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 May 31
10:00am: 2019 Cadet and U23 World Team Trials (FloWrestling)
12:00pm: UFC Fight Night Pre-Fight Show (ESPN+)
12:20pm: 2019 IBJJF World Championships (FloGrappling)
3:00pm: Joshua vs. Ruiz Jr. Weigh-Ins (DAZN)
4:00pm: Cage Warriors 105 (UFC Fight Pass)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 68 (AXS)
9:00pm: Classic Entertainment & Sports 56 (UFC Fight Pass)
9:00pm: Peterec Promotions: Shock & Awe ($9.99 Fite.tv)
10:00pm: Combate Peru: Cortez vs. Zellhuber (DAZN)
10:00pm: Ring of Combat 68 (UFC Fight Pass)
Saturday June 1
10:00am: UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith Prelims (ESPN+)
10:00am: 2019 Cadet and U23 World Team Trials (FloWrestling)
12:20pm: 2019 IBJJF World Championships (FloGrappling)
1:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith (ESPN+)
2:00pm: GrappleFest 5 (FloGrappling)
3:00pm: Angel Moreno vs. Jay Harris/Craig Woodruff vs. Kieran Gething (ESPN+)
4:00pm: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)
5:30pm: Joshua vs. Ruiz Jr. Prelims (DAZN)
6:00pm: PBC on FS1 Prelims (Fox Sports 2)
6:00pm: World Class Fight League 24 ($24.99 Fite.tv)
6:30pm: Reality Fighting: Lopez vs. Lugo ($14.99 Fite.tv)
7:00pm: Chicago Cagefighting Championship ($19.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Devon Alexander vs. Ivan Redkach/Hugo Centeno Jr. vs. Willie Monroe (Fox Sports 1)
8:30pm: Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr./Callum Smith vs. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (DAZN)
10:00pm: PBC on Fox Sports 1 Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
11:00pm: David Barreto vs. Francisco Rodriguez Jr./Eduardo Cordovez vs. Lindolfo Delgado (Televisa)
Sunday June 2
1:00am: RIZIN 16 ($19.99 Fite.tv)
10:00am: 2019 Cadet and U23 World Team Trials (FloWrestling)
12:20pm: 2019 IBJJF World Championships (FloGrappling)
11:30pm: Unlocking Victory: UFC 238 (ESPN2)
Top-10 Viewing Options: A man who’s certainly not looking forward to a plodding Andy Ruiz Jr. fight while the new golden age of heavyweight boxing is being squandered grits his teeth and focuses on the pros of the weekend. Like Katie Taylor-Delfine Persoon!
1. Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr./Callum Smith vs. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam: BOY is there just MINIMAL heat for that main event. Double Oof. But the undercard is crazy deep with meaningful and fun fights. Looking forward to that far more than the main event.
2. 2019 IBJJF World Championships: This is a gigantic tournament, maybe the second-biggest behind the Mundials., but this is a relatively-weak roster for the Worlds.
3. UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith: a.k.a. The Last Two Men who have Let Me Down Tremendously Against Jon Jones.
4. RIZIN 16: Not your typical loaded, WACKY Rizin card, but a decent-enough bill starring Tenshin! Twenty is probably a little much, though.
5. Devon Alexander vs. Ivan Redkach/Hugo Centeno Jr. vs. Willie Monroe: I have no need for a Devon Alexander fight in 2019, or in most other years, really, but Monroe and Centeno is an interesting stylistic matchup and still relevant bout.
6. GrappleFest 5: Overshadowed by the jiu-jitsu bukkake that is the IBJJF Worlds, but this is a damned quality card.
7. Classic Entertainment & Sports 56: The main event featherweight title fight should send the winner to greener pastures, plus the return of Nick Newell. Solid damned offering from the New Englanders.
8. Legacy Fighting Alliance 68: Another decent LFA offering, but if there’s one promotion that I’m fine with multiple title changes, it’s LFA, because that title is essentially a UFC mid-card title.
9. Angel Moreno vs. Jay Harris/Craig Woodruff vs. Kieran Gething: ESPN+’s weekly UK card. Worse than most.
10. Unlocking Victory: UFC 238: There’s a very simple and fail-safe way to defeat Henry Cejudo. Be Demetrious Johnson.
KICKBOXING/MUAY THAI
5. 60kg Catchweight Bout: Itto vs. Nakamura Ken [RIZIN 16]
4. 56kg Catchweight Bout: Kengo vs. Seiki Ueyama [RIZIN 16]
3. 69kg Catchweight Bout: Tanaka Strike Yuki vs. Yuya [RIZIN 16]
2. 59kg Catchweight Bout: Kizaemon Saiga vs. Kunitaka [RIZIN 16]
1. Vacant ISKA World Featherweight Championship: Martin Blanco (c) (8-1-1) vs. Tenshin Nasukawa (29-0) [RIZIN 16]
BOXING
5. Middleweight Bout: Hugo Centeno Jr. (27-2) vs. Willie Monroe Jr. (23-3) [PBC on FS1]
4. WBO International Junior Welterweight Championship: Chris Algieri (c) (23-3) vs. Tommy Coyle (25-4) [Matchroom Boxing on DAZN]
3. WBA Super/WBC Diamond Super Middleweight Championships: Callum Smith (c) (25-0) vs. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (37-3) [Matchroom Boxing on DAZN]
2. WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF World Women’s Lightweight Championships: Delfine Persoon (c) (43-1) vs. Katie Taylor (c) (13-0) [Matchroom Boxing on DAZN]
1. WBA/IBO/IBF/WBC World Heavyweight Championships: Anthony Joshua (c) (22-0) vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. (32-1) [Matchroom Boxing on DAZN]
MMA
5. Light Heavyweight Bout: Aleksandar Rakic (11-1) vs. Jimi Manuwa (17-5) [UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith]
4. Lightweight Bout: Daron Cruickshank (22-11) vs. Tofiq Musaev (14-3) [RIZIN 16]
3. Light Heavyweight Bout: Ilir Latifi (14-6) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) [UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith]
2. RIZIN Women’s Super Atomweight Championship: Ayaka Hamasaki (c) (17-2) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (8-3) [RIZIN 16]
1. Light Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Gustafsson (18-5) vs. Anthony Smith (31-14) [UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. Men’s Black Belt Heavyweight Division [2019 IBJJF World Championships]
4. Women’s Black Belt Light Featherweight Division [2019 IBJJF World Championships]
3. Men’s Black Belt Super Heavyweight Division [2019 IBJJF World Championships]
2. Men’s Black Belt Lightweight Division [2019 IBJJF World Championships]
1. Men’s Black Belt Medium Heavyweight Division [2019 IBJJF World Championships]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: After last weekend’s tumbleweed of a weekend, we come back with a UFC card, a MEGA boxing card, and although we turned a tidy profit last weekend, we can earn so much more this weekend.
Best Fight of the Weekend: Martin Blanco vs. Tenshin Nasukawa
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Jimi Manuwa
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Tenshin Nasukawa over Martin Blanco
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Matchroom Boxing on DAZN
Upset of the Week: Ilir Latifi over Volkan Oezdemir
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua
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