Your Weekend in Combat Sports

GettyImages-1207393955-e1587728878118

 

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 July 30

4:00am: 2020 Olympic Boxing (NBCOlympics.com)
4:00am: 2020 Olympic Judo (NBCOlympics.com)
8:00am: Matchroom Fight Camp Weigh-Ins (DAZN)
8:30am: ONE: Battleground (B/R Live)
9:00am: The DAZN Boxing Show Live from Fight Camp (DAZN)
6:05pm: UFC on ESPN Pre-Fight Show (ESPN+)
7:00pm: Max on Boxing (ESPN2)
7:30pm: UFC Live (ESPN2)
8:00pm: Fight To Win 179 (FloGrappling)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 113 (UFC Fight Pass)
10:00pm: Fighting Alliance Championship 9 (UFC Fight Pass)
10:00pm: 2020 Olympic Boxing (NBCOlympics.com)
10:00pm: 2020 Olympic Judo (NBCOlympics.com)

 

Saturday July 31

4:00am: 2020 Olympic Boxing (NBCOlympics.com)
4:00am: 2020 Olympic Judo (NBCOlympics.com)
9:00am: 2021 Mount Rushmore Mayhem (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Adrian Granados vs. Conor Benn/Can Xu vs. Leigh Wood (DAZN)
2:00pm: Lion Fight 67 (UFC Fight Pass)
4:00pm: Combat Night: Broward ($24.99 Fite.tv)
6:00pm: UFC on ESPN Prelims (ESPN+)
7:00pm: FightNight Live: Hard Hitting Promotions (FloCombat)
7:00pm: Martial Combat League ($14.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Gerald Washington vs. Michael Coffie/James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr. (Fox)
8:00pm: Bellator 263 Prelims (YouTube)
8:00pm: The Grappling Network: 16-Man Submission Only Tournament ($12.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Fusion Fight League: Steele vs. Lozoya ($19.99 Fite.tv)
9:00pm: UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland (ESPN)
10:00pm: 2020 Olympic Boxing (NBCOlympics.com)
10:00pm: Bellator 263 (Showtime)
10:00pm: 2020 Olympic Wrestling (NBCOlympics.com)

 

Sunday August 1

12:00am: UFC on ESPN Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)
12:00am: UFC on ESPN Post-Fight Press Conference (UFC Fight Pass)
4:00am: 2020 Olympic Boxing (NBCOlympics.com)
5:15am: 2020 Olympic Wrestling (NBCOlympics.com)
9:00am: 2021 Mount Rushmore Mayhem (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Brave 52 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
4:00pm: BJJBET II (FloGrappling)
9:00pm: Cage Warriors 126 (UFC Fight Pass)
10:00pm: 2020 Olympic Boxing (NBCOlympics.com)
10:00pm: 2020 Olympic Wrestling (NBCOlympics.com)

 

Top-10 Viewing Options: We’re in the thick of the Olympics, and that certainly goes for combat sports, with only Karate not taking place yet.

 

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  t1. 2020 Olympic Boxing: We’re in the thick of the Olympic sweet science now.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  t1. 2020 Olympic Judo: The medals wrap up!

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  t1. 2020 Olympic Wrestling: Wrestling kicks off late this weekend!

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  4. Bellator 263: The best MMA offering of the weekend, featuring a HELL of a title fight between Patricio Pitbull and AJ McKee.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  5. Adrian Granados vs. Conor Benn/Can Xu vs. Leigh Wood: Best professional boxing offering of the weekend, as we return to Fight Camp with a heck of a 1-2 in the main and co-main.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  6. Lion Fight 67: Two world title fights on this especially stacked card.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  7. UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland: The main event is fine, whatever, and then the rest of the card falls off of a goddamned cliff.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  8. ONE: Battleground: After quite the long layoff, ONE returns with a muay thai title fight headlining.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  9. BJJBET II: Gives me my tournament fix of the weekend, a middleweight tournament featuring names like Rousimar Palhares, Hulk Barbosa, and Leandro Lo.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  t10. Gerald Washington vs. Michael Coffie/James Martin vs. Vito Mielnicki Jr.: PBC continues to treat FOX cards like throwaway ShoBox cards.

Your Weekend in Combat Sports  t10. Cage Warriors 126: Cage Warriors comes across the pond to California for a Sunday night offering.

 

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. Women’s Flyweight Bout: Andy Nguyen (2-2) vs. Sonia Dinh [Lion Fight 67]

4. Middleweight Bout: Jacopo Tarantino (75-6) vs. Lorenzo Guerink (16-5-2) [Lion Fight 67]

3. Lion Fight World Light Heavyweight Championship: Enrico Carrara (c) (57-4-2) vs. Patrik Vidakovics (51-19) [Lion Fight 67]

2. Lion Fight World Cruiserweight Championship: Chip Moraza-Pollard (c) (11-0) vs. Jakub Benko (41-19) [Lion Fight 67]

1. ONE Strawweight Muay Thai Championship: Sam-A Gaiyanghadao (c) (370-49-7) vs. Prajanchai P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym [ONE: Battleground]

 

BOXING

5. Welterweight Bout: Justin DeLoach (19-5) vs. Paul Kroll (8-0) [PBC on FOX]

4. Light Heavyweight Bout: Andre Dirrell (27-3) vs. Christopher Brooker (16-7) [PBC on FOX]

3. IBO World Junior Bantamweight Championship: Gideon Buthelezi (c) (22-5) vs. Sabelo Ngebinyana (13-4)

2. WBA Continental Welterweight Championship: Conor Benn (c) (18-0) vs. Adrian Granados (21-8-3)

1. WBA “Regular” World Featherweight Championship: Can Xu (c) (18-2) vs. Leigh Wood (24-2) [Matchroom Fight Camp]

 

MMA

5. Lightweight Bout: Manny Muro (12-6) vs. Usman Nurmagomedov (12-0) [Bellator 263]

4. Featherweight Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (20-5) vs. Mads Burnell (15-3) [Bellator 263]

3. Bantamweight Bout: Kyung Ho Kang (17-8) vs. Rani Yahya (27-10-1) [UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland]

2. Middleweight Bout: Sean Strickland (23-3) vs. Uriah Hall (17-9) [UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland]

1. Bellator Featherweight Championship: Patricio Freire (c) (32-4) vs. AJ McKee (17-0) [Bellator 263]

 

GRAPPLING/WRESTLING

5. Black Belt Bout: Jaime Canuto vs. Jeferson Guaresi [Fight To Win 179]

4. Black Belt Bout: Gabi McComb vs. Karen Antunes [Fight To Win 179]

3. Black Belt Superfight: Felipe Pena vs. Nicholas Meregali [BJJBET II]

2. Black Belt Bout: Joshua Cisneros vs. Kennedy Maciel [Fight To Win 179]

1. 8-Man Middleweight No-Gi Tournament [BJJBET II]

 

Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: Is making money on Olympic betting unethical? I’m a little torn. Then again, we bet on college sports, so what’s the damned difference?

Best Fight of the Weekend: Patricio Freire vs. AJ McKee
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Kyung Ho Kang vs. Rani Yahya
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Michael Coffie over Jonathan Rice
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Upset of the Week: Jinh Yu Frey over Ashley Yoder
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Sean Strickland vs. Uriah Hall

Arrow to top