“I think we just kind of turn the corner I guess, or we walk through the fire, whatever you want to call it. I mean, we took our lumps man, it was hard to keep us going.”
In an industry that is so based on excitement and where anything can change at a moments glance, Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat President Tom Anderson is always ready for what challenge is to come next.
Whether that be a fight dropping out the day of the event or a light going out that is needed for the production crew, Anderson has experienced an array of challenges in his four years plus time as matchmaker and promoter for the UFC Fight Pass staple.
Image: A1 Combat.
A1 Combat Heading Back to Southern California Oct. 4
Riding off a huge 2024 that saw the rise of former A1 Combat prospects such as Payton Talbott and Ryan Loder to the UFC, the promotion looks to make its return to the Southern California market to end off the year, with two shows slated in the Southern California area before 2025 comes to a close.
With plans to host 12 professional cards next year and the announcement of the launch of a pro Muay Thai league, Anderson’s company is poised to continue its role as a major competitor in the regional combat sports landscape.
A1 Combat made its first attempt at a return to Southern California a success earlier in the year with A1 Combat 28 at Chumash Casino, with Huntington Beach’s Shane Collins earning the featherweight championship with a highlight-reel-esque KO over Kody Vogels in the main event.
With a packed schedule of four shows in the next three months, Anderson is steering his organization into a new era of visibility and engagement, recently aligning with Chumash Casino to help put on events at their venue, with the company making its return on Oct. 4 with A1 Combat 30: Huseynov vs. Ding.
With over an 80 percent finishing rate from both sides of the cage, Anderson described it best when talking about the main event matchup, “It’s going to be rock and sock and robots.”
Ernie Juarez Makes Return to A1 Combat Oct. 4
In addition to the main event, the co-main event will see former champion Ernie Juarez face off against UFC veteran Humberto Bandenay. Juarez, fresh off a second-round TKO victory over Roberto Hernandez in June, is determined to make a statement and earn another shot at the UFC, dropping his Dana White’s Contender Series matchup to Jose Delgado last year. On the other side of the cage, Bandenay looks to build off his third-round triangle choke victory over Erick Sanchez in August, with Sanchez being Juarez’s only other loss as a professional.
More Action Oct. 10
In addition to making its return to Chumash Casino, there will also be a stop at Thunder Studios for Oct. 10, the original hosting space for A1 Combat’s first venture into the Los Angeles market. A1 Combat 31’s main event will feature A1 Combat Featherweight Champion Shane Collins as he looks to make his first title defense against the also undefeated Eliab Evangelista. In the Co-Main event, Royce Butler takes on Mason Carzino-Hartshorn for the recently vacated A1 Combat Flyweight Championship.
A1 Combat 30 will take place on October 4th at the Chumash Casino, with the main card slated to begin at 6 P.M. PT only on A1 Combat’s YouTube Channel. The following Friday, October 10th, A1 Combat 31 goes down at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, with its broadcast being shared on UFC Fight Pass and the main card slated to begin at 6 P.M. PT.