As always, programming is listed in EST
Live fights are in BOLD.
Premiere programming is in ITALICS.
MMA programming is in ORANGE.
Boxing programming is in RED.
Kickboxing/Muay Thai/Karate programming is in BLUE.
Wrestling/Jiu Jitsu/Grappling programming is in PURPLE.
Misc./Combination combat sports programming is in GREEN.
Friday March 9
6:00am: OneFC: Visions of Victory ($9.99 OneFC.com)
10:00am: 2018 NCWA Wrestling Championships (FloWrestling)
10:00am: Enfusion Live 63 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
1:00pm: 2018 IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships (FloGrappling)
4:00pm: BAMMA 34 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
5:00pm: Top Rank on ESPN Weigh-Ins (ESPN3)
5:00pm: Absolute Championship Berkut 82 (FREE Fite.tv/YouTube)
7:00pm: Dynasty Combat Sports 40 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Golden Boy on ESPN Prelims (ESPN3)
8:00pm: Toughman: Spring 2018 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
9:00pm: Azat Hovhannisyan vs. Ronny Rios/Alexis Rocha vs. Miguel Dumas (ESPN3)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 35 (AXS)
9:00pm: Gilberto Parra vs. Saul Juarez/Abraham Rodriguez vs. Alejandro Hernandez (Telemundo)
10:00pm: Julius Indongo vs. Regis Prograis/Ivan Baranchyk vs. Petr Petrov (Showtime)
Saturday March 10
5:00am: Road Fighting Championship 46 (FREE Epicentre.tv/YouTube)
8:00am: Diamondback Fighting Championship 5 ($16.99 Fite.tv)
10:00am: 2018 NCWA Wrestling Championships (FloWrestling)
11:00am: M-1 Challenge 89 Prelims (FREE Fite.tv)
12:00pm: 2018 IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships (FloGrappling)
1:00pm: Big Game II ($9.99 Fite.tv)
1:00pm: Pyramiden Fight Night ($9.99 Fite.tv)
1:30pm: M-1 Challenge 89 ($7.99 Fite.tv)
2:00pm: Mix Fight Event 35 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Top Rank on ESPN Prelims (ESPN3)
8:00pm: Toughman: Spring 2018 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
10:15pm: Mikey Garcia vs. Sergey Lipinets/Kiryl Relikh vs. Rances Barthelemy (Showtime)
10:30pm: Oscar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg/Andy Vences vs. Erick De Leon (ESPN/ESPN3)
Sunday March 11
1:00am: Pancrase 294 (UFC Fight Pass)
1:00am: Kunlun Fight 70 ($5.99 Fite.tv)
12:00pm: 2018 IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships (FloGrappling)
1:00pm: Orion Fight Gala Koblenz ($9.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Fight Card Entertainment: Ruthless ($16.99 Fite.tv)
Top-10 Viewing Options: It’s 2122, snow is still falling outside in Western Pennsylvania. All we can see is vague fists coming through the television of our milky eyes, we’re no longer able to taste and have become oblivious to wailing. Please send provisions and salted meat.
1. Mikey Garcia vs. Sergey Lipinets/Kiryl Relikh vs. Rances Barthelemy: Hell of a Showtime card. Mikey hasn’t lost a step since he came back from his hiatus and he continues to power his way through the ranks and making his opponents look foolish.
2. Oscar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg/Andy Vences vs. Erick De Leon: As I said earlier, I LOVE this matchup. Perfect “unproven champ” against “name challenger” matchup. Quigg is the biggest name Valdez has faced, and getting Quigg’s first fight in the U.S. is a great get.
3. 2018 IBJJF Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships: One of the biggest IBJJF events, and featuring some of the best grapplers in the world.
4. Julius Indongo vs. Regis Prograis/Ivan Baranchyk vs. Petr Petrov: Dammit, this card was supposed to have Baranchyk against Anthony Yigit, but Yigit pulled out, and now Petr Petrov has stepped up, but it’s on a few days’ notice. Baranchyk-Yigit would have been the mandatory to Garcia-Lipinets bout, but now, who knows?
5. BAMMA 34: Three title fights on this loaded card, including the never-ending dice-roll of if Chi-Lewis Parry will show up to fight!
6. Legacy Fighting Alliance 35: Nick Newell comes out of retirement to headline the newest edition of LFA, so tune in to watch your favorite one-handed fighter.
7. Absolute Championship Berkut 82: Those lunatics at ACB are trotting out cards every week-to-every-other week, free and on multiple platforms. I know Thiago Silva is a mixed bag to fight fans, but he’s a UFC PPV headliner, and ACB always fills out their cards so much for not a dime.
8. OneFC: Visions of Victory: No title fights and a general hodgepodge of OneFC fighters, but a reasonably deep slate.
9. Azat Hovhannisyan vs. Ronny Rios/Alexis Rocha vs. Miguel Dumas: Veritable bukkake of boxing this weekend with ESPN and Showtime trotting out Friday and Saturday cards. This is the weakest, but nota bad card, at all.
10. Pancrase 294: Lacking card for Pancrase, but if it’s late and your jonesing for MMA after a barren weekend of it, well, you know, gotta do whatcha gotta do.
Under The Radar: A few things to keep an eye on away from the headlines.
- Lately, it seems, a bunch of retired NFL players are dipping their toe into the MMA world, and this weekend continues it with former Jaguars DE Austen Lane headlining Warfare MMA 18 on FloCombat. Flo has hosted a few cards featuring former players already, so that seems to be the platform to watch for former gridiron gladiators.
- Calm before the storm before NCAA Division I Finals next week, so if you’re in the mood, soak in all the smaller orgs’ finals as an appetizer before the eight-course meal that is next week.
4×5: Every week, UCS’s Luke Irwin will list his Top-5 bouts in each of the four major different combat sports that he’s looking forward to the most, regardless of any conventional criteria, merit, or logic.
KICKBOXING/MUAY THAI
5. 65kg Contender Semifinal Bout: Fumiya (3-2) vs. Hiroki Nakamura (24-14-2) [Krush 86]
4. 66kg Bout: Jordan Kranio (14-1-1) vs. Wei Ninghui (36-15) [Kunlun Fight 70]
3. 60kg #1 Contender Bout: Kotaro Shimano (16-11) vs. Naoki Yamamoto (6-3-1) [Krush 86]
2. Enfusion 70kg Championship: Buakaw Banchamek (233-23-12) vs. Jonay Risco (56-9-1) [Enfusion Live 63]
1. Krush 58kg Championship: Haruma Saikyo (c) (11-2) vs. Yuta Murakoshi (23-5) [Krush 86]
BOXING
5. WBC Continental Americas Junior Lightweight Championship/Vacant WBO International Junior Lightweight Championship: Andy Vences (c) (20-0) vs. Erick De Leon (17-0) [Top Rank on ESPN]
4. Vacant WBA World Junior Welterweight Championship: Kiryl Relikh (21-2) vs. Rances Barthelemy (26-0) [Showtime Championship Boxing]
3. Interim WBC World Junior Welterweight Championship: Julius Indongo (22-1) vs. Regis Prograis (20-0) [ShoBox]
2. WBO World Featherweight Championship: Oscar Valdez (c) (23-0) vs. Scott Quigg (34-1-2) [Top Rank on ESPN]
1. IBF World Junior Welterweight Championship: Mikey Garcia (37-0) vs. Sergey Lipinets (13-0) [Showtime Championship Boxing]
MMA
5. Welterweight Bout: Andre Santos (38-10) vs. Brett Cooper (24-13) [Absolute Championship Berkut 82]
4. Lightweight Bout: Nick Newell (13-1) vs. Sonny Luque (10-6) [Legacy Fighting Alliance 35]
3. BAMMA Interim Heavyweight Championship: Chi Lewis-Parry (6-0) vs. Stav Economou (18-5-1) [BAMMA 34]
2. BAMMA Welterweight Championship: Alex Lohore (c) (14-1) vs. Terry Brazier (8-1) [BAMMA 34]
1. Featherweight Bout: Andrey Krasnikov (13-3) vs. Ivan Buchinger (32-6) [M-1 Challenge 89]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. Black Belt Lightweight Division [IBJJF Pan-Jitsu Championships]
4. Black Belt Medium Heavyweight Division [IBJJF Pan-Jitsu Championships]
3. Black Belt Heavyweight Division [IBJJF Pan-Jitsu Championships]
2. Black Belt Featherweight Division [IBJJF Pan-Jitsu Championships]
1. Black Belt Super Heavyweight Division [IBJJF Pan-Jitsu Championships]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: It’s sweet science weekend at UCS, so make sure your round cards are signed, your pencils are sharp, and Adelaide Byrd is nowhere near you!
Best Fight of the Weekend: Mikey Garcia vs. Sergey Lipinets
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Andrey Krasnikov vs. Ivan Buchinger
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Andy Ruiz Jr. over Devin Vargas
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Showtime Championship Boxing
Upset of the Week: Erick De Leon over Andy Vences
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Ivan Baranchyk vs. Petr Petrov
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