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 Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko (c) (18-3) vs. Katlyn Chookagian (13-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 3
Excitement: 2: Chookagian is a decision machine, and Bullet sprinkles in devastating violence among many lackluster decisions.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 4: Every weight class needs a champion that becomes the face of that division. Women’s strawweight had Joanna, women’s bantamweight had Ronda, flyweight had DJ, and Valentina can very well become the fighter that brings the prestige of that belt up high enough to really, really establish women’s 125.
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 12
t2. WBC World Featherweight Championship: Gary Russell Jr. (c) (30-1) vs. Tugstsogt Nyambayar (11-0)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 4: Nyambayar is a sneaky good opponent for Russell. He’s an Olympic silver medalist, so you know his technique is sound, and unlike many fighters with huge amateur background, he’s a pressure fighter, as well.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2: Showtime’s just looking to take over 2020. Just nonstop boxing from the former boxing superpower.
Total: 15
t2. UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones (c) (25-1) vs. Dominick Reyes (12-0)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 4: In his prime, this would be about a 1.5 for Bones, but he’s looked so shoddy lately, and the fact that unlike seemingly all of his other opponents, isn’t afraid to kick, makes this is interesting matchup.
Excitement: 3: I think the days of Jones making the highlight reel are just about up. He’s putting in some real lackluster performances. He couldn’t get anything going against a kneeless Thiago Santos, for Christ’s sakes.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 15
t2. Invicta FC Atomweight Championship: Jinh Yu Frey (c) (8-4) vs. Ashley Cummins (7-4)
When/Where: Friday, 8:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 3
Excitement: 2: Except for a random kneebar, Cummins is a decision machine, but Frey can be pretty entertaining when she goes for it.
Juice: 2: Not much, except Cummins lost to Frey at Invicta 24 back in 2017.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 15
1. Inaugural ONE Featherweight Muay Thai Championship: Jamal Yusupov (52-9) vs. Phetmorakot Petchyindee Academy (160-34-2)
When/Where: Friday, 7:30am, ONE App
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3: Traditional Thai fighters are very slow starters. Welp, as Yusupov showed against Fairtex, he cares not for waiting for them to get into their rhythm, and will terminate on site.
Juice: 3: This fight shouldn’t even be happening. Yusupov, on just ten days notice, pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year after turning off Yodsanklai Fairtex’s lights after a left hand, spoiling what would have been a massive Thai superfight as Yusupov’s looks to continue his Cinderella run.
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 5
Total: 19
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