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.
t1. WBO World Super Middleweight Championship: Gilberto Ramirez (c) (37-0) vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo (23-0)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, ESPN
Competitiveness: 3: Angulo is a fine boxer, but this is a huge jump in competition.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: The only true world championship defended this weekend.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
t1. ACB Jiu-Jitsu 95kg Championship: Felipe Pena (c) vs. Lucas Barbosa
When/Where: Saturday, 11:00am, YouTube
Competitiveness: 5: Oh man, Pena is a worthy champion, but he’s going up against Hulk Barbosa. This is the test of a lifetime for him.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 5: ACB contunues to be that dude. They’re running MMA, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu cards, free on YouTube with tons of high-level fighters.
Total: 17
t3. Bellator Women’s Flyweight Championship: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (c) (7-0) vs. Alejandra Lara (7-0)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, Paramount Network
Competitiveness: 5: This is probably the most competitive fight Bellator could have put together at this point for this title.
Excitement: 4: 14 wins between the two, 11 by finish. This should be fun.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 16
t3. Vacant Welterweight King of Pancrase: Glaico Franca (18-5) vs. Takashi Sato (13-1)
When/Where: Sunday, 1:00am, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 5: Both are on a five-fight winning streak, Sato’s in Japan, and Franca’s was in Brazil except for his last bout, in which he defeated Hiroyuki Tetsuka to set this bout up.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: King of Pancrase still carries some juice worldwide, but a vacant title isn’t exactly enthralling.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 16
5. OneFC Middleweight Championship: Aung La N Sang (c) (22-10) vs. Ken Hasegawa (16-2-1)
When/Where: Friday, 8:30am, OneFC App
Competitiveness: 4: Hasegawa is a longtime JMMA veteran, fighting mostly for Deep, and it was past time for him to expand his borders, especially with the lack of Japanese middleweights. He’s legit, but lacks experience against fighters that can match his size or strength, which Sang has in spades.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 4: Download the OneFC App you sons of bitches. It’s free!
Total: 15
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