Torrid schedule laid out for NM combat sports

Jul. 25—Hot enough for you? No, not that. We're talking about the torrid New Mexico combat-sports docket for for the next 35 days. FIRST UP: Las Crucens Aleeza Mata-Hill and Amiah Mendoza are scheduled to begin competition on Wednesday at the USA Boxing Women's Championships in Toledo, Ohio. Mata-Hill (154 pounds, Elite Division) is matched against Illinois' Claire Quinn. Mendoza (119, Bantam) is scheduled to face Texan Berenice Lopez. Both bouts are scheduled to be streamed at USAboxing.org. Mendoza's bout will take place during the 10 a.m. (MDT) session, Mata-Hill's during the 4 p.m. session. HECHO EN NUEVO MEXICO: The Aug. 5 pro boxing card at Expo New Mexico is well named, given that 12 of the 14 fighters scheduled to compete are from the state. Albuquerque's Matt Griego-Ortega (13-0, nine KOs) is matched against former world champion Merlito Sabillo (27-8-1, 13 KOs) of the Philippines in the main event of a card scheduled to be staged outdoors at the Expo's Villa Hispana exhibit. Matthew Baca (4-2-1, two KOs) who last fought nine years ago, is scheduled to face Dallas' Ashton Royal (1-6) — with Sabillo, the only non-New Mexicans listed on the card as of last week — in the Albuquerque welterweight's comeback six-rounder. Always-entertaining Albuquerque light heavyweight Lorenzo Benavidez is also on the Aug. 5 card. Brian Mendoza, the WBC interim junior-middleweight champion and Griego-Ortega's former Atrisco Boxing teammate, is scheduled to attend the card. TITLE DEFENSE: Albuquerque's Jose Luis "Guero" Sanchez (13-3-1, four KOs) has announced he'll defend his North American Boxing Federation junior-welterweight title in Houston on Aug. 18 against an opponent yet to be named. Sanchez won the title in Odessa, Texas on May 13 with a victory by unanimous decision over Rashad Shahid. BKFC: Veteran Albuquerque combat-sports fighter Donald Sanchez (30-20 MMA, 5-3 pro boxing, 0-1 bare-knuckle) has been added to the Aug. 11 BKFC bare-knuckle card at Tingley Coliseum. Sanchez is scheduled to face Anthony Blake Lacaze (1-1 BKC, 6-12-2 pro boxing) of Monroe, Louisiana. The ever-popular John Dodson (24-13 MMA, 2-0 bare-knuckle) is matched against Joshua Ridge (3-1) of the Philippines in the main event, with the BKFC flyweight title at stake. MMA: FightWorld returns to the Revel Entertainment Center on Aug. 29 with a card yet to be announced. ... Albuquerque's Steve Garcia has withdrawn from a scheduled fight against Sean Woodson on an Aug. 5 UFC card, citing a back injury. MORE AMATEURS: Teresa Tapia and Josh Torres will stage an amateur boxing card at 2 p.m. on Saturday at 933 Sunset Road SW. Tickets are $20 if ordered by phone (505-977-4471), $25 at the door. ... A New Mexico-vs.-Texas amateur card is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Moriarty Community Center. For tickets ($25 ringside, $20 general admission, $10 kids), call Cat Sigala's Martial Arts & Boxing at 505-450-9165. MISSING ANYTHING? Let us know at rwright@abqjournal.com.