Your Weekend in Combat Sports

Crawfordthumb

 

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 April 19

9:00am: 2019 FloNationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2019 War At the Shore (FloWrestling)
11:00am: UFC Fight Night Pre-Fight Show (ESPN+)
11:00am: 2019 West Region MAWA Championship (FloWrestling)
12:01pm: Brave 23 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
4:00pm: Crawford vs. Khan Weigh-Ins (ESPN2)
4:00pm: Garcia vs. Granados Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
5:00pm: Max on Boxing (ESPN2)

 

Saturday April 20

9:00am: 2019 FloNationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem Prelims (ESPN2)
10:00am: 2019 War At the Shore (FloWrestling)
10:30am: KO Next Generation 5 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
11:00am: 2019 West Region MAWA Championship (FloWrestling)
12:00pm: SENSHI: Professional Fighting Gala Night (FREE Fite.tv)
1:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem (ESPN+)
2:00pm: Dave Allen vs. Lucas Browne/Andy Townend vs. Joe Cordina (DAZN)
3:00pm: EFN 14 (EliteBoxing.tv)
5:00pm: Fight To Win Pro 109 (FloGrappling)
6:00pm: Crawford vs. Khan Prelims (ESPN2)
6:00pm: Montreal Fight League 11 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Adrian Granados vs. Danny Garcia/Brandon Figueroa vs. Yonfrez Parejo (Fox)
8:00pm: Walkout Fighting Championship 15 ($16.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Fusion Fight League: Homecoming ($14.99 Fite.tv)
9:00pm: Amir Khan vs. Terence Crawford/Edis Tatli vs. Teofimo Lopez ($69.99 Pay-Per-View)
9:00pm: Lou Neglia Combat at the Garden (UFC Fight Pass)
10:00pm: Lion Fight 54 (CBS Sports)
11:00pm: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)

 

Sunday April 21

1:00am: RIZIN 15 ($19.99 Fite.tv)

 

 

Top-10 Viewing Options: A man whose hockey team went down limper than Mr. Burns down a flight of stairs attempts to cleanse his brain with combat sports.

 

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 1. Amir Khan vs. Terence Crawford/Edis Tatli vs. Teofimo Lopez: Luckily the undercard is utterly fantastic, because seventy dollars to watch Amir Khan lose consciousness isn’t something I’m a fan of.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 2. RIZIN 15: RIZIN returns and is bringing the big guns. Both Tenshin and Taiga will be in acton and a solid MMA card, too.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 3. UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem: A very lackluster card that the main event already got downgraded in the late morning and early afternoon isn’t exactly a blockbuster.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 4. Adrian Granados vs. Danny Garcia/Brandon Figueroa vs. Yonfrez Parejo: For a FOX card, this is absurdly lacking, which shouldn’t be surprising for PBC.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 5. Dave Allen vs. Lucas Browne/Andy Townend vs. Joe Cordina: Viral sensation David Allen in action! On your biggest screen in the house! You spoiled rascals.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 6. Lion Fight 54: I touched on this in Ecstasy of Gold about the saturation of streaming, but it bears repeating, that I really think this is really, really good for Lion Fight.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 7. Fight To Win Pro 109: In the same way that all Michael Irvin does is catch touchdowns, all F2W does is put on awesome shows week after week.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 8. Lou Neglia Combat at the Garden: Despite sounding like a Simpsons event, Neglia is a very, very sharp promoter, and Ring of Combat is always one of the best indies in the MMA world. He knows what he’s doing.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 9. Max on Boxing: Max’s pick for Crawford vs. Khan? As always, Andre Ward.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports 10. SENSHI: Professional Fighting Gala Night: Despite having the same name as my second least-favorite Low Ki gimmick (Kaval will always be number one), this is a solid kickfighting card and the ever-rare free card on Fite.

 

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

5. Lion Fight Women’s World Super Flyweight Championship: Amy Pirnie (21-3-1) vs. Sandra Godvik (9-1) [Lion Fight 54]

4. Krush Bantamweight Championship: Akira Takashi (c)(6-3) vs. Junya Weerasakreck (14-8-1) [Krush 100]

3. Lion Fight North American Cruiserweight Championship: Ardany Mora (4-1) vs. Brett Hlavacek (18-5) [Lion Fight 54]

2. 61kg Bout: Thalisson Gomes Ferreira vs. Taiga (21-7) [RIZIN 15]

1. 59kg Bout: Fritz Aldin Biagtan vs. Tenshin Nasukawa (29-0) [RIZIN 15]

 

BOXING

5. Interim WBA World Junior Featherweight Championship: Brandon Figueroa (18-0) vs. Yonfrez Parejo (22-3-1) [PBC on FOX]

4. Featherweight Bout: Christopher Diaz (24-1) vs. Shakur Stevenson (10-0) [Top Rank on PPV]

3. Lightweight Bout: Edis Tatli (31-2) vs. Teofimo Lopez (12-0) [Top Rank on PPV]

2. Vacant WBC Silver Welterweight Championship: Adrian Granados (20-6-2) vs. Danny Garcia (34-2) [PBC on FOX]

1. WBO World Welterweight Championship: Terence Crawford (c) (34-0) vs. Amir Khan (33-4) [Top Rank on PPV]

 

MMA

5. Women’s Flyweight Bout: Antonina Shevchenko (7-0) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (22-15) [UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem]

4. Heavyweight Bout: Marcin Tybura (17-4) vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (19-4) [UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem]

3. Lightweight Bout: Arman Tsarukyan (13-1) vs. Islam Makhachev (16-1) [UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem]

2. Inaugural Rizin Light Heavyweight Championship: Jiri Prochazka (23-3-1) vs. Muhammed Lawal (21-8) [RIZIN 15]

1. Heavyweight Bout: Alexey Oleynik (57-11-1) vs. Alistair Overeem (44-17) [UFC Fight Night: Oleinik vs. Overeem]

 

GRAPPLING/WRESTLING

5. 210 Black Belt Bout: Isaac July Jr. vs. Wilfredo Merino [Fight To Win Pro 109]

4. Super Heavyweight Black Belt Bout: Jeffrey Manalansan vs. Thiago Reinaldo [Fight To Win Pro 109]

3. 180lb Black Belt Judo Bout: Christian Torrones vs. Eduardo Viana [Fight To Win Pro 109]

2. 155lb Black Belt Bout: Jamil Hill vs. Leonardo Saggiro [Fight To Win Pro 109]

1. Fight To Win Pro Black Belt Middleweight No-Gi Championship: DJ Jackson (c) vs. Arnaldo Maidana De Oliveira [Fight To Win Pro 109]

 

 

Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: Rough weekend last go for us, and by us I mean me, because if you’re actually following my betting advice, you need home care.

 

Best Fight of the Weekend: Amir Khan vs. Terence Crawford
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Brandon Figueroa vs. Yonfrez Parejo
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Tenshin Nasukawa over Fritz Aldin Biagtan
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Top Rank on Pay-Per-View
Upset of the Week: Shamil Abdurakhimov over Marcin Tybura
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: David Allen vs. Lucas Browne

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