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.
5. IBO World Cruiserweight Championship: Kevin Lerena (c) (23-1) vs. Sefer Seferi (23-2-1)
When/Where: Saturday, Untelevised
Competitiveness: 3: If Seferi’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the guy Tyson Fury plucked to fight after his hiatus from boxing. He’s a decent enough fighter, but Lerena is a budding star in the division in boxing that needs new stars the most.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3: Yeah, it’s the IBO, it isn’t a real world title, but give Lerena credit on this, he’s made four successful defenses of it, and his last two opponents were undefeated, he’s going full Eubank to make this thing count.
Viewing Ease: 1
Total: 11
4. NABA Junior Featherweight Championship: Leonardo Baez (c) (16-2) vs. Edixon Perez (19-4)
When/Where: Saturday, 7:00pm, Facebook
Competitiveness: 2: Perez is 2-2 in his last four fights. The combined record of his two victories? That’d be 0-16.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: It’s the WBA’s little brother org, not a ton of prestige, but a clear road to WBA gold.
Viewing Ease: 5: Golden Boy’s Facebook cards have been incredibly fun, and in a refreshing twist, few streaming issues!
Total: 12
t2. WBO International Featherweight Championship: Ruben Vila (c) (16-0) vs. Jose Enrique Durantes Vivas (17-0)
When/Where: Friday, 10:30pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 5: ShoBox has been really good lately with the competitive matchups, and not just Prospect vs. Can or Prospect vs. 38-year old Name.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: The WBO World featherweight championship is currently vacant, so the winner might get into the mix.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 13
t2. Cage Fury Fighting Championship Flyweight Championship: Sean Santella (c) (22-7-1) VS. Blaine Shutt (7-3)
When/Where: Saturday, 2:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 3: Santella is one of the best American fighters to have never plied his trade on a major promotion. You can chalk that up to flyweight not being a division in the UFC for a long while, but even flyweights didn’t mind fighting at 135 for years, just to make it.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: CFFC has been a strong regional in eastern PA and Jersey for many years. They may never rise above that, but they’re one of the best indies in the world.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 13
1. Inaugural Lion Fight World Super Lightweight Championship: Ramesh Habib vs. Sean Clancy
When/Where: Sunday, 2:00am, CBS Sports
Competitiveness: 5: Clancy is a former WBC world Muay Thai champ, and Ramesh is also very accomplished. This is a solid get for Lion Fight.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 2: Unfortunately it’s on tape-delay…at 2am…on CBS Sports. Not ideal.
Total: 14
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