The top 20 fights we want to see most in 2020

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury — heavyweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? Yes — February 22 in Las Vegas.

Why it's great: You want two near-giant heavyweights throwing leather in a 20-foot ring for one of the major championships in boxing? You got it, it's happening later this month, and Business Insider will be ringside.

The Las Vegas fight is a rematch from a 2018 bout which included Tyson Fury out-boxing Deontay Wilder for large stretches of the contest, two knockdowns scored by Wilder, and a disputed long count by the referee.

The result? A draw so contentious a second fight is required with the hope that, this time around, we get an answer to who really is the best heavyweight in world boxing today.

Daniel Dubois vs. Joe Joyce — heavyweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? Yes — April 11 in London.

Why it's great: It is a boon for heavyweight boxing that there is so much going on in the sport's glamour division.

An exciting heavyweight landscape is great for boxing as a whole, and in Daniel Dubois against Joe Joyce, the sport has two undefeated big men on the cusp of world title contention, putting their unbeaten records on the line at the 02 Arena — a venue which has fast developed into one of the planet's best buildings to watch fights in.

The winner could be thrust into high-profile fights against notable boxers like Adam Kownacki, Andy Ruiz Jr., and Joseph Parker, or even a world title shot against the winner from Oleksandr Uysk and Anthony Joshua's expected bout later this year.

Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson — a ONE Championship flyweight fight.

Is it confirmed? Yes — April 11 in Chongqing, China.

Why it's great: Demetrious Johnson was one of the most dominant athletes in all sports in the 2010s, and a long-reigning flyweight champion with the UFC.

But after he lost his title to Henry Cejudo in 2018 it was unclear where Johnson could go.

The American wrestler left UFC entirely, joined the Singapore-based firm ONE Championship instead, and by 2019 had won the Asian MMA company's flyweight Grand Prix.

He is now one fight away from becoming the outright flyweight champion at ONE, adding its championship belt to his UFC title.

All he has to do is beat the Brazilian jiu jitsu expert Adriano Moraes, who has been contesting ONE flyweight title fights since 2014, at the upcoming Reign of Dynasties show in China.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson — a lightweight UFC fight.

Is it confirmed? Yes — April 18 in Brooklyn.

Why it's great: Forget Conor McGregor's wildly-anticipated comeback recently, this bout in April, for the UFC lightweight championship, has all the makings to be the MMA bout of the year.

In Tony Ferguson, the unpredictable challenger, you have one of the most in-form athletes in all fight sports. He's on a 12-fight winning run and, with his expertise in boxing, Muay Thai, and jiu jitsu, he has managed to leave many of those opponents with faces which look like bloody messes.

Yes, Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the most dominant champions UFC has ever seen, but in Ferguson, the Russian wrestler has his greatest challenge ahead waiting to wrest the world title away from his waist.

Naoya Inoue vs. John Riel Casimero — bantamweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? Yes — April 25 in Las Vegas.

Why it's great: April is shaping up to be one wild month for combat sports as each weekend delivers a knockout punch, and Naoya Inoue against John Riel Casemiro is no different.

This bantamweight bout is a coming together of two champions in a fight to be the don of the entire 118-pound weight class.

Inoue, Business Insider's fourth-best boxer in the world right now, is a World Boxing Super Series champion and has been on a gauntlet run, battling through the toughest bantamweights in the world.

There's no let-up in the quality of Inoue's opponents as Casemiro, a champion in his own right, is on a high after knocking out Zolani Tete last year.

This is one for hardcore boxing fans and casual observers alike — a pure gunfight with high-powered alien rifles.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders — super middleweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No — but could land on May 2 in Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

Why it's great: Saul Alvarez is the best boxer in the world today, according to this Business Insider ranking of the sport's top 15 fighters. We also rated his 2019 as the second-best of all combat athletes, alongside the UFC fighters Israel Adesanya and Jorge Masvidal.

Alvarez is enjoying a Hall of Fame career before our eyes, beating credible opponents in multiple weight class at once, from middleweight to light heavyweight.

The super middleweight Billy Joe Saunders, a defensively brilliant Briton with that distinctive traveller boxing style, would provide an intriguing style match-up for Alvarez.

The very best Saunders, with his slickster skillset, could beguile Alvarez, while the very best Alvarez could body-shot Saunders like he's never been body-shot before. Count us in, with the possible date near the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.

Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje — a UFC welterweight fight.

Is it confirmed? No — but if McGregor, who has fought once already in 2020, wants to fight three times this year, he'll need to book his second bout before the summer.

Why it's great: Earlier this year, there were multiple opponents lining up to challenge Conor McGregor.

Jorge Masvidal was ever-present in Las Vegas ahead of McGregor's quick-fire win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, even though he wasn't competing at the event, and told Business Insider he'd put his "Baddest Mother F----" in the game belt on the line if McGregor put forward a stake in his Proper no. Twelve whiskey brand.

Manny Pacquiao's manager Sean Gibbons also helped spread rumors that Pacquiao and McGregor could headline the under construction 65,000 Allegiant Stadium in Vegas.

Those options are crumbling away. Masvidal is now challenging Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title, likely at UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas, which Business Insider will be attending, while Pacquiao has instead been linked with fights against Errol Spence Jr. and Danny Garcia, ESPN reports.

With Nurmagomedov already fighting Ferguson in April, McGregor will want to stay active while he waits to fight the winner.

There's an existing two-fight rivalry which will always have a trilogy option with Nate Diaz, but a bout — at lightweight or welterweight — against Justin Gaethje will provide fans, the media, and the industry at large with an all-action striking masterclass.

Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Teofimo Lopez — lightweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No — but Lopez has told Business Insider it could be made for May or June.

Why it's great: Vasyl Lomachenko is one of the most decorated boxers with two Olympic gold medals in an amateur career with a reported 396 wins against just one defeat. As a pro, he's been just as impressive having won world titles in three weight classes after just 15 fights.

The Ukrainian is blessed with extraordinary footwork, intuitive head and upper body movement, and is capable of firing off blistering combinations.

But one man unfazed by Lomachenko's accolades and skillset is thunderous puncher Teofimo Lopez, a 22-year-old American who told Business Insider recently that he's chasing the greatest challenges out there from a young age because he "ain't no b---."

Lopez said the fight date keeps getting pushed back and the bout is proving challenging to make even though both fighters are represented by Top Rank, but the fight could happen in May or June in New York, Las Vegas, or even Saudi Arabia.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence Jr. — welterweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Both athletes fight underneath the Premier Boxing Champions banner and are near opposite ends of their careers.

The 41-year-old Manny Pacquiao, the former champion of eight weight classes, remains in elite form having conquered Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman last year.

But Errol Spence Jr., 30, an unbeaten welterweight with 21 knockouts from 26 wins, has entered his prime and, if he's fully recovered after being ejected from his Ferrari in a high-speed crash last year, should provide Pacquiao with the sternest of tests.

A win for Spence Jr. could do for him what a win over Oscar de la Hoya did for Pacquiao in 2008 — catapult him into the mainstream sporting consciousness, while leaving the Filipino pondering how many fights he truly has left in him.

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter — welterweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: The veteran promoter Bob Arum, the founder of the Las Vegas-based fight firm Top Rank, told Business Insider last year that his former fighter Manny Pacquiao is avoiding his current client Terence Crawford.

Ranked as the fifth-best boxer on the planet by this publication, Crawford is one of the most gifted fighters in his sport with an extraordinary understanding of distance management, shot selection, and predatory finishing instincts.

What holds Crawford back is a win against an elite competitor. With a match against Pacquiao a non-starter according to Arum, a victory over a game Shawn Porter would become one of those wins against an elite competitor.

But a win is no foregone conclusion. Porter gave Errol Spence Jr. all kinds of hell in a 12-round nightmare which the latter narrowly escaped from, and is a boogeyman opponent at welterweight.

Jorge Masvidal vs. Kamaru Usman —a UFC welterweight fight.

Is it confirmed? Yes — likely in Las Vegas.

Why it's great: The UFC president Dana White told The Jim Rome Show last month that Jorge Masvidal will fight Kamaru Usman for the welterweight championship in Las Vegas, likely at UFC 252 when International Fight Week is held in the city in early July.

The match-up meshes Masvidal's brawling, TV-friendly style against Usman's expertise on the mat. Masvidal broke out onto the mainstream last year because of his Scarface-style clothing and quality striking, and his fame has never been higher.

Usman, meanwhile, has not lost since 2013 and won the UFC welterweight title after a unanimous decision win over Tyron Woodley in March, 2019. He followed that up by beating MAGA hat-wearing Colby Covington so bad in December that he broke the American's jaw, leaving it hanging off its hinges.

Cecilia Braekhus vs. Katie Taylor — women's catchweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Cecilia Braekhus fought on a Matchroom Sport event in a Monte Carlo casino in front of the Prince of Monaco late, last year.

But before her win over Victoria Bustos, she told Business Insider that she wanted to fight in front of Eddie Hearn so she could campaign for a shot against Hearn's golden girl, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten pro boxer Katie Taylor.

"I want people to demand to see Braekhus vs. Taylor next year," she told us.

Hearn told us it's a challenge he welcomes, providing Taylor, himself, and Braekhus' team can negotiate in which weight class the fight takes place, as Braekhus is the naturally bigger woman.

"The issue is that Katie Taylor is a lightweight, 135-pound. Braekhus is 147. We'd need to make a catchweight fight between them, so it's what weight you can agree on."

A fight between Braekhus and Taylor could deliver a megastar women's boxing has rarely ever had.

Gervonta Davis vs. Devin Haney — lightweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: We just want to see Gervonta Davis, 25, in a big fight.

At first, that could have been against Tevin Farmer, but the defensive wizard was unable to cast any spells in his latest bout, and lost to Joseph Diaz in Miami, last month.

But Davis is blessed to be competing in a deep division, and a fight against Devin Haney, 21, another young, unbeaten American, could produce a clear 135-pounder for the country to get behind.

The challenge getting these two fighters into the same ring is it would mean bringing two different factions together — Mayweather Promotions, who rep Davis, and Matchroom Boxing, who promote Haney.

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol — light heavyweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Hey kids, do you like violence?

If the answer is yes, then boy is Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol the fight for you, as it brings two monstrously skilled light heavyweights together.

The 35-year-old unified 175-pound champion Beterbiev has knocked out every opponent he's ever faced in a professional ring, while Bivol, a WBA light heavyweight world titlist since 2017, has a more cerebral approach.

Both are Russian. Both are undefeated. Both are champions. Somebody make them fight for our entertainment. Please?

Kenshiro Teraji vs. Hiroto Kyoguchi — flyweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Kenshiro Teraji vs. Hiroto Kyoguchi is one of the most anticipated all-Japanese fights in the Asian circuit, and should be appreciated by fans around the world.

In one corner you have Teraji, a 28-year-old nicknamed "The Amazing Boy" with a record of 17 wins (10 KOs), unbeaten, having reigned as a light flyweight champion since 2017.

In the other you have Kyoguchi, a 26-year-old with a record of 14 wins (9 KOs), unbeaten, having won championships at minimumweight and light flyweight.

Both athletes are on the cusp of pound-for-pound stardom, and victory for one could see him eventually talked about alongside other elite fighters like fellow Japanese fighter Naoya Inoue, weight-jumping maestro Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, and technically-brilliant Ukrainians — Oleksandr Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko.

Jon Jones vs. Israel Adesanya — a UFC light heavyweight fight.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Many are talking about the dominant light heavyweight Jon Jones moving up to heavyweight, so he can attempt to become a two-weight UFC champion should he beat Stipe Miocic.

Yes, that would be amazing. We agree. But that fight might be there for years. Should Jones move to heavyweight, it could be a one-way move. Remember how swole he looked when he was power-lifting? Add that to a heavyweight campaign, and it could be a struggle to return to the 205-pound limit.

So while a fight between Jones and the UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is hot, the UFC should capitalize on that.

Adesanya has the confidence and comic book striking of a young Conor McGregor when the Irishman was getting a promotional push back in the day, and a bout between the charismatic Nigerian king and the infamous American brings together two champions, two dominant fighters, where the winner is unclear.

Even UFC president Dana White said he is open to the idea of making that fight, according to MMA Fighting. And when White wants a fight, it more often than not ends up happening.

Jose Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor — super lightweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Like Naoya Inoue, Josh Taylor is a unified world champion in his weight class after surviving and thriving in the 2019 World Boxing Super Series.

The WBSS is one of the most gruelling and competitive tournaments in all combat sports and it does one amazing thing — bring contenders and champions together from one division, force them to fight, and anoint one clear ruler.

Taylor was that ruler in last season's super lightweight competition, but he cannot claim to be the undisputed champion in his division until he takes on Jose Ramirez, a 27-year-old American who is a unified super lightweight world champion in his own right, having beaten Maurice Hooker in style in his most recent title fight.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Weili Zhang — a UFC women's flyweight fight.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Valentino Shevchenko, the UFC flyweight champion, is already belittling the achievements of the UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang to the media.

Shevchenko said Zhang has more to prove before a super-fight between the two women's champions can really be talked about and made, MMA Fighting reports.

It is a fight Zhang has already mentioned, and, should both athletes keep winning, it may only be a matter of time before it is made.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor — a UFC lightweight fight.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: When UFC 246 was over, after Conor McGregor had beaten Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds without getting hit clean once, the UFC president Dana White sat down at his desk in the post-event press conference tent next to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and told the MMA media that Khabib Nurmagomedov was the next fight to make for the winner.

Nurmagomedov resoundingly beat McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018. He dropped him in the second round and submitted him in the fourth. The beating was so conclusive that it didn't really need a rematch …

… however, McGregor has expressed dissatisfaction with how the preparations for that fight, he was openly drinking alcohol in the weeks building up to the bout, and he appears as focused this year as he was in the years that led to his two-weight champion status.

Maybe a rematch is needed.

Hell, the fight would be so big it could probably fill the 65,000 Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and become the best-selling fight in combat sports history.

You're damn right it's a fight we want to see.

Anthony Joshua vs. Wilder/Fury winner — heavyweight boxing.

Is it confirmed? No.

Why it's great: Yes, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor 2 would easily be the most anticipated fight in all combat sports in 2020, should it be made.

But a bout between the winner of February's showdown between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, against the division's other champion, the three-belt titlist Anthony Joshua, is a showdown that has been in the works for years.

Wilder against Joshua in America is huge. Fury against Joshua in the UK is huge. There are no wrong answers here. Combat sports Gods, please make it happen.