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. 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships
When/Where: Saturday, 7:00pm, ESPN
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3: That will depend on your feelings on watching amateur wrestling, but for what it’s worth, you’ll be seeing some of the best in the world.
Juice: 4
Prestige: 5: Aside from an Olympic medal, this is what these young people have been dreaming of since they were knee-high to a grasshopper. Winning a national title is EVERYTHING to them.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 21
t2. 2019 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Champinships
When/Where: Sunday, 12:00pm, FloGrappling
Competitiveness: 5: These are some of the absolute best grapplers in the world that have to go through each other, tournament-style.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 2
Prestige: 3: They’re not the Mundials or even Worlds, but Pan is a very strong international tournament.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 17
t2. KSW Heavyweight Championship: Philip De Fries (c) (16-6) vs. Tomasz Narkun (16-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 2:00pm, DAZN/Fite.tv
Competitiveness: 5: De Fries has carved a nice niche for himself after his UFC run in being a European freelancer, who can pop up in big promotions like IGF or Bellator if he’s booked. He’s found himself as the KSW champion facing down Tomas Narkun. All he did in his last two fights were defeat Mamed Khalidov, the greatest fighter in KSW history, and maybe the greatest Polish MMA fighter ever.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 2
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 4: The fact that promotions and platforms have no problem simulcasting with DAZN is a really good thing for the viewers.
Total: 17
4. WBC World Flyweight Championship: Charlie Edwards (c) (14-1) vs. Angel Moreno (19-2-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 3:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 2: Moreno is a 35 year-old local Spanish fighter who’s never won a fight outside of Spain and is coming off a string of six-rounders. Not a credible challenger, and a showcase for Edwards.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: The only men’s boxing world championship being defended this weekend.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 14
5. LFA Interim Bantamweight Championship: Casey Kenney (10-1-1) vs. Vince Cachero (6-0)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, AXS
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 2: Nine of their ten last fights between the two have ended by decision.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: Interim titles absolutely suck, and they’re beyond unneccessary in a farm-system like LFA.
Viewing Ease: 2
Total: 12
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