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. IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO World Cruiserweight Championships: Murat Gassiev (c) (26-0) vs. Oleksandr Usyk (c) (14-0)
When/Where: Saturday, 3:00pm, Klowd
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5
Juice: 4
Prestige: 5: Oh hellz yeah. To become the undisputed Cruiserweight champion of this world AND the winner of the World Boxing Super Series. Doesn’t get more prestigious than to be the undisputed champion of the world.
Viewing Ease: 2: fart And here we come to the problem. The best boxing tournament in years, the best cruiserweight bout since maybe Holyfield, and there’s no reliable broadcasting option, no TV, and now we’re on to Klowd. Klowd.
Total: 21
2. Glory Middleweight Championship: Alex Pereira (c) (38-6) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (24-4)
When/Where: Friday, 9:30pm, ESPNEWS
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 4
Juice: 4: The series is split between the two, with Belgaroui emerging victorious at Glory 40 by unanimous decision, then at Glory 49 for the title, Pereira defended his belt by way of a cut. Now’s the rubber match, once and for all.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 3: Luckily I live in 1999, so I get ESPNEWS. Many don’t however, and Glory could get better.
Total: 20
3. WBO World Junior Middleweight Championship: Jaime Munguia (c) (29-0) vs. Liam Smith (26-1-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:30pm, HBO
Competitiveness: 5: To me, this is damned competitive, no idea while Smith is +700, but alas…
Excitement: 4: Munguia, still barely of American drinking age has proven to throw hands with top-level competition, and no need to think he won’t bring it here.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 18
4. Vacant Invicta Atomweight Championship: Jinh Yu Frey (6-3) vs. Minna Grusander (6-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 8:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 4: Hard to tell, since Grusander’s only wins have come in Finland or Poland, but with the exception of her most recent win in her Invicta debut, TKOing Fernanda Barros.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2: Frey is becoming a tentpole fighter for Invicta, and this is her second crack at Atomweight gold, as her first was taken from her by a doctor stoppage against Ayaka Hamasaki almost two years ago.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
5. IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC/WBO World Female Welterweight Championships: Cecilia Braekhus (c) (33-0) vs. Inna Sagaydakovskaya (7-0)
When/Where: Saturday, Untelevised
Competitiveness: 3: Sagaydakovskaya is a heck of a fighter, but unless she’s Claressa Shields or Katie Taylor, it’s the First Lady all day.
Excitement: 2
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 1: Maaayybee they can sneak this into the WBSS broadcast? Maybe? A smidge?
Total: 12
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