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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
Social media influencers have been all the rage in boxing over the past several years. Now, one is going into MMA.
Jawy Mendez, a Mexican reality show star and recording artist, has signed with Combate Global to compete as a pro mixed martial arts fighter, the promotion announced Thursday. His debut will be Aug. 5 against Johan Rodriguez.
Mendez, 33, was a member of the cast of Mexico’s “Acapulco Shore” reality show — a takeoff on “Jersey Shore” — for nine seasons. He’ll be on another reality series, “Hotel de Los Famosos,” which airs on one of Mexico’s biggest networks, Televisa Canal 5, for its next season.
Mendez, who has more than 3 million followers on Instagram, has been training in MMA for two years, since opening up his Crew Wellness Club Mexico in Mexico City. He trains with MMA veterans Alfredo Morales and Carlos Enrique Cañada. His bout against Rodriguez, a Colombian fighter also making his pro debut, is contracted for a 176-pound catchweight.
MMA has been red-hot in Mexico with three Mexican-born fighters winning UFC titles in 2023. Combate Global, which draws strong television ratings in the U.S. on Univision, has been focused on Latin American talent, specifically fighters from Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking audience since 2011 under UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren.