When it comes to pure violence, this weekend’s combat sports events pack some serious punch. Why, you ask? From UFC’s marquee event in Miami to boxing’s grand spectacle in London, fans are going to witness some amazing showdowns on April 11-12. Honestly, it’d be hard for a fight fan to miss out on these action-packed events. So, without further ado, let’s check out the top 5 combat sports events that you cannot pass over.
UFC 327
Every time UFC moves to Miami, it brings some of its most exciting cards. Last year, UFC 314 featured the return of featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski, who faced Diego Lopes for the vacant 145 lbs belt. This year, the promotion has also scheduled a power-packed showdown for a vacant belt, and that fight has the potential to be the fight of the year.
After Alex Pereira relinquished the 205 lbs belt to chase the interim heavyweight belt vs Ciryl Gane at UFC White House, the UFC decided to put Jiri Prochazka vs Carlos Ulberg as the UFC 327 main event. Currently, the former light heavyweight champion is experiencing a resurgence in his career after losing to ‘Poatan’ for the second time at UFC 303. In two fights, Prochazka knocked out ex-champ Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 and then Khalil Rountree at UFC 320 to earn another title shot.
The Czech Republic native has proved that he’s still one of the best 205ers in the world. But in Miami, he will face a different threat in Carlos Ulberg, who belongs to the elite City Kickboxing team that has produced champions like Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya. Moreover, the Kiwi is also on a nine-fight winning streak, which makes the bout even more intriguing. However, the headliner isn’t the only fight that will interest fans.
Following the main event, the co-main event between Paulo Costa and Azamat Murzakanov will also draw massive attention. Both fighters exchanged heated words at the UFC 327 pre-fight presser, especially ‘Eraser,’ who seemed very aggressive. So, it will be interesting to see whether the Brazilian can back up his trash talk.
Last but not least, Hall of Famer Cub Swanson is all set to retire in Miami, and he aims to put on a show for the audience before laying down his gloves. After Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira fell through and was shifted to UFC 328 because of the champion’s injury, the change gave Swanson’s fight a spot on the main card, where he will face Nate ‘The Train’ Landwehr in his final UFC fight.
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If you’re wondering where to watch these amazing UFC fights, they are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ without any PPV charge. That said, after watching some MMA showdowns, some marquee boxing fights will definitely keep you hooked.
Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov
This weekend is definitely entertaining for MMA fans as UFC 327 will be happening. But boxing fans will also rejoice as ‘The Gypsy King’ will come out of retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
The 12-round heavyweight bout will mark the British superstar’s return to the ring after dropping two bouts against Oleksandr Usyk. Even though those defeats were tough for Tyson Fury, he took a 16-month break and went through family drama with his father, John Fury, who believes he’s not ready to face the Russian power puncher. Yet, it will be nothing but fascinating to see how Fury shrugs off his past losses and doubts to make a comeback.
Other than Fury vs Makhmudov’s heavyweight matchup, the April 11 boxing card will feature another super-showdown. Following the massive $15M Zuffa deal, Conor Benn will face Regis Prograis on the same event, and fans are intrigued to see how ‘The Destroyer’ performs under the new deal. The real question is: can he justify the $15M price tag?
Now, fans can watch these boxing fights unfold on Netflix, one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world.
PFL Chicago
For fans still craving more action after the main events, the PFL offers another compelling card this weekend in Chicago. This weekend, PFL has decided to go head-to-head with rival UFC and scheduled its Chicago event on April 11. Dana White’s promotion will likely command the most attention, as a UFC title is on the line. Still, some hardcore fans will at least take a look at the PFL Chicago main event.
At the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, ex-UFC fighter Sergio Pettis will be making his comeback in the cage. For those who don’t know, he was the Bellator bantamweight champion and is also the brother of ex-UFC 155 lbs champ Anthony Pettis. So, his name carries some weight.
After losing his belt to Patchy Mix at Bellator 301 and then suffering a defeat against Kyoji Horiguchi in Rizin 47, Sergio finally picked up his rhythm in PFL. ‘The Phenom’ dominated Raufeon Stots and Magomed Magomedov to show that he’s still one of the best 135 lbs fighters in the world. Facing him will be an undefeated prospect, Mitchell McKee (10-0), who will be making his PFL debut in Chicago.
Ahead of the event, many are calling it a “layup” fight for Sergio, but McKee trains at Kill Cliff, which is home to some of the best UFC fighters like Michael Chandler and Vicente Luque. So, he might just upset the crowd on April 11 with a shocking win. That said, you can watch PFL Chicago unfold on ESPN 2. Next? Let’s take a trip to Japan.
Rizin Landmark 13
Outside UFC and PFL, Rizin has been a really popular MMA league. Over the years, the promotion has produced several great UFC fighters like Jiri Prochazka, Manel Kape, and Kyoji Horiguchi. So, it’s definitely a popular platform to watch some captivating martial arts, and this week is no exception.
On April 11, Rizin Landmark 13 will be at Marine Messe Fukuoka Arena in Japan, and the headliner has a fascinating storyline bound by a thread of vengeance. The current Rizin featherweight champion, Razhabali Shaydullaev (17-0), is going to defend his belt against Yuta Kubo (5-2) in a much-anticipated rematch.
The rematch comes with a dose of controversy. While Shaydullaev has been busy winning the title and defending it twice since their first meeting, Kubo has only managed a single no-contest bout, making his immediate title shot a questionable booking by the promotion. To watch the event, fans need to purchase it on PPV.
That said, which event do you think has more hype this weekend?
