The championship fight. The pinnacle of achievement across combat sports for centuries. A premiere attraction that draws millions every year. But not all title bouts are created equally.
So which title bouts every week are the ones to watch? We’ll look over every title fight from across the combat sports landscape and give you the five best based on five criteria:
- Competitiveness: Is this an even matchup? Or just a warm body to throw at a champion? It’s a title fight, so we want the best possible at that division in that promotion.
- Excitement: How exciting will this fight be? A clash of two elite talents throwing everything they have at each other in an attempt to win the gold? Or a half-dead plod-fest devoid of action or risk?
- Juice: A sort of catch-all term for all the factors behind the matchup. Is there a story leading up to the match? A true rivalry? Anticipated rematch? Do the fighters dislike each other? Were the circumstances leading to the fight extraordinary, or was it just a promoter putting two names against each other? Is there a lot of excitement or hype going into it?
- Prestige: Applies to the belt itself, but also to the fighter wearing it. Is this a long-tenured champion defending? Is this an interim title or one that was vacated? Has the champion increased the prestige of the title or is this a fight that will increase the prestige of it?
- Viewing Ease: We all don’t mind suffering for our art (or hobbies), but sometimes paying twenty dollars for a choppy stream, or searching your cable plan for a channel you’re pretty sure was just invented three days ago in the 6000s isn’t the best of times. How easy, affordable, and stress-free is this bout to watch?
So here are your five best gold options for the weekend.
5. UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Amanda Nunes (c) (18-4) vs. Germaine de Randamie (9-3)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 2: de Randamie suffered her first and only stoppage loss of her career in 2013 to Nunes, and that was before Nunes turned into a T-1000 and still took occasional losses to Sarah D’Alelio and Cat Zingano.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 2
Prestige: 5: Ronda made it, but Nunes cemented it.
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 15
4. WBO World Welterweight Championship: Terence Crawford (c) (35-0) vs. Egidijus Kavaliauskas (21-0-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, ESPN
Competitiveness: 2: Kavaliauskas has been built up for a while, has held the NABF Welterweight title for a couple years, but I’d like to see a fighter go up against maybe the best boxer in the world with a little more steam than a draw against Ray Robinson at the ECW Arena.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4: Top Rank counterprogramming a huge UFC card with Bud Crawford on basic cable is a solid move.
Total: 16
3. UFC Featherweight Championship: Max Holloway (c) (21-4) vs. Alexander Volkanovsky (20-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 5: Beating Jose Aldo is the equivalent of earning a whistle in Super Mario 3 and fighting the final boss.
Excitement: 3: Volkanovsky is brutally efficient, and not entirely entertaining, but it’s Max, man. Max is maybe the most entertaining fighter in the world.
Juice: 2
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 17
t1. IBF World Lightweight Championship: Richard Commey (c) (29-2) vs. Teofimo Lopez (14-0)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, ESPN
Competitiveness: 5: Unlike our challenger in the main event, Lopez has been built very well and is absolutely ready for a title shot.
Excitement: 5: This is going to rule. Commey is going to look for an early KO to stun and try to overpower his less-experienced challenger. if Lopez can withstand an early rush, he has plenty of dynamite in his hands to fight back with.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 20
t1. UFC Welterweight Championship: Kamaru Usman (c) (15-1) vs. Colby Covington (15-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5: Covington is coming off of a UFC record for significant strike attempts. He doesn’t want for pressure or activity.
Juice: 3: After running his yap for years, here we finally are. Colby Covington fighting for what he believes is his birthright, the UFC Welterweight championship.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 20
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