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?
1. IBO/IBF/WBA Super/WBO World Heavyweight Championships: Anthony Joshua (c) (21-0) vs. Alexander Povetkin (34-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 4:30pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5
Juice: 3
Prestige: 5: It’s been said before, but it’s true. There’s nothing quite like a heavyweight title fight.
Viewing Ease: 4: Well, the time has come. We are in DAZN country now. Let’s see how this plays out in the States, after it’s been rolled out in Europe.
Total: 22
2. Vacant LFA Middleweight Championship: Brendan Allen (9-3) vs. Tim Hiley (7-0)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, AXS
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5
Juice: 3: This is Allen’s third crack at the LFA middleweight strap. With how it’s an almost-guaranteed trip to the UFC, there’s a lot of pressure.
Prestige: 3: Every LFA middleweight champion has vacated it to go the UFC, including this weekend’s headliner, Eryk Anders. It’s a ticket to the bigs.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 19
3. OneFC Strawweight Championship: Yoshitaka Naito (c) (13-1) vs. Joshua Pacio (12-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 7:00am, OneFC App
Competitiveness: 4: Naito put an end to their first bout, but that was almost two years ago, and Pacio is a worthy challenger. Again.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 3: A title rematch, and one that Naito won via RNC in the third round during his first reign.
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 18
4. Vacant WBC World Female Junior Flyweight Championship: Esmeralda Moreno (35-10-2) vs. Yesenia Gomez (13-5-3)
When/Where: Saturday, Mexico Televisa
Competitiveness: 5: A twelve-round draw pretty much cements this as a fiver.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 3: Their first bout for the vacant strap ended in a draw. It’s the autumn of boxing rematches, folks!
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 16
5. WBC Silver Junior Lightweight Championship: Jon Fernandez (c) (16-0) vs. O’Shaquie Foster (13-2)
When/Where: Friday, 9:45pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 3
Excitement: 5: Fernandez hasn’t gone to a decision in fourteen fights, and those were four-rounders.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: Yes, it’s a secondary championship, but the Silver WBC strap usually gets you a dance with the champ, in this case, Miguel Berchelt.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 14
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