Combate Global moves to Saturday nights, adds Jimmy Smith Jr. as English PXP voice on Paramount+

MMA promotion Combate Global has had a long history of success on Friday nights on Univision in Spanish and Paramount+ in English (the latter since 2021). Now, they’re moving to Saturday nights, and following live Liga MX soccer on Univision. Here’s more on that from a release:

TelevisaUnivision and Combate Global today announced a new time slot – Saturday nights on Univision, following the highest rated soccer matches on television in the U.S., in any language – for the world’s premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, beginning March 11 at 12:00 a.m. ET / 11:00 p.m. CT.

Following its smash success as the number one-rated, late-night Spanish language U.S. television series on Friday nights in 2021 and 2022, Combate Global, which produces 30 live television events annually, will air in the coveted Saturday time slot that includes live coast-to-coast coverage, placing the show in a primetime window on the west coast.

“We are proud to bring Combate Global to our audience and anticipate that this programming move will only further its success on our networks” said TelevisaUnivision President of Sports, Olek Loewenstein.

“It is a very meaningful year for MMA, entering its 30 year anniversary as a sport and, to celebrate, Combate Global is coming out of the gates swinging for the fences with a phenomenal new time slot on Saturday nights, live coast-to-coast coverage on Univision and, of course, ‘Much More Action’!,” said Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren

This is the continuation of a long partnership between Combate Global and Univision. Originally Combate Americas, the promotion shifted to the Combate Global brand in 2021 around a five-year deal with Univision and Univision taking an equity stake in the promotion. And now, Univision is giving Combate Global a prominent Saturday night slot, one coming after the LigaMX coverage that’s such a key part of Univision’s lineup.

2021 also saw Combate Global sign a deal with CBS Sports for English-language coverage on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. This year, all 30 Combate Global events will air live in English on Paramount+, and veteran combat sports broadcaster Jimmy Smith (known for past work with Bellator, the UFC, WWE, and more) will call play-by-play for those broadcasts.

[Top photo of an October 2021 Combate Global fight between Daniel Sanchez and Levi Escobar from Scott Hirano/Combate Global]