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 January 15
9:00am: 2021 Tulsa Nationals (FloWrestling)
5:00pm: Max on Boxing (ESPN2)
5:00pm: NC State vs. Virginia (ACC Network)
5:30pm: UFC Live (ESPN2)
6:00pm: Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina (ACC Network)
6:00pm: JABS with Mannix & Mora (DAZN)
7:00pm: Playback: Braulio Rodriguez vs. Ryan Garcia w/Garcia & Oscar De La Hoya (DAZN)
8:00pm: The Ak & Barak Show (DAZN)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 97 (UFC Fight Pass)
Saturday January 16
9:00am: 2021 Tulsa Nationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: Duke vs. Pitt (ACC Network)
10:00am: Brave 46 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
12:00pm: UFC on ABC Prelims (ESPN+)
3:00pm: UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar (ABC/ESPN+)
5:00pm: Fight To Win 160 (FloGrappling)
6:00pm: Lehigh vs. Navy (ESPN+)
6:00pm: UFC on ABC Post-Fight Press Conference (UFC Fight Pass)
7:00pm: Campbell vs. VMI (ESPN+)
7:00pm: The Making of Anthony Joshua: Episode 2 (DAZN)
Sunday January 17
9:00am: 2021 Tulsa Nationals (FloWrestling)
11:00am: 2021 Rockwell Rumble (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia (ESPN+)
2:00pm: Northern Illinois vs. Central Michigan (ESPN+)
3:00pm: Missouri vs. Iowa State (ESPN+)
3:30pm: Bucknell vs. West Virginia (ESPN+)
5:00pm: Arizona State vs. Iowa State (ESPN+)
Top-10 Viewing Options: After a long, long holiday season, fights finally return around the same time you’ve grown bored with your breadmaker you got for Christmas.
1. UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar: For the first time in years, the UFC returns to network TV…on 3 on a Saturday? Ok then.
2. Fight To Win 160: Next week they really bring out the bombs, but good to see F2W return.
3. Legacy Fighting Alliance 97: Like a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup, here’s LFA on a Friday with a title fight headliner.
4. The Making of Anthony Joshua: Episode 2: DAZN’s getting into the original content game, too.
5. Arizona State vs. Iowa State: The best collegiate wrestling bout of the weekend.
6. JABS with Mannix & Mora: Another talk show joining the DAZN lineup.
7. UFC Live: Dear sweet baby Jesus it’s finally back.
8. Max on Boxing: Dear god I’m just happy to have fight programming back, even if it is Max.
9. Playback: Braulio Rodriguez vs. Ryan Garcia w/Garcia & Oscar De La Hoya: Watch Ryan Garcia overwhelm an overmatched opponent from three years ago while DLH gushes over him.
10. UFC on ABC Post-Fight Press Conference: Ideally everything goes well and the UFC doesn’t blow their maiden voyage on the American Broadcasting Company the way Strikeforce completely fucked up on CBS.
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
N/A
BOXING
5. Welterweight Bout: Jorge Luis Garcia Perez (18-2) vs. Jose Bernardino Lozano (6-0)
4. Bantamweight Bout: Chikato Sumida (9-3) vs. Ken Achiwa (12-15-5)
3. Junior Middleweight Bout: Abraham Juarez (17-6) vs. Carlos Ocampo (27-1)
2. OPBF Welterweight Championship: Riku Nagahama (c) (12-2-1) vs. Ryota Toyoshima (12-2-1)
1. WBC/IBF/Vacant IBO World Female Minimumweight Championships: Tina Rupprecht (c) (10-0-1) vs. Yokasta Valle (c) (20-2)
MMA
5. Heavyweight Bout: Carlos Felipe (9-1) vs. Justin Tafa (4-1) [UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar]
4. Vacant LFA Lightweight Championship: Arthur Estrazulas (12-4) vs. Nick Browne (10-1) [Legacy Fighting Alliance 97]
3. 130lb Catchweight Bout: Ali Bagautinov (18-7) vs. Oleg Lichkovakha (15-4) [Brave 46]
2. Welterweight Bout: Li Jingliang (17-6) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3) [UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar]
1. Featherweight Bout: Calvin Kattar (22-4) vs. Max Holloway (21-6) [UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. 149lb Bout: #3 Brock Mauller (MIZZ) vs. #5 Jarrett Degen (ISU) [Iowa State vs. Missouri]
4. 157lb Bout: #3 David Carr (ISU) vs. #5 Jacori Teemer (ASU) [Arizona State vs. Iowa State]
3. Black Belt Bout: Gabriel Almeida vs. Pedro Marinho [Fight To Win 160]
2. Black Belt Bout: Hugo Marques vs. Johnatas Gracie [Fight To Win 160]
1. Black Belt Bout: Vagner Rocha vs. William Tackett [Fight To Win 160]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: A fresh start! A clean slate! 2021 is our year, fellow betting losers! Time to turn this ship around!
Best Fight of the Weekend: Calvin Kattar vs. Max Holloway
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Li Jingliang
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Santiago Ponzinibbio over Li Jingliang
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Kattar
Upset of the Week: Matt Brown over Carlos Condit
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
