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 6
10:00am: ASICS FloNationals (FloWrestling)
12:00pm: Flo Reno Worlds (FloWrestling)
12:30pm: Polish Fight Night (FREE Fite.tv)
6:00pm: UFC 223 Weigh-Ins (Fox Sports 2/UFC Fight Pass)
6:00pm: Fight To Win Pro 68 (FloGrappling)
6:30pm: UFC 25th Anniversary Press Conference (UFC Fight Pass)
7:00pm: Bellator 196 Prelims (ParamountNetwork.com)
7:00pm: Titan Fighting Championship 49 (UFC Fight Pass)
8:00pm: UFC Tonight (Fox Sports 1)
8:30pm: LA Fight Club (FREE Fite.tv)
9:00pm: CES MMA 49 (AXS)
9:00pm: Bellator 196 (Paramount Network)
9:00pm: Laetizia Campana vs. Marlen Esparza/Aidar Sharibayev vs. Enrique Tinoco (Estrella TV/RingTVLive.com)
9:00pm: Xtreme Fight Night 347 (FREE Fite.tv)
10:00pm: UFC 223 Countdown (Fox Sports 1)
11:15pm: Bellator Kickboxing 9 (Paramount Network)
Saturday April 7
5:30am: Dennis Hogan vs. Kilrain Kelly/Damien Hooper vs. Renold Quinlan (FREE Epicentre.tv)
9:00am: Adidas Wrestling Nationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: ASICS FloNationals (FloWrestling)
11:00am: Flo Reno Worlds (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Explosion Fight Night 8 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
2:30pm: Partouche Kickboxing Tour ($9.99 Fite.tv)
3:00pm: Lion Fight 41 (FloCombat)
6:00pm: Spartyka Fight League 33 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
6:15pm: UFC 223 Prelims (UFC Fight Pass)
7:00pm: UFC 223 Pre-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
7:00pm: Ricardo Mayorga vs. Rodolfo Gomez Jr./Israel Camacho vs. Jose Martinez ($19.99 Fite.tv)
7:00pm: Cage Wars 36 ($9.99 Fite.tv)
7:00pm: Evolution Fighting Championship 8: Battle For Blood II ($14.99 Fite.tv)
8:00pm: UFC 223 Prelims (Fox Sports 1)
10:00pm: UFC 223 ($64.99 Pay-Per-View)
10:00pm: Erislandy Lara vs. Jarrett Hurd/Caleb Truax vs. James DeGale (Showtime)
Sunday April 8
12:00am: X-1 49 ($14.99 Fite.tv)
1:00am: UFC 223 Post-Fight Show (Fox Sports 1)
1:15am: UFC 223 Post-Fight Press Conference (UFC Fight Pass)
9:00am: Adidas Wrestling Nationals (FloWrestling)
10:00am: ASICS FloNationals (FloWrestling)
1:00pm: Flo Reno Worlds (FloWrestling)
Top-10 Viewing Options: A man who, at long last, has crawled through the desert to find an actual by-god big fight weekend, only to have last-minute pullouts and Conor McGregor horseshit.
1. UFC 223: OH COME THE FUCK ON! Seriously, why weren’t these two being held in bubble wrap a week out before the biggest card of the year?!
2. Erislandy Lara vs. Jarrett Hurd/Caleb Truax vs. James DeGale: Two world title fights, one being a unification and one being the biggest upset of 2017’s rematch. This is an awesome card.
3. Bellator 196: Meh. Not even live. Scott couldn’t have a better option for Bendo than Roger Huerta? C’mon.
4. Bellator Kickboxing 9: Not live, but features a whole lot of A-side fighters and not much competition.
5. Lion Fight 41: Muay Thai Grand Prix is promoting this card, since it’s in England, as Lion Fight continues to branch out internationally. Miss you on Friday nights on AXS, bb.
6. CES MMA 49: Chris Curtis and Nate Andrews are both defending titles and are fun as hell to watch.
7. Titan Fighting Championship 49: No Shorty Torres, but a solid card, nonetheless.
8. Fight To Win Pro 68: After a fantastic card last week, F2W has not much to offer, but credit for expanding their territory.
9. X-1 49: X-1 is Hawaii’s premiere MMA org and has been for some time. If you’re jonesing for some more fighting after UFC 223, this could be your huckleberry.
10. WrestleMania 34: Yes, I have to sneak it in here, just for Styles vs. Nakamura, if nothing else. Oh, and for MMA fans, it features Brock and Ronda. But for real, Styles-Nakamura II.
Under The Radar: A few things to keep an eye on away from the headlines.
- Ricardo Mayorga fights this weekend! Yes, the former undisputed welterweight champion, who is a solid decade-and-a-half past his expiration date, attempts his lifelong goal of boxing an entire contest with a lit cigarette.
- On the opposite end of the spectrum, a fighter who’s just getting his career started, former Penn State All-Everything wrestler Ed Ruth competes in his fifth pro contest for Bellator, this Friday. He’s 4-0 with all four wins coming via KO/TKO and the future is astoundingly bright for Ruth.
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. Partouche 77kg Tournament [Partouche Kickboxing Tour]
4. 74kg Bout: Eder Lopes (10-2) vs. John Wayne Parr (99-32) [Bellator Kickboxing 9]
3. Women’s Featherweight Bout: Jorina Baars (40-0-3) vs. Julie Burton (7-1) [Bellator Kickboxing 9]
2. Muay Thai Grand Prix Welterweight Championship: Charlie Peters (c) vs. Saemapetch Fairtex [Muay Thai Grand Prix Presents Lion Fight 41]
1. Bellator Kickboxing Welterweight Championship: Raymond Daniels (c) (33-3) vs. Djibril Ehouo (38-9-2) [Bellator Kickboxing 9]
BOXING
5. WBO Oriental/WBO Intercontinental Junior Middleweight Championships: Dennis Hogan (c) (26-1-1) vs. Kilrain Kelly (c) (23-1)
4. Welterweight Bout: Emmanuel Medina (13-0) vs. Saul Corral (28-10) [Showtime Championship Boxing]
3. Junior Middleweight Bout: Julian Williams (24-1-1) vs. Nathaniel Gallimore (20-1-1) [Showtime Championship Boxing]
2. IBF World Super Middleweight Championship: Caleb Truax (c) (29-3-2) vs. James DeGale (23-2-1) [Showtime Championship Boxing]
1. WBA/IBF/IBO World Junior Middleweight Championships: Erislandy Lara (c) (25-2-2) vs. Jarrett Hurd (c) (21-0) [Showtime Championship Boxing]
MMA
5. Women’s Strawweight Bout: Felice Herrig (14-6) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (11-2) [UFC 223]
4. DEEP Strawweight Championship: Haruo Ochi (c) (16-7-2) vs. Yuya Shibata (14-5) [DEEP Cage Impact in Osaka 2018]
3. Lightweight Bout: Al Iaquinta (13-3-1) vs. Paul Felder (15-3) [UFC 223]
2. UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship: Rose Namajunas (c) (7-3) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (14-1) [UFC 223]
1. Vacant UFC Lightweight Championship: Khabib Nurmagomedov (25-0) vs. Max Holloway (19-3) [UFC 223]
GRAPPLING/WRESTLING
5. Heavyweight Black Belt Bout: Matt Godden vs. Neto Gomez [Fight To Win Pro 69]
4. 190lb Black Belt Bout: Dan Swift vs. Robert Henricksen [Fight To Win Pro 69]
3. 185lb Black Belt Bout: Cameron Knight vs. Dante Leon [Fight To Win Pro 69]
2. Purple Belt NoGi Bout: Jessica Eye vs. Tamara Leonard [Fight To Win Pro 69]
1. 180lb Black Belt NoGi Bout: Keith Miner vs. Vitor Oliveira [Fight To Win Pro 69]
Bold, Yet Probably Fruitless Predictions: A man who wanted big bets and who took a solid loss on them attempts to rebound, but more than likely, will plunge into the darkness never to come back. Anyway, to the bride and groom!
Best Fight of the Weekend: Al Iaquinta vs. Paul Felder
Most Underrated Fight of the Weekend: Haruo Ochi vs. Yuya Shibata
If My Life Depended on One Pick: Breidis Prescott over Segundo Herrera
Best Card Top-to-Bottom: UFC 223
Upset of the Week: Caleb Truax over James DeGale
Most Disappointing Fight of the Weekend: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Rose Namajunas
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