Romero vs. Lopez, Cyborg’s farewell and a hard-hitting UFC main event highlight a loaded combat sports weekend. Fight fans have plenty to choose from this week, with major boxing and MMA action packed into Friday and Saturday. From a welterweight world title fight in Las Vegas to Cris Cyborg’s final walk to the MMA cage, here are Fight Week’s five fights to watch this week.
1. Rolando “Rolly” Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez
Boxing – WBA Welterweight World Championship
Saturday, August 22 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Prime Video PPV / DAZN PPV
This is easily the most intriguing boxing matchup of the weekend.
WBA welterweight champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) makes his first title defense against former two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs). Lopez moves to 147 pounds looking to rebound from his January loss to Shakur Stevenson, while Romero enters with renewed momentum after his upset victory over Ryan Garcia.
The personalities alone will make fight week entertaining, but the styles could make the fight even better. Lopez is at his best when he can explode into range with fast combinations, while Romero possesses legitimate one-punch power.
Why watch: Two unpredictable fighters with real power, big personalities and plenty at stake.
2. Cris Cyborg vs. Ketlen Vieira
MMA – PFL Women’s Featherweight World Championship
Saturday, August 22 – Tampa, Florida
ESPN
One of the greatest fighters in women’s MMA history enters the cage for the final time.
Cris Cyborg (29-2, 1 NC) will defend her PFL featherweight championship against longtime UFC contender Ketlen Vieira (16-5) in the main event of PFL Tampa. Cyborg has announced that this will be the final MMA fight of her legendary career.
Vieira is no ceremonial retirement opponent. She owns victories over names including Holly Holm and Miesha Tate and will be trying to spoil Cyborg’s farewell while taking the PFL championship.
Cyborg enters looking for career MMA victory No. 30 and one final championship performance.
Why watch: Whatever happens, this is the end of an era in women’s MMA.
3. Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues
MMA – UFC Middleweight Main Event
Saturday, August 22 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
Paramount+
If you want a fight that could turn into controlled chaos, this may be the one.
UFC middleweights Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez and Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues headline the UFC’s return to Sacramento in a five-round matchup.
Hernandez brings relentless pressure, wrestling and grappling, while Rodrigues is dangerous on the feet and capable of ending a fight quickly. Rodrigues enters on a three-fight winning streak, while Hernandez will be looking to rebound and re-establish himself near the top of the 185-pound division.
Why watch: Pressure wrestler versus dangerous knockout puncher — and five rounds to settle it.
4. Amanda Serrano vs. Lucrecia Manzur
Boxing – Unified Featherweight Championship
Friday, August 21 – Pechanga Resort Casino, Temecula, California
TikTok
Amanda Serrano (49-4-1, 32 KOs) returns to defend her WBA and WBO featherweight titles against Argentina’s Lucrecia Manzur (14-4, 7 KOs).
There is also a little history attached to this one. The fight is scheduled for 12 two-minute rounds, and the event will stream on TikTok, giving one of boxing’s biggest female stars a potentially enormous new audience.
Serrano tied Christy Martin’s women’s boxing knockout record with her 32nd stoppage in May. One more knockout would give her the record outright.
Why watch: Serrano is chasing another piece of boxing history — and she rarely approaches a fight conservatively.
5. Reinier de Ridder vs. Roman Dolidze
MMA – UFC Light Heavyweight Bout
Saturday, August 22 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
Paramount+
This might be the weekend’s sleeper.
Former ONE Championship two-division champion Reinier de Ridder (21-4) meets Roman Dolidze (15-5) as both fighters return to the 205-pound light heavyweight division.
De Ridder made an immediate impact after entering the UFC, putting together four straight wins that included victories over Bo Nickal and former UFC champion Robert Whittaker. After consecutive setbacks at middleweight, “The Dutch Knight” is moving back up in weight.
Dolidze is doing the same — and he has already gone 3-0 in UFC light heavyweight bouts, including a victory over former title challenger Anthony Smith.
Both men desperately need a statement win, which makes this an especially interesting matchup.
Why watch: Two dangerous grapplers moving to 205 pounds with plenty to prove.
Fight Week’s Weekend Must-Watch
If you only have time for one fight, Romero vs. Lopez gets the nod. There are too many questions surrounding both fighters to miss it.
But Cyborg vs. Vieira may be the fight people remember years from now. Cyborg has been part of elite MMA for nearly two decades, and Saturday night is scheduled to be her final appearance inside the cage.
And don’t overlook Hernandez vs. Rodrigues. On pure action potential, the UFC Sacramento main event could steal the weekend.
Fight Week will have coverage of the biggest boxing and MMA action throughout the week.
