Next Saturday, July 19, is shaping up to be a memorable day filled with fights for combat sports fans everywhere.
It sometimes can happen where fight cards will be stacked on top of one another on the same day, or even go head-to-head with each other. But only every so often do we get a day where fights will happen from one card to another throughout the day — and only every so often do we have a day of fights that are either heavily promoted, see titles on the line, or are all meaningful otherwise in some shape or way.
We know for the obsessed fight fan that wants to see everything, a day like July 19 can be overwhelming in trying to figure out what’s going on, what’s important, and, more importantly, when and where to watch.
Well, we here at MMA News are designing this guide here to help you put your feet up, grab your favorite foods and drinks, and watch all the action go down — from the first bell to the last!
Everything Fight Fans Need To Know For July 19
On July 19, the UFC and PFL will both be hosting heavily promoted cards, and the boxing world will feature a highly-anticipated title fight and the return of a legend.
Here are — in order from the start of the day to the end — all the events going down on July 19, as well as when they start, where you can watch them, and what you need to know.
PFL Cape Town
Start Time: 10 am ET/7 am PT (Champions Series bouts will start at approx. 2 pm ET/11 am PT)
Where To Watch: PFL App (PFL Africa 1) & ESPN+ (PFL Champions Series 2)
After years of waiting, a major MMA player finally makes its way to the continent of Africa, as the PFL will host its first-ever event there with PFL Cape Town at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.
With the Bellator brand officially no more, Johnny Eblen — still considered one of the best talents in the sport outside of the UFC — will defend the newly-named PFL middleweight championship in the main event of the evening against Costello Van Steenis. Van Steenis comes into this title shot off a 2024 campaign that saw him submit Gregory Babene with a Von Flue choke at the Bellator Champions Series card in Paris and a 48-second head-kick knockout of Joao Vitor Dantas at the 2024 PFL World Championships.
Dakota Ditcheva, the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight champion and 2023 PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion, returns in the co-main event, taking on Sumiko Inaba. The main card will also feature former Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson in action at heavyweight against 2024 PFL heavyweight champ Denis Goltsov, as well as former Bellator featherweight champion AJ McKee taking on Akhmed Magomedov.
Before the five-fight Champions Series card, PFL Africa will host its first event, featuring first-round tournament matchups at heavyweight and bantamweight.
KSW 108
Start Time: 12pm ET/9am PT
Where To Watch: KSWTV.com
KSW gets a piece of the July 19 action, too, presenting KSW 108 from the Hala Urania in Olsztyn, Poland. Two noteworthy European featherweight up-and-comers do battle in the main event, as Adam Soldaev takes on Leo Brichta. Ibragim Chuzhigaev and Marcin Wรณjcik face off in the light heavyweight co-main event.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 — Undisputed Heavyweight Title Fight
Start Time: 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT (Main event ring walks expected, per DAZN, approx. 4:50pm ET/1:50pm PT)
Where To Watch: DAZN PPV
For just the second time in the four-belt era of boxing, there will be an undisputed heavyweight champion, as WBA/WBC/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk faces IBF champion Daniel Dubois.
Having been an undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, Usyk is just one of three male boxers to win four-belt undisputed gold in two weight classes. He became the first four-belt heavyweight undisputed champion when he defeated Tyson Fury in their first encounter in May 2024 — also becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion overall since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
With a win in this fight, Usyk would further cement his history by reclaiming the title of undisputed champion of heavyweight boxing; however, he’ll have to get past a familiar foe in Dubois.
The two first met in August 2023, with Usyk winning by ninth-round knockout to retain the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. The fight wasn’t without controversy, however, as Dubois and his team have disputed a fifth-round low blow call thrown by Dubois was a legal shot.
Usyk’s reign as undisputed champion only lasted about a month, as the IBF stripped him of the title as he pursued a rematch with Fury, which Usyk went on to win this past December. That opened the door for Dubois to be promoted from interim to full-time IBF heavyweight champion.
Dubois — also a former WBA (Regular) heavyweight champion — had won the interim IBF heavyweight belt in June 2024 with an eighth-round stoppage win over Filip Hrgoviฤ. He has since successfully defended the IBF world title once, scoring a fifth-round knockout of former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua this past September.
UFC 318
Start Time: Early Prelims start at 6pm ET/3pm PT. TV prelims start at 8pm ET/5pm PT. PPV Main Card begins at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
Where To Watch: Early Prelims available on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. TV Prelims available on ESPN and ESPN+. Main Card available on ESPN+ PPV.
For the final time in his illustrious career, “The Diamond” will make his way to the Octagon — and he’ll do so in front of a hometown crowd.
UFC 318’s main event will be a BMF title fight between defending champion Max Holloway and challenger Dustin Poirier, the latter of whom will be retiring following this event.
This is the third encounter between the two men. They first met in February 2012 at UFC 143 — Holloway’s UFC debut and just his fifth professional MMA fight. Poirier scored a first-round submission of Holloway. The two would then go on to have lengthy, successful careers before they met a second time at UFC 236. This time, interim UFC lightweight gold would be on the line (it was first UFC fight at lightweight for Holloway, who was the reigning featherweight champion at the time), and Poirier won an entertaining battle by decision.
Since then, Holloway has dropped the featherweight title but remained one of the UFC’s most entertaining and winning fighters. Poirier has fallen short three times of becoming undisputed lightweight champion, but he picked up career wins in 2021 by scoring a pair of finishes over rival Conor McGregor. Both men, in fact, come into this fight off unsuccessful title shots, with Poirier losing to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 and Holloway losing to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308.
The BMF belt was established for Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019 but has since gone on to be occasionally defended like UFC’s sanctioned titles. Justin Gaethje knocked out Poirier to win the belt at UFC 291 in July 2023 but was knocked out in highlight fashion by Holloway for the title at UFC 300.
Mario Barrios vs. Manny Pacquiao — WBC Welterweight Championship
Start Time: 8pm ET/5pm PT
Where To Watch: Prelims available on Amazon Prime Video. Main Card available on PBC PPV on Amazon Prime Video & PPV providers
Whereas we say goodbye to one combat legend in Poirier, another legend makes his return. Legendary boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title.
This will be Pacquiao’s first fight since losing a WBA welterweight title fight with Yordenis Ugรกs in August 2021. Barrios won the WBC interim title by defeating Ugรกs in September 2023. He retained the interim gold against Fabian Maidana and was promoted to full-time champion not long after. He defended the title once this past November, battling Abel Ramos to a draw.
The co-main event will feature Sebastian Fundora defend the WBC and WBO super welterweight titles against Tim Tszyu.
The card will feature three prelims, topped by the return of Gary Russell Jr. against Hugo Castaneda.
Bonuses For The Mega Fans!
If you’re just that fight fan that wants to soak up every minute and all the action, we’ve got some bonus bones being thrown your way!
In addition to all the pre-fight festivities surrounding the fight cards, action gets underway on Thursday, July 17, when UFC Fight Pass airs Tuff-N-Uff 146 at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The main event will see Jamie Siraj take on Marlon Gonzales in a featherweight matchup. The card will also see Leon Shahbazyan, a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus and the brother of UFC fighter Edmen Shahzabyan, in action against Aaron Phillips.
Combate Global will also hold on card on Thursday, July 17, in Miami. The main event will see Jaden Ortega in welterweight action against Ivan Castillo. The event will air starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT on Combate Global’s YouTube channel. Those in the US with Samsung TV Plus can watch the action there as well.
A pair of regional promotions will also hold events on Friday, July 18, as CFFC 144 goes down in Tampa, Florida, and Fury FC 106 takes place in New Orleans. CFFC 144 will be headlined by Auttumn Norton defending the CFFC bantamweight title against Emily Martins and Sean Mora facing Mark Grey for the vacant bantamweight title. Fury FC, meanwhile, will be headlined by Junior Maranhรฃo taking on Artur Minev. Both cards can be watched on UFC Fight Pass.
