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?
t1. WBA Super World/IBF World/Vacant IBO World Heavyweight Championships: Anthony Joshua (c) (18-0) vs. Wladimir Klitschko (64-4)
When/Where: Saturday, 4:15pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 4
Juice: 3
Prestige: 5: How weird is it that Wlad is coming in as the challenger with no belts around him?
Viewing Ease: 4: Would be a 3 if it was on HBO or Showtime, but lucky for you, premium cable viewer, it’s on both! Showtime live and a replay on HBO a few hours later.
Total: 21
t1. Glory Middleweight Championship: Jason Wilnis (c) (30-6-1) vs. Simon Marcus (46-3-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 3:30pm, ESPN2
Competitiveness: 5: It is the rubber match based previously on a split-decision and a controversial TKO, suffice to say these two are fairly evenly-matched.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 5: At Glory 33, Wilnis and Marcus faced off for the Glory Middleweight championship in a rematch of Marcus’s split-decision victory. In the second round, Wilnis was landing many shots on Marcus, and referee Justin Greskiewicz, an experienced muay thai and kickboxing fighter in his own right, awarded Wilnis a controversial knockdown. Marcus never got over that, getting away from his game, fighting emotionally and recklessly, getting himself knocked down for the third time in the third round, losing by TKO and losing his Glory Middleweight title to Wilnis. Now they’ll face off in the rubber match.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 21
3. Enfusion Live 85kg World Championship: Ibrahim El Boustati (c) (45-1) vs. Filip Verlinden (44-16-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 3:00pm, Enfusionlive.com
Competitiveness: 5: They’re so evenly-matched that two sanctioning bodies gave each of them the win. Yes, it’s complicated. See below.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 5: Holy juice aplenty! Alright, here goes. El Boustati and Verlinden first met in September, where El Boustati, who came in undefeated, defeated Verlinden by a razor-thin decision. However, the result was overturned, not to a no-contest, but to a win for Verlinden. Did I mention the fight was in Verlinden’s native Belgium? The overturned loss isn’t being recognized by Enfusion Live, who still has El Boustati’s record as 45-1 (he lost his first contest afterwards). Oh, and it’s been alleged that government officials, as well as Verlinden’s own father may have been involved in the overturning. An A+ fucking mess.
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 3: Little over ten bucks for Enfusion in comparison to every regional card selling amateur fights for fifteen.
Total: 18
t4. Lion Fight Lightweight Championship: Sergio Wielzen (c) (46-18-2) vs. Lerdsila Chumpairtour (183-31-5)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, AXS
Competitiveness: 2: Lerdsila is one of your Thai fighters who win dozens and dozens of fights in Bangkok against aspiring Thai fighters. Any time he’s been up against a legit Thai champ, Jomthong, Kiatmoo9, Kaew, he takes the L. His most notable win is probably over Matt Embree five years ago.
Excitement: 3: Thinking Wielzen drags a decent fight out of Chumpairtour, either by KOing him, or making a mistake and getting starched, which has happened to him before, and not very rarely.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 12
t4. Vacant IBF World Flyweight Championship: Donnie Nietes (39-1-4) vs. Komgrich Nantapech (22-3)
When/Where: Saturday, Untelevised
Competitiveness: 2: Nietes hasn’t lost a fight in nearly thirteen years, he was the unquestioned junior flyweight champ for years, and is moving up to try and become a world champ in his third weight class.
Excitement: 4: Nietes is worth the price of admission. He’s fun, fast, energetic, and has surprising pop in his hands for his weight.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 1
Total: 12
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
