Combate Americas 55 Odds & Picks

• Combate Americas 55 goes Friday, February 21 at 9 pm ET
• Who emerges as the lightweight champion and who rises the ranks in the strawweight division?
• Check out the odds for the biggest fights, my analysis, and predictions for Combate Americas 55

Combate Americas 55 hails from Auditorio del Estado in Mexicali, Mexico. Though there is a light-heavyweight bout on the card, this event is primarily focused on the lighter-weight divisions (atom weight to lightweight).

The Combate Americas lightweight championship is on the line when Humberto Bandenay looks to unseat the promotion’s inaugural 155-pound king Rafa Garcia from his throne.  In the co-main event feature,  Karen Cedillo and Yasmine Jauregui step into the cage with only one emerging victorious in this strawweight scrap. Oddsmakers have lines out for several other fights throughout the Combate Americas 55 card as well.

Combate Americas 55 Odds

Odds taken Feb 16th

At Combate Americas 53, Bandenay captured the Copa Combate 155-pound championship. He defeated three opponents in a single night to capture the lightweight tournament title. Garcia has a spotless record as a pro and is riding an 11-fight win streak heading into Combate Americas 55. Rafa Garcia’s last outing saw him defeat Erick Gonzalez for the Combate Americas lightweight title via unanimous decision. On paper, this is an electric matchup that is happening at the perfect time.

Garcia vs Bandenay

Garcia has been with Combate Americas for the last three years and aims to hand the UFC veteran his first loss under the CAMMA banner. He is the #1 ranked lightweight in Mexico and Garcia is ranked #6 among 155-pounders on the regional scene, per Tapology. The fanfare also clearly galvanizes his efforts. Garcia returns to the same city and arena where he captured the belt, looking to make his first successful defense.

El campeón Rafa García defenderá su cinturón frente a Humberto Bandenay en Mexicali, B.C. el próximo 21 de febrero.#CombateMexicali #GarciaBandenay pic.twitter.com/a2xEBkEBGS

— Combate Global (@combateglobal) February 13, 2020

Rafa Garcia has two victories via rear-naked choke, a couple of armbar wins, and also a heel hook W. Conversely, Bandenay has multiple triangle choke wins, multiple armbar victories, and a couple of rear-naked choke W’s. Both have a 73% stoppage rate with Bandenay having more of a proven record in the striking department (a couple of head kicks and a lot of wins from punches). So I don’t think the judges will necessarily be getting involved in this matchup. Both are proficient in the standup and both showcase a lot of intricacies in their ground game.

Garcia vs Bandenay Matchup Table

Though Bandenay does have a three-and-a-half inch reach advantage over Garcia, I still think the champ has more competitive advantages. Four of Bandenay’s seven career losses are via submission and three of those are via rear-naked choke. To that point, I see Garcia securing the finish via RNC at Combate Americas 55.

Pick: Garcia (-185)

Co-Main Event Clash

Karen Cedillo versus Yasmine Jauregui is a high stakes prizefight at 115-pounds. Both women are top-5 pound-for-pound ranked women MMA fighters in Mexico, per Tapology. Both have experience as flyweights but have largely plied their trade as strawweights. Cedillo has a five-inch reach advantage over her opponent. Jauregui has a 75% stoppage rate all as a result of striking prowess. This fight has divisional importance and looks to be an exciting one, on-paper.

Jauregui is undefeated as a professional, boasting a 4-0 record. The lone loss on Cedillo’s 4-1 record is to current UFC competitor Tracy Cortez. Cedillo went on a 3-fight win streak since that loss and all three bouts took place in 2019. She looks to begin 2020 with a bang by handing a promising prospect their first defeat. Unfortunately, though, I think it will be Yasmine Jauregui getting it done here, via some form of TKO stoppage.

Pick: Yasmine Jauregui (-400)

Other Picks:

1. Pick: Ana Palacios (+145). Though her opponent Laura Huizar has not lost as a pro she’s still only 2-0. I think it’s early enough in her career for Palacios to utilize her experience and put the first blemish on Huizar’s record.
2. Pick: Ernesto Ibarra (-185). Ibarra’s opponent Monreal is coming off of his first pro loss so his confidence could be at an all-time low. I can see Ibarra staying unbeaten and extending his win streak to four.
3. Pick: David Macias Ruiz (+120). I think Ruiz will be able to utilize his size to get the W here. He’s a compelling enough underdog where I think he can put Chairez on a two-fight losing skid.