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 World Junior Middleweight Championship: Jermall Charlo (c) (24-0) vs. Julian Williams (22-0-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 4: The Charlo brothers are outstanding boxers and a cut above Williams, but Julian has the power to make it an upset.
Excitement: 5: Lordy do these two have some pop in their hands.
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 19
2. UFC Interim Featherweight Championship: Anthony Pettis (19-5) vs. Max Holloway (16-3)
When/Where: Saturday, 10:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 5
Excitement: 5
Juice: 2: The UFC wants to keep a title on Anthony Pettis come hell or high water.
Prestige: 2: Interim titles can eat me.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 18
t3. Glory Welterweight Championship: Nieky Holzken (c) (90-11) vs. Cedric Doumbe (64-5-1)
When/Where: Saturday, 4:00pm, Pay-Per-View
Competitiveness: 3: Doumbe has mostly stayed relegated in France fighting other French fighters, so his record is inflated a bit, but he beat Murthel Groenhart in his last Glory appearence. That being said, Nieky might be the best P4P kickboxer in the world.
Excitement: 4
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: Nieky and Rico Verhoeven have manned their titles like icons and transformed them into the two best championships in kickboxing.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
t3. WBC/WBO World Junior Welterweight Championships: Terence Crawford (c) (29-0) vs. John Molina Jr. (29-6)
When/Where: Saturday, 9:35, HBO
Competitiveness: 2: No. Bud Crawford’s prime deserves better matchups than this.
Excitement: 5
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5: The undisputed king of 140lbs.
Viewing Ease: 4
Total: 17
5. IBF World Heavyweight Championship: Anthony Joshua (c) (17-0) vs. Eric Molina (25-3)
When/Where: Saturday, 5:30pm, Showtime
Competitiveness: 2: Ehhh. His last win was over a badly outsized and shot Tomasz Adamek and he was down on all scorecards in the tenth. Not exactly an inspiring #1 contender showing.
Excitement: 3
Juice: 1
Prestige: 5
Viewing Ease: 4: Between HBO and Showtime this weekend, if you have premium pay cable, you’re loving life.
Total: 15
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