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 16
1:30am: 2021 Asian Championships (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2021 Reno Worlds (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Andrade vs. Williams Weigh-Ins (DAZN)
1:30pm: Dylan Bregeon vs. Fabio Turchi/Francesco Patera vs. Vladyslav Melnyk (DAZN)
5:00pm: Max on Boxing (ESPN2)
5:30pm: UFC Live (ESPN2)
6:00pm: Bellator 257 Prelims (YouTube)
6:00pm: Triller Fight Club Weigh-Ins (FREE Fite.tv)
6:05pm: UFC Fight Night Pre-Fight Show (ESPN+)
7:00pm: JABS with Mannix and Mora (DAZN)
9:00pm: Bellator 257 (Showtime)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 104 (UFC Fight Pass)
Saturday April 17
1:30am: 2021 Asian Championships (FloWrestling)
8:00am: 2021 USAW-NJ Folkstyle Championships Novice/Bantam (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2021 Reno Worlds (FloWrestling)
10:30am: 2021 Fight or Flight (FloWrestling)
11:00am: 2021 Ultimate Duals (FloWrestling)
2:00pm: Andrey Sirotkin vs. Danny Dignum/Dan Azeez vs. Ricky Summers (ESPN+)
3:00pm: Demetrius Andrade vs. Liam Williams/Carlos Gongora vs. Christopher Pearson (DAZN)
5:00pm: Fight To Win 170 (FloGrappling)
7:00pm: UFC on ESPN Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+)
7:00pm: PBC on FOX Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
7:00pm: NFC MMA 131 (FloCombat)
8:00pm: Bryant Perrella vs. Tony Harrison/Deon Nicholson vs. Efetobor Apochi (Fox)
8:00pm: Triller Fight Club Pre-Show (FREE Fite.tv)
9:00pm: Triller Fight Club: Paul vs. Askren ($49.99 Fite.tv)
10:00pm: UFC on ESPN: Gastelum vs. Whittaker (ESPN)
Sunday April 18
1:00am: UFC on ESPN Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)
1:00am: UFC on ESPN Post-Fight Press Conference (DAZN)
1:30am: 2021 Asian Championships (FloWrestling)
8:00am: 2021 USAW-NJ Folkstyle Championships Novice/Bantam (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2021 Reno Worlds (FloWrestling)
11:00am: 2021 Ultimate Duals (FloWrestling)
5:30pm: Fury Fighting Championship 45 (UFC Fight Pass)
Top-10 Viewing Options: Let’s lean into the weirdness, it’s Paul-Askren weekend.
1. Bellator 257: Much better card than the UFC’s offering this weekend, including a stacked prelim card.
2. Demetrius Andrade vs. Liam Williams/Carlos Gongora vs. Christopher Pearson: Actual boxing on Saturday afternoon to free up the freak show at night for your undivided attention.
3. Triller Fight Club: Paul vs. Askren: Let’s lean into the weirdness, here. Main event aside, we have Regis Prograis vs. Ivan Redkach, which is a legitimate matchup, and Frank Mir vs. Steve Cunningham, which is decidedly not.
4. UFC on ESPN: Gastelum vs. Whittaker: How the hell have these two never fought before?? Otherwise, severely lacking card for an ESPN showing.
5. Bryant Perrella vs. Tony Harrison/Deon Nicholson vs. Efetobor Apochi: A not-terrible PBC on FOX card?? Hose me down!
6. Andrey Sirotkin vs. Danny Dignum/Dan Azeez vs. Ricky Summers: Really loving weekly Saturday afternoon British boxing, especially with no college football.
7. Fight To Win 170: Lots of black belt matchups on tap.
8. Triller Fight Club Weigh-Ins: I hope someone throws an actual person at someone.
9. Legacy Fighting Alliance 104: Good to see LFA get into their post-pandemic groove.
10. Dylan Bregeon vs. Fabio Turchi/Francesco Patera vs. Vladyslav Melnyk: Friday afternoon boxing from Milan! Even better, a cruiserweight main event in a division that desperately needs new blood.
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. Junior Middleweight Bout: Bryant Perrella (17-3) vs. Tony Harrison (28-3) [PBC on FOX]
4. Cruiserweight Bout: Ben Askren (debut) vs. Jake Paul (2-0) [Triller Fight Club]
3. IBO World Super Middleweight Championship: Carlos Gongora (c) (19-0) vs., Christopher Pearson (17-2) [Matchroom on DAZN]
2. Junior Welterweight Bout: Ivan Redkach (23-5-1) vs. Regis Prograis (25-1) [Triller Fight Club]
1. WBO World Middleweight Championship: Demetrius Andrade (c) (29-0) vs. Liam Williams (23-2-1) [Matchroom on DAZN]
MMA
5. Welterweight Bout: Paul Daley (41-17-2) vs. Sabah Homasi (15-8) [Bellator 257]
4. Lightweight Bout: Drakkar Klose (11-2-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (28-18) [UFC on ESPN: Gastelum vs. Whittaker]
3. Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals: Corey Anderson (14-5) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (18-5-1) [Bellator 257]
2. Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship/Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinals: Vadim Nemkov (c) (12-2) vs. Phil Davis (22-5) [Bellator 257]
1. Middleweight Bout: Kelvin Gastelum (16-6) vs. Robert Whittaker (22-5) [UFC on ESPN: Gastelum vs. Whittaker]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. Black Belt Bout: Camron Couch vs. Tony Trammell [Fight To Win 170]
4. Black Belt Bout: Nonso Ebede vs. Stephen Hall [Fight To Win 170]
3. Black Belt Bout: Guilherme Augusto vs. Max Gimenis [Fight To Win 170]
2. Black Belt Bout: Jonnatas Gracie vs. Matheus Luna [Fight To Win 170]
1. Black Belt Bout: Josh Hinger vs. Rafael Barbosa [Fight To Win 170]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: Another big weekend after the sportsbooks bafflingly had Mackenzie Dern had an underdog.
Best Fight of the Weekend: Demetrius Andrade vs. Liam Williams
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Regis Prograis vs. Ivan Redkach
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Carlos Gongora over Christopher Pearson
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: Bellator 257
Upset of the Week: Chase Sherman over Andrei Arlovski
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Phil Davis vs. Vadim Nemkov
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