the sport.

“We want to find the next Conor McGregor, the next Ronda Rousey, the next Georges St-Pierre. If the company keeps doing what the company has been doing, the fighters are going to be happy and want to come and fight for us. I think we’re going to have a mainstream roster in the coming months.”

As Del Rio looks to build the Combate Americas brand in the coming year, he said the other pieces will fall into place. He’s constantly searching for more great fighters to sign, but said talent also has approached him because of an already existing reputation of treating athletes in a fair and respectful manner.

Backed by the leadership of former UFC boss Campbell McLaren, Del Rio said a big year is on the horizon for Combate Americas in Mexico. He said if everything falls in place and goes how he envisions, it will be the top MMA brand south of the U.S. border within a year.

“By the end of 2017, beginning of 2018, we are going to be the No. 1 MMA company in Latin America and the No. 1 MMA company in Mexico,” Del Rio said. “It won’t be in the United States because we know UFC is the UFC, but we’re ready to go toe-to-toe with them in Mexico. No one is going to mention UFC in Mexico. It’s just going to be about us.”