As always, programming is listed in EST
Live fights are in BOLD.
Premiere programming is in ITALICS.
MMA programming is in ORANGE.
Boxing programming is in RED.
Kickboxing/Muay Thai/Karate programming is in BLUE.
Wrestling/Jiu Jitsu/Grappling programming is in PURPLE.
Misc./Combination combat sports programming is in GREEN.
Friday March 22
10:00am: 2019 USMC Girls Folkstyle National Championships (FloWrestling)
11:00am: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Quarterfinals (ESPNU/ESPN3)
12:00pm: IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships (FloGrappling)
6:00pm: UFC Fight Night Pre-Fight Show (ESPN+)
6:30pm: Bellator 218 Prelims (Bellator.com/DAZN)
7:00pm: Dinu vs. Pulev Weigh-Ins (ESPN+)
7:00pm: Island Fights 54 (UFC Fight Pass)
8:00pm: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Semifinals (ESPN/ESPN3)
8:30pm: Rage in the Cage OKC 64 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 62 (AXS)
9:00pm: Bellator 218 (Paramount Network/DAZN)
Saturday March 23
4:00am: Eternal MMA 42 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
10:00am: 2019 USMC Girls Folkstyle National Championships (FloWrestling)
11:00am: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Medal Round (ESPN3/ESPNU)
12:00pm: IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships (FloGrappling)
1:00pm: WCMMA 36 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
2:00pm: KSW 47 (DAZN/$11.99 Fite.tv)
3:00pm: Angelo Moreno vs. Charlie Edwards/Joshua Buatsi vs. Liam Conroy (DAZN)
3:30pm: Jordan McCorry vs. Sam Bowen/Fabio Maldonado vs. Nathan Gorman (ESPN+)
5:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Thompson Prelims (ESPN+)
6:30pm: Top Rank on ESPN Prelims (ESPN+)
6:30pm: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Pre-Show (ESPN3)
7:00pm: PBC Countdown: Lipinets vs. Peterson (Fox Sports 1)
7:00pm: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Finals (ESPN)
7:00pm: Dead Serious MMA 33 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
7:30pm: Inside Premier Boxing Champions (Fox Sports 1)
8:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Thompson (ESPN+)
8:00pm: Elite Amateur Fight League: Arizona vs. New Mexico ($14.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: MMAXFC: Mardi Gras Fight Night ($19.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Lousville United Pro Boxing ($12.99 Fite.tv)
10:00pm: Bogdan Dinu vs. Kubrat Pulev/Jessie Magdaleno vs. Rico Ramos (ESPN/ESPN3)
10:00pm: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Post-Show (ESPN3)
10:00pm: 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Trophy Ceremony (ESPN3)
11:00pm: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)
Sunday March 24
10:00am: 2019 USMC Girls Folkstyle National Championships (FloWrestling)
12:00pm: IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships (FloGrappling)
6:00pm: PBC on FOX Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
8:00pm: Lamont Peterson vs. Sergey Lipinets/Anthony Peterson vs. Argenis Mendez (Fox Sports 1)
Top-10 Viewing Options: A man awash in March Madness will throw on his homemade Ja Morant shirsey and root for chaos.
1. 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships: Aside from the Olympics, this is the pinnacle of wrestling in this country. For many, this will be the last wrestling match they ever lace up for. For some, they’ll go onto the Olympics or World Championships, others, a career in MMA or combat sports. For all of them, the biggest matches of their lives to this point.
2. UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Thompson: We’ll see if Pettis has anything at all left in the tank and/or enough some respect to not let Wonderboy style on him via karate.
3. Angelo Moreno vs. Charlie Edwards/Joshua Buatsi vs. Liam Conroy: Edwards vs. Moreno is the only men’s boxing world championship being fought for this weekend.
4. Lamont Peterson vs. Sergey Lipinets/Anthony Peterson vs. Argenis Mendez: Been screaming it for years and I’m glad promotions are taking advantage of NFL-free Sundays. We know the eyeballs are there, might as well fill it instead of having to compete with a weekend night.
5. Bogdan Dinu vs. Kubrat Pulev/Jessie Magdaleno vs. Rico Ramos: Absurd matchups. Sure, there are some decent names here, but man, it could have been much, much better.
6. Bellator 218: Below-average Bellator card, especially since we haven’t gotten a Bellator card in a while, but they’re gearing up for a monster summer.
7. IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships: While not the Mundials or even the Worlds, the Pans are a damned good and prestigious tourney.
8. Jordan McCorry vs. Sam Bowen/Fabio Maldonado vs. Nathan Gorman: Maldonado! How the hell are ya?! Fighting for a secondary heavyweight title, no less!
9. Legacy Fighting Alliance 62: LFA having interim titles is absurd.
10. KSW 47: I’ve been a fan of KSW for many, many years. European MMA has caught up a bit, but for a long time, they were the gold-standard in the entire continent. Still a fantastic promotion. Shame we never got Mamed Khalidov in the big leagues stateside.
4×5: Every week, UCS’s Luke Irwin will list his Top-5 bouts in each of the four major different combat sports that he’s looking forward to the most, regardless of any conventional criteria, merit, or logic.
KICKBOXING/MUAY THAI
N/A
BOXING
5. Featherweight Bout: Jessie Magdaleno (25-1) vs. Rico Ramos (30-5) [Top Rank on ESPN]
4. BBBofC British Junior Lightweight Championship: Sam Bowen (c) (14-0) vs. Jordan McCorry (17-4-1) [Queensberry Promotions on ESPN+]
3. Junior Welterweight Bout: Anthony Peterson (37-1) vs. Argenis Mendez (25-5-1) [PBC on FS1]
2. Welterweight Bout: Lamont Peterson (35-4-1) vs. Sergey Lipinets (14-1) [PBC on FS1]
1. WBC World Flyweight Championship: Charlie Edwards (c) (14-1) vs. Angel Moreno (19-2-2) [Matchroom Boxing on DAZN]
MMA
5. Flyweight Bout: Deiveson Figueiredo (15-0) vs. Jussier da Silva (22-5) [UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Thompson]
4. Middleweight Bout: Anatoly Tokov (27-2) vs. Gerald Harris (25-7-1) [Bellator 218]
3. KSW Heavyweight Championship: Philip De Fries (c) (16-6) vs. Tomasz Narkun (16-2) [KSW 47]
2. Welterweight Bout: Anthony Pettis (21-8) vs. Stephen Thompson (14-3-1) [UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Thompson]
1. Heavyweight Bout: Curtis Blaydes (10-2) vs. Justin Willis (8-1) [UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Thompson]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5-1: NCAA Wrestling Championships
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: A man looking to make some cashola since he’s probably going to take a BATH on the tourney attempts to take you down with me!
Best Fight of the Weekend: Curtis Blaydes vs. Justin Willis
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Jessie Magdaleno vs. Rico Ramos
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Kubrat Pulev over Bogdan Dinu
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: NCAA Wrestling Championships
Upset of the Week: Jennifer Maia over Alexis Davis
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Anthony Pettis vs. Stephen Thompson
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