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 21
10:00am: 2021 Southeast Regionals (FloWrestling)
10:30am: 2021 New Jersey Freestyle State Championships (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Ramirez vs. Taylor Weigh-Ins (ESPN+)
3:00pm: 2021 Spartan Nationals (FloWrestling)
3:00pm: Petko’s Boxing: Hannig vs. Vilcans ($16.99 Fite.tv)
4:00pm: Max on Boxing (ESPN2)
4:00pm: The DAZN Boxing Show (DAZN)
5:00pm: UFC Fight Night Pre-Fight Show (ESPN+)
6:00pm: King of Kings: Warsaw ($11.66 KOKFights.tv)
7:00pm: Invicta on AXS: Rodriguez vs. Torquato Prelims (YouTube)
7:30pm: Lion Fight 66 (UFC Fight Pass)
8:00pm: Invicta on AXS: Rodriguez vs. Torquato (AXS)
9:00pm: State of Boxing: Ramirez vs. Taylor Preview (ESPNEWS)
9:00pm: Legacy Fighting Alliance 108 (UFC Fight Pass)
11:35pm: Armando Torres vs. Jonathan Gonzalez/Andres Viera vs. Mekhrubon Sanginov (Telemundo)
Saturday May 22
4:00am: Demolition Fight Series 3 ($16.99 Fite.tv)
8:00am: 2021 War at the Shore (FloWrestling)
10:00am: 2021 Southeast Regionals (FloWrestling)
10:30am: 2021 New Jersey Freestyle State Championships (FloWrestling)
12:00pm: Senshi 8 (FREE Fite.tv)
3:00pm: 2021 Spartan Nationals (FloWrestling)
4:00pm: UFC Fight Night Prelims (ESPN+)
5:15pm: Top Rank on ESPN Prelims (ESPN+)
7:00pm: UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt (ESPN+)
7:00pm: Championship Combat Sports: Fight Night ($14.99 Fite.tv)
8:30pm: Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor/Henry Lundy vs. Jose Zepeda (ESPN)
10:00pm: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)
10:00pm: UFC Fight Night Post-Fight Press Conference (UFC Fight Pass)
11:00pm: Top Rank Post-Fight Show (ESPN+)
Sunday May 23
1:00am: VABL Boxing ($10.99 Fite.tv)
1:00am: VAMAA Kickboxing/Muay Thai ($10.99 Fite.tv)
5:00am: Rise 149 (Abema)
8:00am: 2021 War at the Shore (FloWrestling)
10:30am: 2021 New Jersey Freestyle State Championships (FloWrestling)
3:00pm: 2021 Spartan Nationals (FloWrestling)
6:00pm: XFN 35 (FloCombat)
6:00pm: Submission Underground 23 (UFC Fight Pass)
Top-10 Viewing Options: A man sprinting into the maskless future like a fat kid chasing the ice cream truck with a dollar in-hand rolls into another big fight week.
1. Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor/Henry Lundy vs. Jose Zepeda: Absolutely love that a four-title unification bout is on basic cable. Looking forward to this for weeks and to ESPN’s credit, they went hard on the promotional material.
2. UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt: Can Garbrandt land another hail mary like he did last time out against Raphael Assuncao?
3. Lion Fight 66: It looks like they’re going to push Steve Walker as their main draw, and you could certainly do worse than “Put ‘Em To Sleep”.
4. Submission Underground 23: Mason Fowler is a goddamned fighting champion, that’s for damned sure.
5. Invicta on AXS: Rodriguez vs. Torquato: Invicta’s first card on their new home! MMA returns to AXS!
6. Legacy Fighting Alliance 108: Finally LFA has a world title on the line, as Gregory Rodrigues battles Josh Fremd for the middleweight strap.
7. Rise 149: If you’re up early (or late, I don’t know your lifestyle) there are few better options than some Japanese kickboxing.
8. State of Boxing: Ramirez vs. Taylor Preview: ESPN has been heavy into Ramirez-Taylor promotional material, and it’s been refreshing to see.
9. Senshi 8: Free kickboxing on Fite!
10. Armando Torres vs. Jonathan Gonzalez/Andres Viera vs. Mekhrubon Sanginov: Solid Friday night Telemundo offering.
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
5. 85kg Bout: Jurijs Orlovs (16-2) vs. Kamil Ruta [King of Kings: Warsaw]
4. Lion Fight North American Super Middleweight Championship Tournament Semifinal: Cody Carrillo (6-3) vs. Lorawnt-T Nelson (12-3) [Lion Fight 66]
3. Lion Fight North American Super Middleweight Championship Tournament Semifinal: Jake Mackenzie (2-0) vs. Heriberto Tovar (8-2) [Lion Fight 66]
2. Vacant King of Kings Heavyweight Championship: Michal Turinsky (32-15) vs. Reinis Porozovs (15-4-1) [King of Kings: Warsaw]
1. Lion Fight North American Super Cruiserweight Championship: Steve Walker (c) (9-0) vs. Devorius Tubbs (5-2) [Lion Fight 66]
BOXING
5. BBBofC English Lightweight Championship: Myron Mills (c) (14-1) vs. Lucas Ballingall (13-1)
4. Junior Welterweight Bout: Elvis Rodriguez (11-0-1) vs. Kenneth Sims Jr. (15-2-1) [Top Rank on ESPN]
3. Vacant WBC Silver Middleweight Championship: Carlos Molina (37-11-2) vs. Sam Eggington (29-7)
2. WBC Silver Junior Welterweight Championship: Jose Zepeda (c) (33-2) vs. Henry Lundy (31-8-1) [Top Rank on ESPN]
1. WBA Super/WBC/WBO/IBF World Junior Welterweight Championships: Jose Carlos Ramirez (c) (26-0) vs. Josh Taylor (17-0) [Top Rank on ESPN]
MMA
5. Flyweight Bout: David Dvorak (19-3) vs. Rualian Paiva (20-3) [UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt]
4. Middleweight Bout: Edmen Shahbazyan (11-1) vs. Jack Hermansson (21-6) [UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt]
3. Women’s Strawweight Bout: Carla Esparza (17-6) vs. Yan Xiaonan (13-1) [UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt]
2. Bantamweight Bout: Darrion Caldwell (15-4) vs. Leandro Higo (20-5) [Bellator 259]
1. Bantamweight Bout: Cody Garbrandt (12-3) vs. Rob Font (18-4) [UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. Superfight: Don Stoner vs. Richie Martinez [Submission Underground 23]
4. Superfight: Gillian Robertson vs. Raquel Canuto [Submission Underground 23]
3. Superfight: Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger [Submission Underground 23]
2. Submission Underground Tag Team Championship: Team Toro (c) vs. Team SAC [Submission Underground 23]
1. Submission Underground Absolute Championship: Mason Fowler (c) vs. Kyle Chambers [Submission Underground 23]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: Another week in the plus! Ain’t no stopping us, lads and lasses! I don’t know what to do with my hands!
Best Fight of the Weekend: Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Darrion Caldwell vs. Leandro Higo
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Cris Cyborg over Leslie Smith
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: UFC Fight Night
Upset of the Week: Carla Esparza over Xiaonon Yan
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Henry Lundy vs. Jose Zepeda
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