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 Bantamweight Championship: TJ Dillashaw (c) (15-3) vs. Cody Garbrandt (11-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 5: Despite Dillashaw’s starching of Cody, I can’t bring myself to think TJ is that dominant of him based on both of their bouts against Dominick Cruz. True, this may be an instance where a fighter just has another fighter’s number, but for now, it gets a fiver.
Excitement: 5
Juice: 5: Lots and lots to sink your teeth in, here. Mentors, camps, Garbrandt embarrassing a dominant champ that TJ couldn’t, then TJ demolishing him, an Ultimate Fighter coaching season, and pretty legit hatred. This is as close as you get to a real grudge match in the UFC these days. At least, until Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones meet again.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 23
2. UFC Flyweight Championship: Demetrious Johnson (c) (27-2-1) vs. Henry Cejudo (12-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 3: Nobody at flyweight is competitive with DJ, and although I don’t think Cejudo gets waxed as badly as he did in the first fight, every flyweight title fight is DJ’s to lose.
Excitement: 5: It’s DJ, he’ll paint a masterpiece for you, you ungrateful turdburgers.
Juice: 3
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 19
3. Vacant IBF World Junior Lightweight Championship: Billy Dib (43-4) vs. Tevin Farmer (25-4-1)
When/Where: Friday, 6:15am, ESPN+
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 2
Juice: 3: Plenty. Dib is a hard-nosed journeyman who was a featherweight champ, but hasn’t held a world title in five and a half years. Farmer, who started his career 7-4-1, reeled off 18 straight wins before being robbed in his first world title opportunity against Kenichi Ogawa. Ogawa had to vacate the win, and now Farmer is fighting for the very same IBF Junior Lightweight title that was ripped from him last December.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 2: It’s sunrise on a newly-released premium streaming service. It’s a tough watch.
Total: 16
4. WBO World Light Heavyweight Championship: Sergey Kovalev (c) (32-2-1) vs. Eleider Alvarez (23-0)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, HBO
Competitiveness: 3: Alvarez has defeated world champions, although in the twilight of their careers, but Kovy is still a couple levels above.
Excitement: 3: You never really know what Alvarez you’re getting. Either a majority decision or a starching is in order.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 15
5. WBA World Light Heavyweight Championship: Dmitry Bivol (c) (13-0) vs. Isaac Chilemba (25-5-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, HBO
Competitiveness: 2: Chilemba is a fine fighter, and he’s faced the best of the best for damned near a decade, but he’s 1-3 in his last four, and a win over Blake Caparello shouldn’t make a title opportunity.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: Thankfully, this is one of the few WBA titles that is unified. Bivol is THE WBA Light Heavyweight champ. Not interim, not Regular, not Super, but just, champ.
Viewing Ease: 3
Total: 14
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