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. WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Championship: Alexis Rocha (c) (15-0) vs. Brad Solomon (28-2)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 3: Solomon is a serviceable journeyman, but coming off of a demolition at the hands of Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 1
Viewing Ease: 4: Decent Friday offering from DAZN.
Total: 12
4. Vacant 135lb Black Belt Women’s Championship: Gabbi McComb vs. Jena Bishop
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00pm, FloGrappling
Competitiveness: 3: Gracie vs. Alliance fighters usually put on a good show.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3: Mackenzie Dern held this belt down for a while.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 13
3. WBC Silver Lightweight Championship: Ryan Garcia (c) (19-0) vs. Francisco Fonseca (25-2-2)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 5: Garcia is being positioned by Golden Boy as one of their tippy-top prospects, and Fonseca’s only two losses were for world championships and is only 25 years old.
Excitement: 4: These two have a lot of finishes under their collective belts. 35 out of 44 wins between the two.
Juice: 2
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
2. Black Belt Heavyweight No-Gi Championship: Kaynan Duarte vs. Vinicius Ferreira
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00pm, FloGrappling
Competitiveness: 5: When they last met, Ferreira got the better of Duarte in the Brazilian National Championship. But they’re equal in age, size, and talent.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 3: These two Brazilians have grappled all over the world, but their best duals have been in Brazil.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 18
1. IBF World Super Middleweight Championship: Caleb Plant (c) (19-0) vs. Vincent Feigenbutz (31-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00pm, FOX
Competitiveness: 3
Excitement: 5: It’s not a sexy headliner, but these two boys are going to throw some heavy hands.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 5: Get out the rabbit ears! World championships on network TV!
Total: 19
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