Your Weekend in Combat Sports

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.
Movies are in AQUA.
Misc. combat sports programming is in GREEN.

Friday January 27

3:30am: UFC Fight Flashback (Fox Sports 2)
4:00am: UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Shevchenko (Fox Sports 2)
8:30am: Road to UFC 208 (Fox Sports 1)
9:30am: UFC Fight Flashback (Fox Sports 2)
10:00am: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 2)
10:00am: 2017 NCWA National Duals (FloWrestling)
11:00am: Road to UFC 208 (Fox Sports 2)
12:00pm: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
12:05pm: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Family Zone)
2:00pm: Fight To Win Pro 23 (FloGrappling)
3:00pm: Big Ten Wrestling in 60 (BigTen)
6:00pm: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 1)
6:30pm: Spartyka Fight League 27 ($14.99 GoFightLive)
7:00pm: Bellator 171 Prelims (ESPN Deportes/Spike.com)
7:00pm: Old Dominion vs. Central Michigan (ESPN3)
7:00pm: Northern Iowa vs. Ohio (ESPN3)
7:00pm: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
8:00pm: Oklahoma State vs. Missouri (ESPN3)
8:00pm: Iowa vs. Ohio State (BigTen)
8:00pm: Edinboro vs. Lock Haven (FloWrestling)
9:00pm: Bellator 171 (ESPN3/Spike)
9:00pm: Classic Entertainment & Sports MMA 41 (AXS)
9:35pm: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Family Zone)
10:00pm: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
11:00pm: Hard Knocks Fighting Championship 53 ($14.99 GoFightLive)
11:30pm: UFC Fight Flashback (Fox Sports 2)

Saturday January 28

12:00am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
1:00am: UFC Reloaded (Fox Sports 2)
1:00am: Classic Entertainment & Sports MMA 41 (AXS)
2:00am: Heavy Hitters (ESPN Deportes)
3:00am: Iowa vs. Ohio State (BigTen)
4:00am: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
4:00am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
4:15am: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Family Zone)
5:00am: UFC 208 Road to the Octagon (Fox Sports 2)
6:00am: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
6:30am: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 2)
7:30am: UFC 208 Road to the Octagon (Fox Sports 2)
8:00am: SC Featured: Pin Kings (ESPNEWS)
8:30am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
9:00am: Cinderella Man (Showtime)
9:00am: 2017 NCWA National Duals (FloWrestling)
11:00am: SC Featured: Pin Kings (ESPNEWS)
11:00am: Eurasia Fight Nights 58 (UFC Fight Pass)
12:00pm: King Of Kings 43 (FightBoxLive)
1:00pm: Bishop McCort vs. Wyoming Seminary (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: 30 For 30: Muhammad And Larry (ESPN Classic)
4:00pm: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko Prelims (UFC Fight Pass)
4:30pm: UFC on FOX Prefight Show (Fox Sports 1)
5:00pm: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
6:00pm: Bellator 171 (ESPN Deportes)
6:55pm: Southpaw (The Movie Channel)
7:00pm: Cage Titans XXXII ($14.99 GoFightLive)
7:00pm: RFO Big Guns 22 (FloCombat)
7:00pm: Next Level Fight Club 6 (FloCombat)
8:00pm: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko (Fox)
8:00pm: Frampton vs. Santa Cruz Prelims (Showtime Extreme)
10:00pm: 30 For 30: One Night In Vegas (ESPN Classic)
10:00pm: UFC on FOX Postfight Show (Fox Sports 1)
10:00pm: Francisco Vargas vs. Miguel Berchelt/Miguel Roman vs. Takashi Miura (HBO/HBO Latino)
10:00pm: Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz/Dejan Zlaticanin vs. Mikey Garcia (Showtime)

Sunday January 29

12:00am: SC Top Plays of the Year (ESPNEWS)
12:00am: UFC on FOX Postfight Show (Fox Sports 1)
1:00am: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
1:30am: Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz/Dejan Zlaticanin vs. Mikey Garcia (Showtime Extreme)
2:00am: SC Featured: Stories of the Year (ESPNEWS)
2:00am: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
3:00am: SC Top Plays of the Year (ESPNEWS)
3:35am: Southpaw (The Movie Channel)
4:00am: UFC on FOX Postfight Show (Fox Sports 1)
4:30am: Shooto Japan (UFC Fight Pass)
4:45am: Rocky Balboa (Showtime 2)
5:30am: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 1)
6:00am: UFC on FOX Postfight Show (Fox Sports 1)
7:00am: SC Featured: Stories of the Year (ESPNEWS)
8:00am: SC Top Plays of the Year (ESPNEWS)
9:00am: Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz/Dejan Zlaticanin vs. Mikey Garcia (Showtime)
10:00am: Francisco Vargas vs. Miguel Berchelt/Miguel Roman vs. Takashi Miura (HBO/HBO Latino)
1:10pm: Southpaw (The Movie Channel Xtra)
2:00pm: 30 For 30: Muhammad And Larry (ESPN Classic)
2:00pm: Northern Illinois vs. Central Michigan (ESPN3)
2:00pm: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Extreme)
2:00pm: Michigan State vs. Rutgers (BigTen)
2:45pm: Francisco Vargas vs. Miguel Berchelt/Miguel Roman vs. Takashi Miura (HBO2)
3:00pm: SC Featured: Stories of the Year (ESPNEWS)
3:00pm: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko Prelims (Fox Sports 2)
3:45pm: Cinderella Man (Showtime Extreme)
4:00pm: SC Top Plays of the Year (ESPNEWS)
6:00pm: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko (Fox Sports 2)
6:00pm: Submission Underground 3 (FloGrappling)
8:00pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
8:30pm: UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko (Fox Sports 1)
9:00pm: Glory 37 (ESPN2)
9:00pm: Southpaw (The Movie Channel Xtra)
11:00pm: SC Top Plays of the Year (ESPNEWS)
11:00pm: 30 For 30: One Night In Vegas (ESPN Classic)
11:00pm: Sports Jeopardy (NBC Sports)
11:30pm: Sports Jeopardy (NBC Sports)

Top-10 Viewing Options: A man who just watched his football team play the loosest definition of “defense” in professional history attempts to watch somebody WHO PUTS THEIR HANDS UP AND COVERS SOMEBODY.

  1. Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz/Dejan Zlaticanin vs. Mikey Garcia: Just a monster card. Three different world title fights from three different sanctioning bodies, which you seldom see.

  2. UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko: Solid card, Cerrone vs. Masvidal can sell it on its own, but Pena vs. Bullet is a fantastic headliner to determine the next contender to Nunes, most likely.

  3. Francisco Vargas vs. Miguel Berchelt/Miguel Roman vs. Takashi Miura: A solid title fight and must-watch Miura. BOY, I sure wish this wasn’t on the same day on Showtime’s monster card.

  4. Submission Underground 3: Chael putting on another loaded card on FloGrappling this weekend.

  5. Bellator 171: Not the blockbuster of 170, but more Bellator’s speed; a card at a midwestern casino that could promise violence. There’s my Bellator.

  6. Oklahoma State vs. Missouri: This is a heavyweight slugfest against two giants.  Cormier, Woodley, Chandler, Askren, Hendricks, amongst many, many others.

  7. Shooto Japan: Solid Shooto fare for night owls, here.

  8. Fight to Win Pro 23: This is a big F2W house, and they’re rolling out another loaded card in California this weekend.

  9. Classic Entertainment & Sports MMA 41: Decent CES fare, they need another John Howard infusion.

  10. Glory 37: Rewatch it, it was a fun card.

Outside the Tube: Fighters you know or should know that won’t be appearing on your magic television box over the weekend.

• Jerwin Ancajas [vs. Jose Alfredo Rodriguez, January 29, Cotai Arena, Macao, China]
• Carlos Takam [vs. Marcin Rekowski, January 29, Cotai Arena, Macao, China]
• Kim Terra [vs. Danny Bohigian, January 27, Fight To Win Pro 23, Santa Clara Fairgrounds, Santa Clara, California]
• Kyle Kingsbury [vs. Eliot Kelly, January 27, Fight To Win Pro 23, Santa Clara Fairgrounds, Santa Clara, California]
• Ron Keslar [vs. Ahmed White, January 27, Fight To Win Pro 23, Santa Clara Fairgrounds, Santa Clara, California, Black Belt Medium Heavyweight Division, January 29, IBJJF San Jose International Open, San Jose City College, San Jose, California]
• David Mitchell [vs. Ryan Walsh, January 27, Fight To Win Pro 23, Santa Clara Fairgrounds, Santa Clara, California]
• AJ Agazarm vs. Dillon Danis [January 29, Submission Underground 3, Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon]
• Garry Tonon vs. Hector Lombard [January 29, Submission Underground 3, Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon]
• Chad Mendes vs. Jeff Glover [January 29, Submission Underground 3, Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon]
• Gordon Ryan vs. Jeff Monson [January 29, Submission Underground 3, Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon]
• Caio Terra [Black Belt Light Featherweight Division, January 29, IBJJF San Jose International Open, San Jose City College, San Jose, California]
• Kim Terra [Black Belt Featherweight Division, January 29, IBJJF San Jose International Open, San Jose City College, San Jose, California]
• Keenan Cornelius [Black Belt Super Heavyweight Division, January 29, IBJJF San Jose International Open, San Jose City College, San Jose, California]
• Vinny Magalhaes [Black Belt Ultra Heavyweight Division, January 29, IBJJF San Jose International Open, San Jose City College, San Jose, California]
• Jake Lindsey [vs. Chance Rencountre, January 27, Bellator 171, Kansas Star Casino, Mulvane, Kansas]
• Marcos Rogerio de Lima [vs. John Phillips, January 28, UFC on FOX: Pena vs. Shevchenko, Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado]
• Arthur Bagautinov [vs. Ilya Kosnyrev, January 28, Eurasia Fight Nights 58, Ali Aliyev Sports Palace, Makhachkala, Dagestan]
• Diego Brandao [vs. Murad Machaev, January 28, Eurasia Fight Nights 58, Ali Aliyev Sports Palace, Makhachkala, Dagestan]
• Yoshiro Maeda [vs. Hayato Ishii, January 29, Shooto Japan, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan]
• Kiyotaka Shimizu [vs. Tomohiro Hagino, January 29, Shooto Japan, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan]
• Motonobu Tezuka [vs. Tomohiko Hori, January 29, Grachan 27, Sumiyoshi Kumin Center, Osaka, Kapan]

Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: A man desperate to end a year in the black after many years in the red attempts to go against every instict he has.

Best Fight of the Weekend: Donald Cerrone vs. Jorge Masvidal
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Garry Tonon vs. Hector Lombard
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Carlos Takam over Marcin Rekowski
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Showtime Championship Boxing
Upset of the Week: Andrei Arlovski over Francis Ngannou
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Julianna Pena vs. Valentina Shevcheko