Boxing takes center stage on Saturday as the pugilist some believe is the greatest of all time, Vasiliy Lomachenko, takes on young rising superstar Teofimo Lopez. Also, even though Nick Saban tested positive for the coronavirus, the Alabama versus Georgia college football game is still on. Sunday brings us another NASCAR Playoff race as well as NFL Week 6. Check out what’s happening this weekend in sports!
Top Sports Events for This Weekend – Oct. 17 – Oct. 18
- When: Saturday, Oct. 17 – Sunday, Oct. 18
Saturday, Oct. 17
Soccer
Huge matches happen on Saturday. In the Premier League, Everton versus Liverpool and Arsenal against Manchester City are huge. Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton are in the Top 5. Make sure to check out those matches.
There are also a couple of fantastic matchups in Italian Serie A. Napoli battles Atalanta while AC Milan goes against Inter Milano. As on most Saturdays, the Bundesliga and La Liga have good games as well.
UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie
14-1 Brian Ortega takes on Chan “The Korean Zombie” Sung Jung on Saturday afternoon at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Although Sung Jung has the less stellar record at 16-5, he’s favored to beat Ortega. UFC Fight Night in the afternoon should be a great warm up to Lomachenko versus Lopez at night.
MLB Championship Series
If the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t step up on Friday, the Atlanta Braves will close them out in Game 5. If the Dodgers do win Friday’s matchup, the pennant race heads to a Saturday Game 6.
Over in the American League, the Astros must beat the Rays in Game 6 on Friday to force a Game 7. Friday’s pitchers are Framber Valdez for the Stros and Blake Snell for the Rays.
NCAAF Week 7
Decent games happen earlier in the day when Pittsburgh takes on #13 Miami and #15 Auburn battles South Carolina. All eyes, though, will be on Saturday night’s #3 Georgia versus #2 Alabama clash. Kick-off is at 8:00 pm ET. Make sure to check out the most important college football game of the year so far!
Boxing: Lomachenko vs. Lopez
If you never got into boxing, now’s your chance. Two of the top fighters on the planet enter the ring when 15-0 Teofimo Lopez tries to beat the undisputed pound-for-pound top boxer in the world, Vasiliy Lomachenko.
At just 14-1, Loma has secured his place as one of the greatest of all time. But Lomachenko is now 32-years-old and fights at Super Lightweight, well above his natural weight. Will the bigger man, Lopez, get to the great Lomachenko?
Sunday, Oct. 18
Soccer
It’s early, but Aston Villa is in second place in the English Premier League. Leicester City is in third place. That makes Aston Villa versus Leicester on October 18 a big matchup.
NASCAR: Hollywood Casino 400 – Kansas Speedway
Chase Elliott won last Sunday at Charlotte, bouncing Kyle Busch from the NASCAR Playoffs. The race at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 18 is the first of two in the Round of 8. The eight participating drivers are:
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Chase Elliott
5. Joey Logano
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Alex Bowman
8. Kurt Busch
Harvick and Hamlin look strong. Kevin is 13 points ahead of Denny while Hamlin is 19 points ahead of Brad Keselowski. Don’t forget that as long as a driver starts his engine in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville on Nov. 1 in the top four, the driver can win the championship.
MLB Championship Series
Should the Dodgers beat the Braves on Friday and Saturday, Game 7 happens on Sunday. That’s a big if because Atlanta manager Brian Snitker has made all the right moves.
NFL Week 6
Top games in NFL Week 6 include the reeling San Francisco 49ers against the Los Angeles Rams. The Niners must get back on the winning track. The Rams are a play away from being 5-0.
The other massive game includes a couple of future hall of fame quarterbacks. Led by Aaron Rodgers, the Green Packers hope to go to 5-0 against the 4-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Terrific Tom Brady.
On Monday, the NFL has two games, including Kansas City against Buffalo. That matchup kicks off at 2:00 pm ET followed by Arizona against Dallas in a game between two teams desperate for wins.