| Adesanya vs. Romero |
Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush vs. Klose |
Jingliang vs. Magny |
Griffin vs. Oliveira |
|
|
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 28-16 |
 Adesanya (54%) |
 Weili (69%) |
 Dariush (55%) |
 Jingliang (58%) |
 Oliveira (77%) |
|
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 38-11  2017 Champion
|
 Romero |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
 Griffin |
|
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 37-12 |
Adesanya |
 Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 37-12 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
 Klose |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 37-12 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
 Magny |
Griffin |
|
Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 36-13 2019 Champion*
|
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 36-13 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Klose |
Magny |
Oliveira |
|
Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 36-13 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 36-13 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 35-14 2018 Champion
|
Adesanya |
Weili |
Klose |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 35-14 |
Adesanya |
Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Magny |
Oliveira |
|
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 34-15 |
Adesanya |
Weili |
Dariush |
Magny |
Griffin |
|
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 34-15 2014 Champion
|
Adesanya |
Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Magny |
Oliveira |
|
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 31-18 |
Romero |
Jedrzejczyk |
Dariush |
Jingliang |
Oliveira |
|
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 23-26 |
Romero |
Jedrzejczyk |
Klose |
Magny |
Oliveira |
The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week, and a pair of title fights are at the top of the bill.
UFC 248 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger Yoel Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). Adesanya is as much as a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s got a big lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers – only three of which are taking Romero in an upset.
The co-main event is another title fight. Women’s strawweight champ Zhang Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts her belt up for the first time when she takes on former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Zhang is a mild favorite, but she’s got a fairly significant 9-5 lead in the picks.
Also on the main card, Beneil Dariush (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) takes on Drakkar Klose (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is a -170 favorite, and he’s got a big 10-4 lead in the picks.
Li Jingliang (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) also is about a -170 favorite in his welterweight bout against Neil Magny (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC). That bout is our most contentious – Jingliang has just an 8-6 picks edge.
And to open the main card, Alex Oliveira (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is just a slight favorite over Max Griffin (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), but he’s got a big 11-3 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (54 percent), Weili (69 percent), Dariush (55 percent), Jingliang (58 percent) and Oliveira (77 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
