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.
1. Bellator Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus (c) (8-0) vs. Michael Chandler (18-4)
When/Where: Friday, 10:00pm, Paramount Network/DAZN
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5
Juice: 4: The Bellator Lightweight title is more or less Michael Chandler’s birthright, his precious, his fifth limb. In his defense against Primus, Chandler nuked his ankle. It was gone. He tried, and fought like hell on one leg, making the rest of us cringe and visibly flinch every time it went on him, but it was stopped. Chandler would have fight on one leg. After being on the shelf for seven months, he returned, beat Goiti Yamauchi, then put Brandon Girtz to sleep, and now he’s back against an undefeated Primus, stem re-attached, and he’s coming for what he never lost.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 4: Still don’t know how or why Paramount agreed to simulcasting with DAZN, but here we are regardless! Easy to watch.
Total: 22
2. WBO World Super Middleweight Championship: Gilberto Ramirez (c) (38-0) vs. Jesse Hart (25-1)
When/Where: Friday, 10:00pm, ESPN+
Competitiveness: 5: Hart was able to give Ramirez a closer fight than anyone else has given him in years. If he wasn’t knocked down in the second, he would have earned a draw on one card.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 4: Know who that 1 in Hart’s 25-1 record is? You guessed it, Ramirez. Hart gave Ramirez everything he could handle, losing a very close decision. Since then, Hart has earned his way back, winning three fights in a total of 11 rounds, flattening guys on his march back to Ramirez.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 21
3. IBF World Junior Lightweight Championship: Tevin Farmer (c) (27-4-1) vs. Francisco Fonseca (22-1-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 4
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2: Farmer’s road to the top despite his previous hiccups is always worth a look.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4: Did Michael Buffer’s commercial turn you off? If you survived, DAZN is still a fantastic service.
Total: 18
4. WBA (Regular) World Super Middleweight Championship: Rocky Fielding (c) (27-1) vs. Saul Alvarez (50-1-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 3: Fielding is actually the champion here going in! Canelo is more of a natural super middleweight, and 168 desperately needs some new blood, so Saul on top of the division is a good thing.
Excitement: 5
Juice: 1
Prestige: 4: Goddamn, do I hate the WBA. Callum Smith is the “Super” champ, but are you really going to call Canelo your “Regular” champion? Really? I know that Callum is probably next, but I hate their racket.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
5. IBF/WBA Women’s World Lightweight Championships: Katie Taylor (c) (11-0) vs. Eva Wahlstrom (22-0-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 6:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 4: I think Katie still rolls, but at least they found her an opponent that would at least seem on her level.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 4: Unfortunately, in women’s boxing, you need to be the undisputed champ to really get taken seriously. That tide is slooooowly changing, as we’re entering a really exciting period in women’s boxing, but for now at least, it is what it is.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 16
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