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?
5. OneFC Muay Thai Atomweight Super Series Championship: Janet Todd vs. Stamp Fairtex (61-15-5)
When/Where: Friday, 7:30am, OneFC App
Competitiveness: 2: Todd had a very extensive and accomplished amateur career, but hasn’t shown much as a professional, while Stamp has been a champion all over the world at just 21 years of age. She’s going to be huge.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 2
Prestige: 2: It’s an inaugural title, but ONE is throwing every last egg in the kickboxing and muay thai basket.
Viewing Ease: 5
Total: 13
t3. LFA Middleweight Championship: Brendan Allen (c) (10-3) vs. Moises Murrietta (8-1)
When/Where: Friday, 10:00pm, AXS
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5: 18 combined wins, 16 by finish. These two don’t last long in the cage.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3: It’s refreshing to see an LFA title actually defended instead of vacated.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 17
t3. Vacant IBO World Super Middleweight Championship: Chris Eubank Jr. (27-2) vs. James DeGale (25-2-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 3:45pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3
Juice: 3: The two Brits never had a lifelong blood-rivalry or anything, but there’s a part of me that enjoys the disdain and pettiness, especially about who’s the bigger drunk. Pure British sass and dislike.
Prestige: 3: The IBO is as highly of a secondary belt you can get, but it doesn’t do it any favors when guys vacate it instead of paying sanctioning fees or fighters like DeGale, WHO IS FIGHTING FOR IT, openly trashing it.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 17
2. Kunlun Fight 70kg MAX Championship Tournament
When/Where: Sunday, 1:30am, Kunlun App/Fite.tv
Competitiveness: 5: Davit Kiria, Feng Xingli, Marouan Toutouh, and Dzianis Zuev are a great field.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 3
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 4: Two different avenues for viewing, and $5.99 is more than reasonable for Kunlun, one of the premier kickboxing promotions in the world.
Total: 18
1. Vacant WBC World Super Middleweight Championship: Anthony Dirrell (32-1-1) vs. Avni Yildirim (21-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Fox Sports 1
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3
Juice: 3: Dirrell hasn’t been a world champion in nearly four years, and at 34, this might be his last shot. Yildirim probably is overdue for his first world title shot, as he carried the WBC International title for years, defending it in Italy and Germany regularly.
Prestige: 4: Normally this would be a five, but when the title recently got vacated because the champion (David Benavidez) got busted for yak, it’s going to take a bit of a dent.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 19
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