Your Weekend in Combat Sports

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.
Movies are in AQUA.
Misc./Multiple combat sports programming is in GREEN.

Friday April 28

12:00am: Levan Ghvamichava vs. Oscar Molina/Mario Barrios vs. Nelson Lara (Fox Sports 2)
2:00am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
3:00am: TUF Talk (Fox Sports 2)
3:30am: UFC Fight Night: Lobov vs. Swanson (Fox Sports 1)
6:30am: UFC Sound Waves: Conor McGregor (Fox Sports 1)
7:00am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 1)
8:00am: TUF Talk (Fox Sports 1)
8:30am: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 1)
9:30am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
9:40am: Canelo/Chavez Jr.: A Fighting Tradition (HBO2)
10:00am: Cinderella Man (The Movie Channel Xtra)
10:30am: TUF Talk (Fox Sports 2)
11:00am: UFC Top-Ten: One-Round Wars (Fox Sports 2)
12:00pm: 2017 U.S. Open Wrestling Championship (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Kevin Johnson vs. Kubrat Pulev/Danail Stanoev vs. Ivailo Boyanov ($19.99 FiteTV)
4:45pm: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Showcase)
5:00pm: 2017 Grappling World Team Trials (FloGrappling)
5:05pm: The Fight Game With Jim Lampley (HBO2)
5:35pm: Canelo/Chavez Jr.: A Fighting Tradition (HBO2)
6:00pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
6:30pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
7:00pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
7:00pm: Triton Fights 2 (FloCombat)
7:00pm: Warrior Xtreme Combat 68 ($14.99 FiteTV)
7:00pm: Fight 2 Night FOX ($9.99 FiteTV)
7:30pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
8:05pm: Fury Fighting Championship 16 (FloCombat)
9:00pm: 30 For 30: Muhammad And Larry (ESPN Classic)
9:00pm: Lion Fight 36 (AXS)
9:00pm: Xcessive Force Fighting Championship 14 ($14.99 FiteTV)

Saturday April 29

12:45am: HBO Classic Boxing: Miguel Cotto vs. Saul Alvarez (HBO2)
1:00am: Lion Fight 36 (AXS)
2:30am: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
3:00am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
5:00am: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
6:00am: UFC 154 (Fox Sports 2)
6:40am: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Extreme)
7:30am: Cinderella Man (The Movie Channel)
9:30am: 2017 Pop & Flo Mini Men Nationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: Absolute Championship Berkut 59 (YouTube)
11:00am: Heavy Hitters (ESPN Deportes)
11:00am: Lion Fight 36 (AXS)
11:00am: Phoenix Fighting Championship 2 ($14.99 FiteTV)
12:00pm: 2017 U.S. Open Wrestling Championship (FloWrestling)
12:30pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
1:00pm: UFC 167 (Fox Sports 2)
1:00pm: Canelo/Chavez Jr.: A Fighting Tradition (HBO/HBO Latino)
1:00pm: Ring Of Fire 7 ($4.99 FiteTV)
1:30pm: Glory 40 Superfight Series (UFC Fight Pass)
2:00pm: SC Featured: Pin Kings (ESPNEWS)
3:00pm: Enfusion Live 49 ($10.85 Enfusionlive.com)
3:30pm: Glory 40 (ESPN2)
4:15pm: Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko (Showtime)
4:30pm: 2017 Grappling World Team Trials (FloGrappling)
5:15pm: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Extreme)
5:30pm: 30 For 30 Shorts: Robbed (ESPN2)
5:45pm: LFA Presents: Sioux Falls Fight Night 1 (FloCombat)
6:00pm: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 2)
6:30pm: Fight To Win Pro 33 (FloGrappling)
7:00pm: SC Featured: Pin Kings (ESPNEWS)
7:00pm: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
7:00pm: New England Fights 28 (FloCombat)
8:00pm: UFC Ultimate Knockouts (Fox Sports 2)
8:30pm: Levan Ghvamichava vs. Oscar Molina/Mario Barrios vs. Nelson Lara (Fox Sports 2)
9:00pm: Marianas Open Jiu Jitsu Championship (FloGrappling)
10:00pm: Carlos Zambrano vs. Claudio Marrero/Jeison Rosario vs. Nathaniel Gallimore (Fox Sports 1)
10:45pm: Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko (HBO)

Sunday April 30

1:45am: The Fight Game With Jim Lampley (HBO2)
4:00am: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 2)
5:00am: UFC Unleashed (Fox Sports 2)
6:30am: The Best of the Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 1)
8:30am: Canelo/Chavez Jr.: A Fighting Tradition (HBO2)
9:00am: Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko (Showtime)
9:30am: The Fight Game With Jim Lampley (HBO/HBO Latino)
9:30am: 2017 Pop & Flo Mini Men Nationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo vs. Chavez Jr. (HBO/HBO Latino)
11:45am: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Family Zone)
12:45pm: Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds To Freedom (Showtime Showcase)
2:00pm: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
4:00pm: SC Featured: Pin Kings (ESPNEWS)
4:00pm: Marcelino Lopez vs. Michael Angelo Perez/John Karl Sosa vs. Rashidi Ellis (ESPN Deportes)
4:00pm: The Ultimate Fighter (Fox Sports 2)
4:10pm: Southpaw (The Movie Channel Xtra)
7:30pm: Rocky Balboa (Showtime Family Zone)
10:00pm: SC Featured: Pin Kings (ESPNEWS)
11:00pm: Canelo/Chavez Jr.: A Fighting Tradition (HBO2)

Top-10 Viewing Options: Make sure to get all your ESPN viewing in before the entire company is two dudes holding a lightbulb.

  1. Joshua vs. Klitschko: A marquee heavyweight title fight still carries some serious weight, as evidence by HBO and Showtime working together.

  2. Glory 40: Glory’s finally pumping out shows at the rate they should have been back when they were on Spike.

  3. Lion Fight 36: Nice of Lion Fight to finally give Jo Nattawut an event off after the roughly 163 straight shows he was on.

  4. Fight To Win Pro 33: F2W has been pretty mum on the card so far, but Jeff Curran vs. Caio Terra is an absolutely awesome headliner.

  5. Phoenix Fighting Championship 2: It’s a weekend of muay thai and kickboxing, and Phoenix is coming with a card full of names headlined by Saenchai.

  6. Marianas Open Jiu Jitsu Championship: Two eight-man tournaments in one day from the Guam.  Needs more Jeff Cobb, but I digress.

  7. Carlos Zambrano vs. Claudio Marrero/Jeison Rosario vs. Nathaniel Gallimore: Beibut Shumenov vs. Yunier Dorticos was the original main event, and would have made a fantastic headliner with a world title co-main, but alas, here’s what we have.

  8. 30 For 30 Shorts: Robbed: While not as notable or legendary as Joe Frazier, Ken Norton always gave Muhammad Ali absolute fits, and Ali could never figure him out.

  9. Canelo/Chavez Jr.: A Fighting Tradition: Or, how to sully your father’s legacy in a few short years and a few big pounds.

  10. The Best of the Ultimate Fighter: Twenty-five season of cringe to peruse!

Outside the Tube: Fighters you know or should know that won’t be appearing on your magic television box over the weekend.

• Kevin Johnson vs. Kubrat Pulev [April 28, Arena Armeec, Sofia, Bulgaria]
• Donnie Nietes [vs. Komgrich Nantapech, April 29, Cebu City Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Cebu City, Philippines]
• Freddy Kemayo [vs. Imad Hadar, April 29, Glory 40, Forum Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark]
• Josh Jauncey [vs. Antonio Gomez, April 29, Glory 40, Forum Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark]
• Filip Verlinden vs. Ibrahim El Boustati [April 29, Enfusion Live 49, SilverDome Zoetermeer, The Hague, Holland]
• Saenchai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym [vs. Azize Hlali, April 29, Phoenix Fighting Championship 2, Nouhad Nawfal Stadium, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon]
• Antonina Shevchenko [vs. Isa Tidblad Keskikangas, April 29, Phoenix Fighting Championship 2, Nouhad Nawfal Stadium, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon]
• Armen Grigoryan [vs. Xie Wei, April 29, Phoenix Fighting Championship 2, Nouhad Nawfal Stadium, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon]
• Moise Rimbon [vs. Jihad Mekdad, April 29, Phoenix Fighting Championship 2, Nouhad Nawfal Stadium, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon]
• Edwin Najmi [Lightweight Division, April 29, Marianas Open Jiu Jitsu Championship, FDMS Phoenix Center, Guam]
• Caio Terra vs. Jeff Curran [April 29, Fight To Win Pro 33, Odeum Expo Center, Villa Park, Illinois]
• Joao Miyao [Light Featherweight Black Belt Division, April 29, IBJJF Las Vegas International Open, Sports Center of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada]
• Marcelo Mafra [Middleweight Black Belt Division, April 29, IBJJF Las Vegas International Open, Sports Center of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada]
• Vinny Magalhaes [Ultra Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 29, IBJJF Las Vegas International Open, Sports Center of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada]
• Tammi Musumeci [Lightweight Black Belt Division, April 29, IBJJF Las Vegas International Open, Sports Center of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada]
• Cleber Sousa [Light Featherweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Kim Terra [Featherweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• AJ Agazarm [Lightweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Claudio Calasans [Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Jose Junior [Super Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Leandro Lo [Super Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Erberth Santos [Super Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Ana Talita Alencar [Light Featherweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Beatriz de Oliveira Mesquita [Lightweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Andresa Correa [Medium Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Nathiely Karoline de Jesus [Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Tayane Porfirio [Ultra Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Brazilian National Championships, Ginásio Poliesportivo José Corrêa, Sao Paulo, Brazil]
• Bruno Bastos [Ultra Heavyweight Black Belt Division, April 30, IBJJF Dallas Spring International Open, Kitty McGee Arena, Denton, Texas]
• Ali Bagautinov vs. Tyson Nam [April 28, Fight Nights Global 64, VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia]
• Derrick Mehmen [vs. Alexei Kudin, April 28, Fight Nights Global 64, VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia]
• Johnny Bedford [vs. Eric Higaonna, April 28, Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting 68, EMU Convocation Center, Ypsilanti, Michigan]
• Joe Riggs [vs. Jerome Jones, April 28, Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting 68, EMU Convocation Center, Ypsilanti, Michigan]
• David Michaud vs. Jake Lindsey [April 29, LFA Presents: Sioux Falls Fight Night 1, Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, South Dakota]
• Dakota Cochrane [vs. Jordon Larson, April 29, LFA Presents: Sioux Falls Fight Night 1, Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, South Dakota]
• Daniel Sarafian [vs. Austen Heidlage, April 29, LFA Presents: Sioux Falls Fight Night 1, Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, South Dakota]
• Jared Papazian vs. Terrion Ware [April 29, California Xtreme Fighting 7, Sportsmen Lodge, Studio City, California]
• Chris Saunders [vs. Derion Chapman, April 29, California Xtreme Fighting 7, Sportsmen Lodge, Studio City, California]
• Tony Lopez [vs. Josh Parisian, April 29, King Of The Cage: Supremacy, Benjamin F. Yack Arena, Wyandotte, Michigan]

Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: Whew, that Lobov fight almost cost some folks a whole lotta cash, eh? *tugs collar* Yeesh.

Best Fight of the Weekend: Jason Wilnis vs. Simon Marcus
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Ali Bagautinov vs. Tyson Nam
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Kubrat Pulev over Kevin Johnson
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Joshua vs. Klitschko
Upset of the Week: Antonio Gomez over Josh Jauncey
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko