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 September 15

1:00am: Ali (AXS)
1:15am: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO2)
2:00am: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
3:00am: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Countdown (Fox Sports 2)
3:30am: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 1)
8:30am: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Countdown (Fox Sports 2)
9:00am: UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Rockhold (Fox Sports 2)
11:00am: UFC 194 (Fox Sports 2)
2:00pm: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 2)
2:15pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO2)
2:15pm: Southpaw (Showtime Next)
4:00pm: Alvarez vs. Golovkin Weigh-Ins (ESPN Deportes/Fite.tv)
5:00pm: Ali (AXS)
6:15pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO/HBO Latino)
6:45pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO/HBO Latino)
7:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
7:00pm: Fight To Win Pro 47 (FloGrappling)
7:30pm: Golden Boy on ESPN Prelims (ESPN3)
7:30pm: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 1)
9:00pm: Claudio Marrero vs. Jesus M. Rojas/Juan Carlos Abreu vs. Rashidi Ellis (ESPN Deportes/ESPN3)
9:00pm: Canelo vs. Golovkin Countdown (ESPN2)
9:00pm: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 2)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 16 (AXS)
9:30pm: Canelo vs. Golovkin Mano A Mano (ESPN2)
10:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
10:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 17 (AXS)
10:30pm: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 2)
11:00pm: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 2)
11:00pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO2)
11:00pm: Devon Alexander vs. Shawn Porter (Showtime Extreme)
11:30pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO2)

Saturday September 16

12:00am: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
12:05am: Southpaw (Showtime Next)
1:00am: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Countdown (Fox Sports 2)
1:15am: Claudio Marrero vs. Jesus M. Rojas/Juan Carlos Abreu vs. Rashidi Ellis (ESPN2)
1:30am: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2)
2:00am: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 1)
3:00am: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 1)
3:30am: UFC Main Event (Fox Sports 1)
4:00am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 1)
4:00am: Legacy Fighting Alliance 22 (AXS)
8:00am: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
8:30am: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
11:00am: Legacy Fighting Alliance 22 (AXS)
12:00pm: W5: Legends Collide ($9.99 Fite.tv)
12:55pm: Southpaw (Showtime Extreme)
1:00pm: Cage Warriors 86 (UFC Fight Pass)
1:00pm: Sprawl & Brawl 6 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
3:45pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO/HBO Latino)
4:15pm: 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin (HBO/HBO Latino)
4:30pm: Heavy Hitters (ESPN Deportes)
5:30pm: Champions Week: Alvarez vs. Golovkin (ESPN Deportes)
5:30pm: Billy Joe Saunders vs. Willie Monroe Jr. (YouTube)
6:00pm: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
6:00pm: Alvarez vs. Golovkin Prelims (FREE Fite.tv)
6:30pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Prelims (UFC Fight Pass)
7:00pm: UFC Fight Night Pre-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
8:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
8:00pm: Gennady Golovkin vs. Saul Alvarez/Diego De La Hoya vs. Randy Caballero ($79.99 Pay-Per-View)
10:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold (Fox Sports 1)
10:00pm: 559 Fights 59 (FloCombat)

Sunday September 17

12:15am: Tough Guys (Showtime Extreme)
1:00am: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
1:00am: Pancrase 290 ($7.54 Epicentre.tv)
2:00am: Champions Week (ESPN Deportes)
3:30am: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
4:30am: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
5:30am: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Prelims (Fox Sports 2)
7:00am: ESPN Films: The Real Rocky (ESPN Classic)
7:30am: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 2)
8:30am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
9:00am: Tough Guys (Showtime)
10:30am: Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather (Showtime Extreme)
2:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold (Fox Sports 2)
3:30pm: The Hurricane (Flix)
5:00pm: UFC Sound Waves (Fox Sports 2)
5:30pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
7:30pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold (Fox Sports 1)
10:30pm: UFC’s Greatest Fights: Gustafsson vs. Jones (Fox Sports 2)
11:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold Prelims (Fox Sports 2)

Top-10 Viewing Options: After a strange month of no cards, freakshow cards, and last-minute title fight cancellations, I try to settle in with a clear road to the end of the year in great and consistent fights.

  1. Gennady Golovkin vs. Saul Alvarez/Diego De La Hoya vs. Randy Caballero: The undercard blows, but doesn’t matter, it’s FUCKING GGG VS. CANELO!

  2. UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold: The UFC’s continuous shitting on Pittsburgh continues. I actually love the Rockhold-Branch matchup, but headlining a card? With THAT card behind it? Come the fuck on.

  3. Billy Joe Saunders vs. Willie Monroe Jr.: Fantastic move to put this on YouTube. After Petrov-Flanagan was a success, you’re going to see this more and more.

  4. 24/7 Canelo vs. Golovkin: Your last behind-the-scenes look at the two combatants in the TRUE boxing superfight of the year.

  5. Canelo vs. Golovkin Countdown: Can’t believe this is actually freaking happening.

  6. Claudio Marrero vs. Jesus M. Rojas/Juan Carlos Abreu vs. Rashidi Ellis: Loving the influx of live boxing on ESPN, and love how easy it is to watch across multiple platforms.

  7. Cage Warriors 86: CWFC is pumping out superstars in the MMA world. This card has a promising title fight, but really not much else.

  8. Fight To Win Pro 47: Not a great card, but F2W is donating their proceeds from this show in Houston to hurricane relief, which only reaffirms my love of them.

  9. Ali: …your hands can’t hit what your eyes can’t see. Where’s my Frazier epic, fam?

  10. Tough Guys: It’s billed as ten years before the UFC was founded, a gang of outlaws had an idea to start a stylistic brawling company.

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

• Mike Lee [vs. Aaron Quattrocchi, September 15, The Dome at the Ballpark, Rosemont, Illinois]
• Billy Joe Saunders vs. Willie Monroe Jr. [September 16, Copper Box Arena, London, United Kingdom]
• Callum Smith [vs. Erik Skoglund, September 16, Echo Arena, Liverpool, United Kingdom]
• Martin Murray [vs. Arman Torosyan, September 16, Echo Arena, Liverpool, United Kingdom]
• Milan Melindo [vs. Hekkie Budler, September 16, Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Cebu City, Philippines]
• Luke Jackson [vs. Humberto de Santiago, September 16, City Hall, Hobart, Australia]
• Viktor Postol [vs. Jamshidbek Najmiddinov, September 16, AKKO International, Kiev, Ukraine]
• Gianni Grippo [Black Belt Featherweight Division, September 16, IBJJF San Diego Pro Championship, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California]
• Tarsis Humphreys [Black Belt Heavyweight Division, September 16, IBJJF San Diego Pro Championship, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California]
• Keenan Cornelius [Black Belt Heavyweight Division, September 16, IBJJF San Diego Pro Championship, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California]
• Igor Silva [Black Belt Ultra Heavyweight Division, September 16, IBJJF San Diego Pro Championship, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California]
• Beatriz de Oliveira Mesquita [Black Belt Middleweight Division, September 16, IBJJF San Diego Pro Championship, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California]
• Nathiely Karoline de Jesus [Black Belt Medium Heavyweight Division, September 16, IBJJF San Diego Pro Championship, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California]
• Kairat Akhmetov [vs. Geje Eustaquio, September 16, OneFC: Total Victory, Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia]
• Gilbert Burns vs. Jason Saggo [September 16, UFC Fight Night: Branch vs. Rockhold, PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]
• Haruo Ochi [vs. Kanta Sato, September 16, Deep 79 Impact, Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan]

Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: A man who turned a hearty profit last week will be far too confident and will take a massive loss.

Best Fight of the Weekend: Gennady Golovkin vs. Saul Alvarez
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Gilbert Burns vs. Jason Saggo
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Viktor Postol over Jamshidbek Najmiddinov
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Canelo vs. Golovkin
Upset of the Week: Felipe Arantas over Luke Sanders
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Billy Joe Saunders vs. Willie Monroe Jr.