Tito Ortiz will in fact come out of retirement to fight a former World Wrestling Entertainment champion later this year.
Ortiz vs. Alberto El Patron, a 210-pound catchweight fight, will take place on Dec. 7 in Hidalgo, Texas, and it will air live on pay-per-view, Combate Americas officials told ESPN. The time and location of the fight were first announced on Monday’s episode of “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.” That the fight is taking place was reported earlier this year.
El Patron, 42, formerly known as Alberto Del Rio in WWE and born Jose Alberto Rodriguez, hasn’t competed in MMA since 2010. He stopped fighting with a 9-5 pro record but did win six of his last seven fights. Following his MMA run, he turned his attention to a career with WWE and eventually became a multiple-time heavyweight champion. He has not worked for WWE since 2016.
The fight is expected to have a $39.99 pay-per-view price tag.
Ortiz (20-12-1), a former UFC light heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer, announced his retirement following his November 2018 victory over his long-time rival Chuck Liddell. However, in April, Ortiz, 44, signed a multi-fight deal with Combate. The El Patron fight will mark his first for the promotion.
El Patron is most known in MMA circles for his 2003 knockout loss to Mirko Cro Cop at Pride Bushido 1 where he competed under the moniker Dos Caras Jr. while wearing a luchador mask. He is currently training for this fight with former Bellator fighter Javier Torres, current Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader and UFC veteran CB Dollaway, among others.
The event, which will take place at the Payne Arena in Hidalgo, will also feature Combate’s first women’s strawweight title fight.