Jose Alday Record: 13-7-1

Combate Americas championship run

Alday's biggest stage was Combate Americas, the Hispanic-focused promotion where he made history. In April 2018 he upset the highly regarded John Castañeda by decision, then on September 14, 2018 – his birthday – he outpointed Gustavo Lopez by split decision to be crowned the promotion's first-ever bantamweight world champion. The reign was short-lived: in their March 2019 rematch, Lopez exacted revenge by stopping Alday with punches and ground-and-pound in the first round to reclaim the title.

Later career and tough tests

Alday remained a respected gatekeeper at 135 pounds in the years that followed. He bounced back from the Lopez rematch with a decision win over Juan Pablo González in 2019 before dropping a competitive decision to Joby Sanchez at Combate 46 in Tucson. He continued to test himself against rising contenders, scoring a 2021 first-round knockout of Marcos Lopez under the Combate Global banner before losing a decision to the surging Saimon Oliveira on the 2021 Contender Series. His most recent listed bout came in February 2022, a second-round head-kick loss to former Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas.

Fighting style

Alday is a balanced, grind-it-out fighter whose record leans toward the judges: of his 13 wins, six came by decision, four by submission and three by knockout, with a finish rate near 54 percent. His wrestling and top control let him dictate where fights take place, and his submission game – particularly his choke attacks – has produced several of his most memorable finishes. He is at his best in long, championship-distance fights where his conditioning and ring IQ wear opponents down. His vulnerabilities show up against elite strikers, with three of his seven losses coming by knockout, including the head-kick defeats that ended fights early.

Career highlights

• Combate Americas bantamweight champion — defeated Gustavo Lopez by split decision in 2018 to become the promotion's first-ever bantamweight world titleholder.
• Eight-fight opening streak — won his first eight professional bouts on the Mexican regional circuit, establishing himself as a top Sonoran prospect.
• Proven gatekeeper — shared the cage with the likes of Joby Sanchez, Saimon Oliveira and former Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas in the later stages of his career.