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. WGP Cruiserweight Championship: Cesar Almeida (c) (39-6) vs. Ivan Galaz (58-9)
When/Where: Friday, 10:00pm, Fite.tv
Competitiveness: 3: Almeida has fought the best of the best, he’s gone three fights with Alex Pereira, nothing Galaz is going to throw at him will be anything shocking.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: WGP isn’t a top-tier kickboxing organization, but they’re still a damned solid and consistent organization, the best in Brazil, and just about every great Brazilian kickboxer cut their teeth there.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 11
4. Featherweight King of Pancrase Championship: Nazareno Malegarie (c) (33-5-1) vs. Isao Kobayashi (23-5-4)
When/Where: Sunday, 3:00am, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2
Prestige: 3: Pancrase was the first major MMA promotion, so being a King (or now, a Queen) of Pancrase still holds some clout.
Viewing Ease: 2: Fight Pass: Fine. 3am on a Sunday morning: Not as fine.
Total: 15
3. WBO World Junior Lightweight Championship: Masayuki Ito (c) (25-1-1) vs. Jamel Herring (19-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, ESPN
Competitiveness: 2: This is a showcase for Ito. This is Herring’s first, and probably only world title opportunity, at the age of 33.
Excitement: 4: Ito comes to fight. After cruising to easy decisions in his youth and beginning of his professional career, now he’s earned five stoppages in his last seven bouts, and almost certainly will add to it.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 16
2. EBI Combat Jiu-Jitsu Featherweight Championship Tournament: Chad George (c) vs. Field
When/Where: Sunday, 8:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 5: I mean, it’s a tournament of sixteen fighters, you really can’t get more competitive than this.
Excitement: 4: Depends on your view on combat jiu-jitsu. Your mileage may vary, but I dig it!
Juice: 2
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
1. WBA/WBC World Female Junior Welterweight Champions: Anahi Esther Sanchez (c) (19-3) vs. Jessica McCaskill (c) (6-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 7:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 5: Coming off a weekend in which we had a few, this is the only world title vs. world title bout on the docket this weekend.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 2: If you aren’t familar with McCaskill’s story, bone up.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 18
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