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 July 21

12:00am: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
1:00am: UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio Prelims (Fox Sports 2)
3:00am: 2017 ESPYS (ESPN2)
3:00am: UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio (Fox Sports 2)
4:35am: Cinderella Man (The Movie Channel Xtra)
5:30am: Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds To Freedom (Showtime Extreme)
6:00am: UFC’s Greatest Fights: Jones vs. Gustafsson (Fox Sports 1)
6:30am: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
9:30am: UFC Fight Flashback: Silva vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 2)
10:00am: UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio (Fox Sports 2)
10:00am: Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds To Freedom (Showtime Next)
1:00pm: UFC 162 (Fox Sports 2)
6:00pm: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
6:00pm: Fight To Win Pro 41 (FloGrappling)
7:00pm: UFC Road to the Octagon: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 1)
8:00pm: Real Fighting Championship 40 ($19.99 Fite.tv)
8:30pm: UFC Road to the Octagon: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 2)
9:00pm: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 17 (AXS)
9:30pm: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
10:00pm: Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter/Charles Hatley vs. Jermell Charlo (Showtime Extreme)
10:30pm: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 2)
11:00pm: ISKA US Open Highlight Show (ESPN2)

Saturday July 22

12:30am: Legacy Fighting Alliance 17 (AXS)
1:55am: Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel ft. Ramzan Kadyrov (HBO)
2:30am: UFC Fight Flashback: Silva vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 2)
3:00am: UFC Fight Flashback: Machida vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 2)
3:30am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
4:00am: Legacy Fighting Alliance 17 (AXS)
4:30am: UFC Road to the Octagon: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 1)
5:30am: In The Clinch with Tyron Woodley (Fox Sports 1)
5:30am: Powerplay Promotions 34 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
6:00am: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 1)
6:00am: M-1 Challenge 81 (m1global.tv)
7:00am: Road to the Octagon: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 1)
8:00am: Heavy Hitters (ESPN Deportes)
8:00am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
9:00am: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 2)
10:00am: 2017 ESPYS (ESPN2)
10:00am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
11:00am: UFC Classics: Brock Lesnar (Fox Sports 2)
11:00am: Legacy Fighting Alliance 17 (AXS)
12:00pm: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
1:00pm: Road to the Octagon: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 2)
1:30pm: Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel ft. Ramzan Kadyrov (HBO/HBO Latino)
2:00pm: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
2:30pm: Absolute Championship Berkut 65 (YouTube/Fite.tv)
4:00pm: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman Prelims (UFC Fight Pass)
5:25pm: Southpaw (Showtime Showcase)
6:00pm: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman Prelims (Fox)
7:00pm: Fury Fighting Championship 18 (FloCombat)
7:00pm: Valor Fights vs. Conflict MMA: Worlds Collide (FloCombat)
7:30pm: Sports Jeopardy (NBC Sports)
8:00pm: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox)
8:30pm: Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel ft. Ramzan Kadyrov (HBO2)
10:00pm: UFC on FOX Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 2)
10:00pm: Victory Fighting Championship 58 (UFC Fight Pass)
10:00pm: California Fight League XI ($9.99 Fite.tv)
10:30pm: UFC on FOX Post-Fight Press Conference (UFC Fight Pass)
11:00pm: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
11:00pm: UFC Classics: Brock Lesnar (Fox Sports 2)

Sunday July 23

12:00am: UFC on FOX Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 2)
1:00am: UFC 175 (Fox Sports 2)
1:00am: Southpaw (Showtime Showcase)
4:00am: UFC on FOX Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 2)
4:30am: The Hurricane (Showtime Extreme)
5:00am: UFC Classics: Brock Lesnar (Fox Sports 2)
6:00am: UFC’s Greatest Fights: Jones vs. Gustafsson (Fox Sports 2)
6:30am: UFC on FOX Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
7:30am: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
8:20am: MAX Muay Thai ($10.99 Fite.tv)
9:30am: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 1)
11:30am: UFC’s Greatest Fights: Jones vs. Gustafsson (Fox Sports 2)
11:30am: Cinderella Man (The Movie Channel)
12:00pm: UFC Classics: Brock Lesnar (Fox Sports 2)
12:00pm: Gracie Pro 2017 (FloGrappling)
1:00pm: UFC Fight Flashback: Cormier vs. Johnson (Fox Sports 2)
2:00pm: UFC 182 (Fox Sports 1)
3:30pm: Southpaw (Showtime Extreme)
5:00pm: UFC Classics: Brock Lesnar (Fox Sports 1)
5:30pm: Sports Jeopardy (NBC Sports)
6:00pm: In The Clinch with Tyron Woodley (Fox Sports 1)
6:30pm: UFC’s Greatest Fights: Jones vs. Gustafsson (Fox Sports 2)
7:00pm: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman Prelims (Fox Sports 2)
9:00pm: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
9:00pm: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman (Fox Sports 2)
11:00pm: UFC 182 (Fox Sports 2)

Top-10 Viewing Options: A man with nothing but time on his hands to watch fights, since his baseball team is dead-to-rig–hang on, I’m being handed something…

  1. UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman: A serial weight-misser against a former champion who has seemingly fell off of a Wile E. Coyote cliff coincidentally about the time USADA got implemented. It’s a lacking card for FOX, but it’s a shallow week.

  2. Absolute Championship Berkut 65: I love ACB’s continued eastern advancement from Russia, and they’re still churning out awesome, free cards.

  3. Legacy Fighting Alliance 17: Standard LFA fare, maybe a step up.

  4. Fight To Win Pro 41: As I’ve often said, this is a F2W house, and their consistancy is fantastic for a grappling company that travels all over the country. Hopefully more grappling promotions follow their lead.

  5. Victory Fighting Championships 58: Fight Pass has been lacking lately in cards, so this is a decent-enough followup to the FOX card.

  6. Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel ft. Ramzan Kadyrov: A fantastic look into the culture, mindset, and some would say lunacy of Ramzan Kadyrov and the athletes that are coming out of that area.

  7. Gracie Pro 2017: Aside from tournaments, this is basically a one-fight show, but what a damned fight it is. The rematch between Roger Gracie and Marcus Buchecha, five years in the making after they fought to a draw.

  8. M-1 Challenge 81: Again, not a great fight weekend, but watching Kharitonov fight is always worth the price of admission.

  9. ISKA US Open Highlight Show: The ISKA has produced some great fighters from its karate scene, and the US Open is the crown jewel of their promotion. Watch some flying shit!

  10. UFC’s Greatest Fights: Jones vs. Gustafsson: In the words of Duke, Apollo’s trainer to Rocky against Drago, “YOU SEE, YOU SEE? HE’S NOT A MACHINE, HE’S A MAN!”. Gus made Bones a mortal, now it’s up to Cormier to finish him.

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

• Amanda Serrano [vs. Edina Kiss, July 21, Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, San Juan, Puerto Rico]
• Jonathan Oquendo [vs. Francisco Fonseca, July 21, Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, San Juan, Puerto Rico]
• Jhonny Gonzalez [vs. Jessie Cris Rosales, July 22, Lienzo Charro Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico]
• Steve Moxon [vs. Brad Riddell, July 22, Powerplay Promotions 34, Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia]
• AJ Agazarm [vs. Vitor Oliveira, July 21, Fight To Win Pro 41, Otterbein University, Columbus, Ohio]
• Lance Palmer [vs. Andrew Sabatino, July 21, Fight To Win Pro 41, Otterbein University, Columbus, Ohio]
• Wellington Dias [Black Belt Featherweight Division, July 23, IBJJF Austin International Open, Round Rock Sports Center, Round Rock, Texas]
• Joao Gabriel Rocha [Black Belt Ultra Heavyweight Division, July 23, IBJJF Austin International Open, Round Rock Sports Center, Round Rock, Texas]
• Marcus Buchecha vs. Roger Gracie [July 23, Gracie Pro 2017, Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]
• Jeremy Kennedy vs. Kyle Bochniak [July 22, UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York]
• Brian Kelleher vs. Marlon Vera [July 22, UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York]
• Timothy Johnson [vs. Junior Albini, July 22, UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York]
• Godofredo Pepey vs. Shane Burgos [July 22, UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York]
• Chris Wade vs. Frankie Perez [July 22, UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York]
• Dakota Cochrane [vs. Maki Pitolo, July 22, Victory Fighting Championship 58, Baxter Arena, Omaha, Nebraska]
• Bubba McDaniel [vs. Ike Villanueva, July 22, Fury Fighting Championship 18, Humble Civic Center, Humble, Texas]
• Geronimo dos Santos vs. Sergei Kharitonov [July 22, M-1 Challenge 81, Nazran, Russia]
• Joe Riggs [vs. Dmitry Samoilov, July 22, M-1 Challenge 81, Nazran, Russia]
• Thiago Silva [vs. Batraz Agnaev, July 22, Absolute Championship Berkut 56, Sheffield Arena, Shellfield, England]
• Pat Healy [vs. Brendan Loughnane, July 22, Absolute Championship Berkut 56, Sheffield Arena, Shellfield, England]
• Donald Sanchez [vs. Alexey Polpudnikov, July 22, Absolute Championship Berkut 56, Sheffield Arena, Shellfield, England]
• Leandro Silva [vs. Joshua Aveles, July 22, Absolute Championship Berkut 56, Sheffield Arena, Shellfield, England]
• Vyacheslav Vasilevsky [vs. Will Noland, July 22, Absolute Championship Berkut 56, Sheffield Arena, Shellfield, England]
• Niklas Backstrom [vs. Andrew Fisher, July 22, Absolute Championship Berkut 56, Sheffield Arena, Shellfield, England]
• Tony Lopez [vs. Jason Walraven, July 22, California Fight League XI, San Bernardino County Fair, Victorville, California]
• Joe Condon vs. Mac Danzig [July 22, California Fight League XI, San Bernardino County Fair, Victorville, California]
• Jerrod Sanders [vs. Chris Gutierrez, July 22, C3 Fights: Fight Night, 7 Clans First Council Casino Hotel, Newkirk, Oklahoma]

Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: A man who had the biggest winning weekend since he (checks clipboard) started Undercard Superstar? Jesus, I suck. ANYWAY, LET’S KEEP THIS TRAIN A’ROLLING!

Best Fight of the Weekend: Marcus Buchecha vs. Roger Gracie
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Geronimo dos Santos vs. Sergei Kharitonov
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Amanda Serrano over Edina Kiss
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: UFC on FOX: Gastelum vs. Weidman
Upset of the Week: Darren Elkins over Dennis Bermudez
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum