Friday, August 20
ESPN+, 12:00 pm ET, Ali Baloyev vs Rolly Lambert Fogoum. This was originally supposed to be headlined by a vacant IBF 130 lb title fight between Shavkat Rakhimov and Kenichi Ogawa, but with that bout postponed, the card goes on. Baloyev was born in Kyrgyzstan, represents Kazakhstan, lives in Las Vegas, and here headlines in Dubai. This isn’t much of a show without its original main event, in all honesty, but John will be here with live coverage and those of you watching will have a place to shoot the shoot. Bad Left Hook will have live coverage.
BKTV or PPV, 7:00 pm ET, BKFC 20: Bedford vs Barnett. It’s a BKFC card, they’re all pretty fun to watch, it has a good main event between Johnny Bedford and Reggie Barnett for the bantamweight championship. I’m not sure I’ll watch. As much as I like the fights, my distaste for the bogus, repetitive, pro wrestling theatrics has worn on me a fair bit. If I wanted to watch repetitive pro wrestling theatrics I’d just watch WWE, and if I wanted to watch bad edgelord promos alongside my blood I’d watch GCW. But there’s certainly a chance I’ll wind up tuning in, because I do always — literally always — like the bulk of the fights on every show. Bad Left Hook might have live coverage.
UFC Fight Pass, 11:00 pm ET, Kali Reis vs Diana Prazak, Jessica Camara vs Victoria Bustos. Broadway Boxing is back from that great Broadway location, Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California. Reis is defending her WBA 140 lb belt, and Camara-Bustos is for the vacant WBO belt at the same weight.
Saturday, August 21
PPV, 9:00 pm ET, Manny Pacquiao vs Yordenis Ugas. Well, it’s not Pacquiao-Spence, but it’s still a good fight. A really good fight, actually, for a 42-year-old Manny Pacquiao, who gets another chance to win another welterweight title against Ugas, no joke of an opponent. The undercard has a Victor Ortiz-Robert Guerrero matchup, a pivotal bout for both here in 2013, plus Mark Magsayo vs Julio Ceja and Carlos Castro vs Oscar Escandon. In all honesty, there have been worse PPV undercards, and recently. Bad Left Hook will have live coverage.