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. UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship: Germaine de Randamie (6-3) vs. Holly Holm (10-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 3: It depends on which Holm shows up. Crisp and quick, or sluggish and gunshy.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2
Prestige: 4: It’s a brand-new built, but Holm would legitimize it immediately, but it’s the most shallow division in the UFC.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 16
2. WBA/IBO World Bantamweight Championships: Rau’shee Warren (c) (14-1) vs. Zhanat Zhakiyanov (26-1)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, Bounce TV
Competitiveness: 4: Reigning champ vs. interim champ. Warren is the better fighter, but not by much.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: This deserves more exposure. It’s a WBA “Super” world champion against an interm WBA champion. This is highest-level stuff right here.
Viewing Ease: 2:
Total: 15
3. IBF World Lightweight Championship: Robert Easter Jr. (c) (18-0) vs. Luis Cruz (22-4-1)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, Bounce TV
Competitiveness: 2: Cruz is a low-level gatekeeper, while Easter is being groomed for P4P greatness. However, that draw against Ivan Redkach was a pleasent surprise from Cruz.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 2: Grab those bunny ears! Seriously, this is awful. A legit two world-title fight card is on Bounce, while PBC trots out Yuri Foreman on actual broadcast TV.
Total: 14
4. USBA Junior Welterweight Championship: Ivan Baranchyk (c) (13-0) vs. Abel Ramos (17-1-2)
When/Where: Friday, 10:05pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 3: Baranchyk is a top prospect following the prospect path, just a couple levels above Ramos.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2: Like the NABF, this is the AAA title of world sanctioning bodies. This is the minor league IBF, while NABF above is WBC. Also, fun fact, Ramos’s only loss came to Regis Prograis for his NABF title.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 13
5. NABF Junior Welterweight Championship: Regis Prograis (c) (18-0) vs. Wilfrido Buelvas (18-6)
When/Where: Saturday, Untelevised
Competitiveness: 1: Sweet mother of pearl, no. Buelvas’s last two wins were over a 1-4-1 fighter and a 1-12 fighter. His last two losses lasted three rounds, total.
Excitement: 5: Buelvas’s last five fights have lasted a COMBINED 11 rounds.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 2
Viewing Ease: 1
Total: 10
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
