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. UFC Flyweight Championship: Henry Cejudo (c) (13-2) vs. TJ Dillashaw (16-3)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, ESPN+
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2
Prestige: 3: The title DJ made, only to have it taken from him by robbery and then sent him to the Orient? Fuck you, Dana.
Viewing Ease: 4: Welp, the time has come. We can’t avoid ESPN+ any more as MMA fans. It has come to our doorstep at long last.
Total: 17
t1. WBO World Middleweight Championship: Demetrius Andrade (c) (26-0) vs. Artur Akavov (19-2)
When/Where: Friday, 7:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 4: Akavov doesn’t have any notable wins, but a little over two years ago, kept it very close against Billy Joe Saunders in a losing effort for the middleweight strap.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4: Pretty busy few weeks for DAZN. Apparently their numbers for Canelo-Fielding were laughable, but they’re pretty damned consistent.
Total: 17
t3. WBA (Regular) World Welterweight Championship: Manny Pacquiao (c) (60-7-2) vs. Adrien Broner (33-3-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 3
Juice: 2
Prestige: 4: That’s right, the WBA strikes again with its title bullshit! Meanwhile, the “Super” title is being defended a couple weeks later to (checks notes) Josesito Lopez?! Seriously?
Viewing Ease: 2: Bro, bro. 75 fucking dollars for the ghost of Manny Pacquiao and Adrien fucking Broner?! No. No.
Total: 16
t3. Vacant WBO World Junior Bantamweight Championship: Amanda Serrano (35-1-1) vs. Eva Voraberger (24-5)
When/Where: Friday, 7:00pm, DAZN
Competitiveness: 2: Voraberger is a fine boxer, but aside from being an interim champion, her credentials, opponents, and wins pale in comparison to Serrano.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 3: Serrano is going for a world championship in her sixth, SIXTH weight class. She’s a legend of the sport at only 30.
Prestige: 4
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 16
5. One Fighting Championship Strawweight Championship: Joshua Pacio (c) (13-2) vs. Yosuke Saruta (18-8-3)
When/Where: Saturday, 8:30am, OneFC App
Competitiveness: 3: Saruta is a longtime Shooto veteran who seems to take a loss whenever there’s a slight step up in competition: Hiromasa Ogikubo, Mamoru Yamaguchi, Hayato Suzuki, etc…
Excitement: 3: Saruta is a decision machine, but Pacio can finish it via backfist, choke, or any number of ways in between, so we’ll see if he can get a solid tilt out of Saruta.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 3
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 14
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