As always, programming is listed in EST
Live fights are in BOLD.
Premiere programming is in ITALICS.
MMA programming is in ORANGE.
Boxing programming is in RED.
Kickboxing/Muay Thai/Karate programming is in BLUE.
Wrestling/Jiu Jitsu/Grappling programming is in PURPLE.
Misc./Combination combat sports programming is in GREEN.
Friday January 11
2:00am: 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam: Abu Dhabi (FloGrappling)
10:40am: 2019 Eastern States Tournament (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Cleveland State vs. Rider (ESPN3)
6:00pm: Purdue vs. Maryland (BigTen)
7:00pm: North Carolina vs. Princeton (ESPN+)
7:00pm: Drexel vs. Rider (ESPN3)
7:00pm: Missouri vs. Ohio (ESPN+)
7:00pm: Wisconsin vs. Rutgers (FloWrestling)
7:00pm: Michigan State vs. Illinois (FloWrestling)
7:00pm: Indiana vs. Ohio State (FloWrestling)
8:00pm: South Dakota State vs. Northern Iowa (FloWrestling)
8:00pm: Northwestern vs. Penn State (FloWrestling)
8:30pm: Fight To Win Pro 97 (FloGrappling)
9:30pm: All-Access: Broner vs. Pacquiao Episode 2 (Showtime)
10:00pm: Devin Haney vs. Xolisani Ndongeni/Frank Sanchez Faure vs. Willie Jake Jr. (Showtime)
Saturday January 12
2:00am: 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam: Abu Dhabi (FloGrappling)
6:00am: 2019 Abu Dhabi King of Mats (FloGrappling)
9:15am: 2019 Eastern States Tournament (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2019 Asics Who’s Number 1 (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Oklahoma State vs. Princeton (ESPN+)
3:00pm: Brown vs. NC State (ACC Network)
5:00pm: North Dakota State vs. Pitt (FloWrestling)
7:00pm: Edinboro vs. Rider (ESPN3)
7:00pm: Bucknell vs. Duke (ACC Network)
7:00pm: Michigan vs. Illinois (FloWrestling)
7:00pm: Nebraska vs. Northern Iowa (FloWrestling)
7:00pm: Stand Up Warriors 20 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: MMAXFC: High Stakes ($19.99 Fite.tv)
8:30pm: Shamrock Fighting Championship 314 (FloCombat)
10:00pm: 2019 Third Coast Grappling Championship (FloGrappling)
Sunday January 13
1:00pm: West Virginia vs. NC State (ACC Network)
1:00pm: Minnesota vs. Iowa (BigTen)
1:00pm: Rutgers vs. Oklahoma State (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Penn State vs. Wisconsin (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Ohio State vs. Michigan State (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Indiana vs. Maryland (FloWrestling)
3:00pm: Iowa State vs. Fresno State (FloWrestling)
3:00pm: South Dakota State vs. Pitt (FloWrestling)
4:00pm: Drexel vs. Penn (ESPN+)
4:00pm: Wyoming vs. Oregon State (FloWrestling)
8:00pm: Jose Uzcategui vs. Caleb Plant/Brandon Figueroa vs. Moises Flores (Fox Sports 1)
Top-10 Viewing Options: What’s worse, your football team not making the playoffs, or making the playoffs and losing by 27? I got to experience both recently, so fighting is wonderful to have back.
1. Jose Uzcategui vs. Caleb Plant/Brandon Figueroa vs. Moises Flores: Sweet mother of pearl, actual, not exhibition in Tokyo, real goddamned championship boxing is back! God, it’s felt like months.
2. Devin Haney vs. Xolisani Ndongeni/Frank Sanchez Faure vs. Willie Jake Jr.: After a long layoff and a Mayweather farce in Tokyo, Friday brings back the welcome return of boxing.
3. All-Access: Broner vs. Pacquiao Episode 2: Our first preview of Manny smacking Broner’s remaining baby teeth out of his skull.
4. 2019 Abu Dhabi King of Mats: Fantastic tournament at a slightly more manageable time-slot.
5. 2019 Third Coast Grappling Championship: Out of all the grappling tournies this weekend, Keenan Cornelius might be the best and he’s main eventing here against Tex Johnson.
6. 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam: Abu Dhabi: BOY, would this be higher if it didn’t start at 2am each day. Yikes, that’s a hard watch.
7. Fight To Win Pro 97: It’s felt like years. Welcome the hell back.
8. Northwestern vs. Penn State: Our only #1 vs. #2 matchup of the weekend.
9. Stand Up Warriors 20: Your best (and probably only) kickboxing option of the weekend.
10. Minnesota vs. Iowa: Some straight-up midwestern beef colliding here.
4×5: Every week, UCS’s Luke Irwin will list his Top-5 bouts in each of the four major different combat sports that he’s looking forward to the most, regardless of any conventional criteria, merit, or logic.
KICKBOXING/MUAY THAI
N/A
BOXING
5. Light Heavyweight Bout: Allan Green (33-5) vs. Ahmed Elbialo (17-1) [PBC on FS1]
4. Junior Lightweight Bout: Giovanni Delgado (16-8) vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-1) [PBC on FS1]
3. Featherweight Bout: Brandon Figueroa (17-0) vs. Moises Flores (25-1) [PBC on FS1]
2. Lightweight Bout: Devin Haney (20-0) vs. Xolisani Ndongeni (25-0) [ShoBox]
1. IBF World Super Middleweight Championship: Jose Uzcategui (c) (28-2) vs. Caleb Plant (17-0) [PBC on FS1]
MMA
5. Middleweight Bout: George Davis (2-1) vs. Jared Revel (7-2) [Battlefield Fight League 59]
4. Heavyweight Bout: Kevin Ray Sears (8-4) vs. Justin Frazier (10-3) [C3 Fights 47]
3. Welterweight Bout: Chris Harris (10-3) vs. Marcelo Alfaya (18-10) [C3 Fights 47]
2. Middleweight Bout: Evan Cutts (9-3) vs. Hayward Charles (16-9) [XKO 44]
1. Bantamweight Bout: Cole Smith (5-0) vs. Tyler Wilson (4-1) [Battlefield Fight League 59]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. 133lb Bout: #3 Nick Suriano (Rutgers) vs. #5 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) [Rutgers vs. Oklahoma State]
4. 133lb Bout: #1 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) vs. #6 Micky Phillippi (Pitt) [South Dakota State vs. Pitt]
3. Superfight: Aaron Johnson vs. Keenan Cornelius [2019 Third Coast Grappling Championship]
2. 157lb Bout: #1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) vs. #2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) [Penn State vs. Northwestern]
1. 2019 Abu Dhabi King of Mats Middleweight Grand Prix [Abu Dhabi King of Mats]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: We finished the year in the red for a hundred-fifteen buckeroos. We got some bad beats, but this year, in 2019, this year, we’re making some bank. If not, well, I’m not your real dad, do what you wanna do.
Best Fight of the Weekend: Jose Uzcategui vs. Caleb Plant
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Aaron Johnson vs. Keenan Cornelius
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Guillermo Rigondeaux over Giovanni Delgado
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Premier Boxing Champions on Fox Sports 1
Upset of the Week: Moises Flores over Brandon Figueroa
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Giovanni Delgado vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux
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