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.
t1. WBO World Junior Welterweight Championship: Maurice Hooker (c) (24-0-3) vs. Alex Saucedo (28-0)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, ESPN
Competitiveness: 5: This isn’t a blockbuster matchup, but it’s exactly what it should be. It’s a challenger that has cleared all the hurdles, and have won the secondary title. The WBO has its problems, but this is right on.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2: The 29-year old who finally made it to the top of the mountain against the 24-year old future champ.
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 19
t1. Bellator Featherweight Championship: Patricio Freire (c) (27-4) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (17-3)
When/Where: Friday, 9:00pm, Paramount Network
Competitiveness: 5: Can’t say Sanchez doesn’t deserve it after the run he’s been on. Karakhanyan, Galvao, Straus, Sicilia. He’s in his prime, let’s see it.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: Giving the rare Bellator 5 because since its inception, featherweight has been the crown-jewel of Bellator. Through thick and thin, up and down, 145 has been defended in wars, mostly between Pat Curran, Daniel Straus, and Pitbull Freire. They’ve formed a protective triad over the title.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 19
t3. Vacant Invicta Featherweight Championship: Felicia Spencer (5-0) vs. Pam Sorenson (7-2)
When/Where: Friday, 8:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 3
Excitement: 2
Juice: 3: If the UFC is serious about keeping their female featherweight division, the winner, and possibly even the loser, are getting an express pass to the UFC. Fairly big stakes, here.
Prestige: 5: Invicta actually has a much more stable and better history of women’s featherweight history than the UFC, and they’ve booked the division much, MUCH better.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
t3. Cage Warriors Flyweight Championship: Nathan Greyson (c) (6-2) vs. Blaine O’Driscoll (6-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 4:00pm, UFC Fight Pass
Competitiveness: 4
Excitement: 5: Greyson is a 5’8″ flyweight with dynamite in his hands who’s finished all six wins by strikes. This could be great.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3: More and more Cage Warriors big-shots are falling by the wayside. Not every Irishman is McGregor.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
5. IBF/WBA/Vacant WBC World Female Middleweight Championships: Claressa Shields (c) (6-0) vs. Hannah Rankin (5-2)
When/Where: Saturday, 6:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 1
Excitement: 2: I’m a huge Claressa Shields fan, but her pro fights have been less than breathtaking, and at times, have played down to her competition. I’m waiting for her to really turn it on.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 4: It would be a five, but there’s only one middleweight title missing, and it belongs to Christina Hammer. This is the fight we all want to see.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 12
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