So far 2018 has seen it’s fare share of fun fight moments. There were Stipe Miocic’ record breaking 3rd title defense of the Heavyweight title and a potential fight of the year candidate between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier in the UFC. Bellator has gotten into the mix with a very entertaining tournament concept featuring the likes of Chael Sonnen, Fedor, and a very dangerous Ryan Bader. And Boxing is slowly resurrecting with bigger and better moments even though it continues to shoot itself in the foot with it’s inherent politics. For as many fights that have fallen through like GGG/Canelo 2, we have gotten moments like Deontay Wilder’s comeback TKO win over Luis Ortiz. The fight game is as exciting and deep as ever, but this is the time of year where a whole bunch of big fight gasoline is going to be tossed on top of the already steady flame. Welcome to big fight season!
When you think of summer blockbusters you often think of the silver screen being littered with superheroes and action stars. Those are only a part of the summer blockbuster equation. Summer is truly blockbuster when there are big fights. As June gets underway we are entering a portion of the calendar that is going to give us consistent big fight feel and it all starts this weekend with UFC 225 in Chicago.
On Saturday fight fans will be treated to two championship bouts. One features a classic rematch between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero. Whittaker had a health scare that threatened his title reign and at 41 with a loss to Whittaker already, Romero is getting what might be his last title shot. It’s redemption versus revenge and it all could be sealed with a bloody kiss after it is all said and done.
In addition to that fight we get a card featuring a former UFC women’s champion, a former UFC Heavyweight champion, and a former WWE champion! Plus a legitimate fight between a trash talker named Colby Covington who has belittled entire nations and his opponent Rafael Dos Anjos. This card is stacked and it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to big fight season!
In boxing on Saturday, Terence “Bud” Crawford gets into the ring with the man who beat Manny Pacquaio, the Aussie Jeff Horn. Bud Crawford is well known by boxing freaks by now, but he is on the verge of being a breakout superstar with his exciting style and perfect record. Moving up to 147lbs will set him up for super-stardom if he can deliver in Vegas on Saturday. Boxing is going to be on fire the next few weeks with Abner Mares vs. Leo Santa Cruz (called by Mauro Ranallo by the way), Tyson Fury’s return to the ring, and Manny Pacquaio’s next fight in Kuala Lumpur. Big fight season is not just restricted to the cage!
But the biggest fight of big fight season will happen in a cage in one month’s time. 2018’s gift to the super-fight super-freaks goes down on July 7th in Vegas when Lafayette’s own Daniel Cormier attempts to win the Heavyweight title from the most dominant champion UFC has ever had, Stipe Miocic. It is going to be historic, brutal, and most importantly; it is going to be big! Because this is big fight season, where the stakes are higher, the purses are fatter, and the hype is real!
– Alan Michael