Combat sports: New Mexico Athletic Commission losing Espinoza

Even if he weren’t 6 feet, 4 inches tall and a former Albuquerque High School basketball player, Richard Espinoza would be leaving big shoes to fill.

Espinoza, the New Mexico Athletic Commission’s executive director for the past decade, informed NMAC commissioners at Tuesday’s March meeting that he’s leaving the post.

“Kind of a bittersweet type situation,” said Espinoza, who’s been promoted to another position within the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.

Commissioners, as well as others who attended Tuesday’s meeting in person or remotely, said Espinoza will be sorely missed.

“Wouldn’t that (Espinoza’s departure) require commission approval?” Commission chairman Ed Manzanares said jokingly. “We can rescind that.”

As NMAC executive secretary/executive director — the two titles have been used interchangeably — Espinoza had been the commission’s only salaried employee. He’s been responsible for the daily work of the commission between monthly meetings, for presiding over weigh-ins and for ensuring that things run smoothly at combat-sports events.

Joe Cordova, a recent appointee to the commission, said he’s been amazed at how smoothly things have gone at events since he came on board.

“Like clockwork,” Cordova said. “There never seems to be a glitch.”

Addressing Espinoza, Cordova said, “I hope the next person has the same skill sets that you bring to the table.”

Amanda Lewis, an RLD deputy division director, said at Tuesday’s meeting that the NMAC position would be posted with the State Personnel Office.

As an RLD board administrator, Espinoza has had responsibility for other state boards as well as the athletic commission.

Espinoza has already started his new job but said he would make himself available whenever possible during the transition within the athletic commission. Once a new executive secretary is hired and the transition is complete, he said, he will not cut ties with the commission or with New Mexico combat sports.

He’s a former boxing and MMA referee.

“Once that’s taken care of,” he said, “I’ll be applying for my license to go back to how I started — as a referee, a judge, an event coordinator.

“I wouldn’t mind being a deputy inspector. Wherever the commission needs me.”

PETTIS A PROMOTER: Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has applied for and been granted a New Mexico promoter’s license, approved at Tuesday’s athletic commission meeting.

Pettis has not submitted an event permit. He has promoted 16 MMA cards under the APFC banner since February 2022, mostly in the Midwest, and has another card planned on March 23 in his hometown of Milwaukee.

He and his younger brother Sergio have spent considerable time in Albuquerque while training at Jackson-Wink MMA.

FIGHT TICKETS: Tickets for the scheduled April 12 boxing card in the Pit went on sale Monday on the UNM athletics website. They are scaled from $55-$80 for bench seats, $130 for chairbacks, $255-$755 for floor-level seating and $1005 for ringside.

To buy or to price tickets, go to golobos.com, find the prompt for tickets and then click on “Signature Punch Promotions.”

The April 12 main event matches former MMA fighters Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in their boxing debuts. New Mexico boxers Brian Mendoza, Matt Griego-Ortega, Josh Torres and Johnny Tapia Jr. and Nicco Tapia, the sons of Albuquerque boxing legend Johnny Tapia, also are on the card. Albuquerque MMA star Diego Sanchez is scheduled to make his boxing debut.

On Monday, Signature Punch announced the addition to the card of middleweight Shane Mosley Jr. (22-4, 12 KOs).

Meanwhile, tickets for the April 19 Legacy Promotions card at the Embassy Suites, featuring unbeaten Albuquerque flyweight Abraham Perez in the main event, have been available since Feb. 10. They’re scaled at $45-$85.

Albuquerque fighters Fidel Maldonado Jr., Xavier Madrid, Jordanne Garcia and Andres Rey also are scheduled to fight on the April 19 card.