Mexico has its own version of Jake Paul, but unlike the “El Gallo” of United States, Jawy “The Mexican Jake Paul” Mendez actually made good on his promise to fight in MMA.
Mendez (1-1) returns to battle former Underground Combat League (UCL) standout John “The Hitman” Padron (2-1) to kick off Combate Global’s 2026 fight campaign on Feb. 26 in Burbank.
“This guy Jawy is a bougie wannabe,” Padron said. “We’ll see how he looks after I turn him into a human piñata on February 26.” Padron is based in Orlando,
Fla., training alongside UFC veterans Lyoto Machida and Mike Perry at Fusion Xcel Performance.
Prior to that, Padron lived in England for two years and trained with UFC headliner, Paddy Pimblett.
“This is the final chance for this fighter to prove he has what it takes,” Combate Global CEO, Campbell McLaren, said about Padron. “For him, this is not a show – it’s a fight.”
The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 175 pounds and air live on television in the U.S. on EstrellaTV (Spanish) and FIGHTTIPS (English), as well as the YouTube channel of MMA content creator, Shane Fazen.
In Mexico, the fight airs nationally on Samsung TV Plus.
Mendez, a reality television star, made his professional MMA debut with Combate Global in 2023. His most recent appearance ended in a second-round stoppage of Rafael Monterola last April in Miami. Mendez is currently based in Irvine, Calif., training under Colin Oyama.
Mendez was featured on nine consecutive seasons of MTV’s Acapulco Shore reality show, as well as the Televisa reality series Hotel VIP. Last October, Mendez was a competitor on La Granja VIP, another popular reality show on Disney+ in Mexico.
The finalized Combate Global fight card for Feb. 26 will be announced in the coming days.
