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 April 2
8:00am: 2021 Keystone Youth and Junior High State Championships (FloWrestling)
9:00am: 2021 Journeymen NYS Championships (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2021 Midwest Classic Nationals (FloWrestling)
12:00pm: 2021 African Championships (FloWrestling)
4:00pm: 2021 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic (FloWrestling)
7:00pm: Max on Boxing (ESPN2)
7:00pm: JABS with Mannix & Mora (DAZN)
8:00pm: Cage Fury Fighting Championship 95 (UFC Fight Pass)
9:00pm: Bellator 255 (Showtime)
10:00pm: The Ak & Barak Show (DAZN)
10:00pm: iKON Fighting Federation 6 (UFC Fight Pass)
Saturday April 3
8:00am: 2021 Keystone Youth and Junior High State Championships (FloWrestling)
9:00am: 2021 Journeymen NYS Championships (FloWrestling)
10:00am: Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ryosuke Iwasa/Patricio Lopez Moreno vs. Shakhram Giyasov (DAZN)
10:00am: 2021 Midwest Classic Nationals (FloWrestling)
11:00am: King of Kings World Series 2021 in Turkey ($3.99 KOKFights.tv)
12:00pm: 2021 African Championships (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Carl Frampton vs. Jamel Herring/Tyrone McKenna vs. Zhankosh Turarov (ESPN+)
7:00pm: Celebrity Championship Boxing: Pre-Show (FREE Fite.tv)
7:00pm: Third Coast Grappling 6 Pre-Show (FREE Fite.tv)
8:00pm: Celebrity Championship Boxing ($19.99 Fite.tv)
9:00pm: Evolve Ur Game 1 (FloGrappling)
9:00pm: Third Coast Grappling 6 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
9:00pm: World Cup Boxing Series: Lope vs. Martinez ($9.99 Fite.tv)
Sunday April 4
12:00pm: 2021 African Championships (FloWrestling)
Top-10 Viewing Options: A man hoping against hope that Gonzaga doesn’t pull their usual monumental choke job keeps one eye on the tournament while a morning and afternoon-heavy fight slate is on.
1. Carl Frampton vs. Jamel Herring/Tyrone McKenna vs. Zhankosh Turarov: Herring vs. Frampton is your marquee fight of the weekend.
2. Bellator 255: Since Strikeforce went to go play on a farm, this is the return of MMA to Showtime.
3. Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ryosuke Iwasa/Patricio Lopez Moreno vs. Shakhram Giyasov: Is Akhmadaliev the least-known double champion in boxing?
4. Evolve Ur Game 1: EUG breaking out some big bucks for their debut event. Some big names and 10k for the winner of their 8-man tournament.
5. Cage Fury Fighting Championship 95: CFFC putting on their usual Thursday-Friday double-header on Fight Pass this weekend.
6. Third Coast Grappling 6: A step below EUG, but Third Coast always puts on a good show.
7. King of Kings World Series 2021 in Turkey: Your best, and only, kickboxing option of the weekend.
8. iKON Fighting Federation 6: Pretty shallow week on the Network.
9. Max on Boxing: Max gets pushed back to nearly prime time.
10. Celebrity Championship Boxing: BOY, we are really, really stretching the word “Celebrity”, here.
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. WBA International Junior Welterweight Championship: Shakhram Giyasov (c) (10-0) vs. Patricio Lopez Moreno (28-4) [Matchroom on DAZN]
4. WBO Intercontinental Junior Welterweight Championship: Zhankosh Turarov (c) (24-0) vs. Tyrone McKenna (21-2-1) [Top Rank on ESPN]
3. Junior Middleweight Bout: Emmany Kalombo (14-0) vs. Israil Madrimov (6-0) [Matchroom on DAZN]
2. WBA Super/IBF World Junior Featherweight Championships: Murodjon Akhmadaliev (c) (8-0) vs. Ryosuke Iwasa (27-3) [Matchroom on DAZN]
1. WBO World Junior Lightweight Championship: Jamel Herring (c) (22-2) vs. Carl Frampton (28-2) [Top Rank on ESPN]
MMA
5. Heavyweight Bout: Jack May (11-7) vs. Tyrell Fortune (9-1) [Bellator 255]
4. Welterweight Bout: Jason Jackson (13-4) vs. Neiman Gracie (10-1) [Bellator 255]
3. Women’s Flyweight Bout: Alejandra Lara (9-3) vs. Kana Watanabe (9-0-1) [Bellator 255]
2. Vacant Cage Fury Fighting Championship Lightweight Championship: Jesse Smith (4-0) vs. Zulkarnaiyn Kamchybekov (4-1) [Cage Fury Fighting Championship 95]
1. Bellator Featherweight Championship/Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinals: Patricio Freire (c) (31-4) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (20-4) [Bellator 255]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. Juvenile Superfight: Desmond Rubio vs. Jalen Fonacier [Evolve Ur Game 1]
4. Women’s Superfight: Jhenifer Aquino vs. Julia Balmante [Evolve Ur Game 1]
3. Women’s Superfight: Jessa Khan vs. Thamires Aquino [Evolve Ur Game 1]
2. 8-Man Grappling Tournament [Third Coast Grappling 6]
1. 160lb 8-Man Tournament [Evolve Ur Game 1]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: Francis Ngannou threw heavy lefts and rights at my bank account along with Stipe Miocic, it’s up to Pitbull Freire to get me back on the right track.
Best Fight of the Weekend: Carl Frampton vs. Jamel Herring
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Jesse Smith vs. Zulkarnaiyn Kamchybekov
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Israil Madrimov over Emmany Kalombo
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Top Rank on ESPN
Upset of the Week: Jamel Herring over Carl Frampton
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs. Ryosuke Iwasa
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