UFC 281 predictions: Who are we picking in the two title fights in New York?

	Adesanya vs. Pereira	Esparza vs. Weili	Chandler vs. Poirier	Edgar vs. Gutierrez	Hooker vs. Puelles
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 176-105	Adesanya (51%)	Weili (86%)	Poirier (69%)	Gutierrez (64%)	Hooker (55%)
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 187-99 2018 Champion	Adesanya	Weili	Poirier	Gutierrez	Puelles
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 180-106	Adesanya	Esparza	Poirier	Gutierrez	Puelles
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 179-107	Adesanya	Weili	Poirier	Gutierrez	Puelles
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 176-110	Adesanya	Weili	Poirier	Edgar	Hooker
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 175-111 2014 Champion	Adesanya	Weili	Poirier	Gutierrez	Puelles
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 173-113	Pereira	Weili	Chandler	Edgar	Hooker
Simon Samano @SJSamano 173-113	Pereira	Esparza	Poirier	Edgar	Puelles
Brian Garcia @thegoze 167-119 2017 Champion	Adesanya	Weili	Chandler	Gutierrez	Puelles
Nolan King @mma_kings 166-120	Adesanya	Weili	Poirier	Gutierrez	Hooker
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 157-129	Adesanya	Esparza	Chandler	Edgar	Puelles
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 140-146	Adesanya	Weili	Chandler	Gutierrez	Puelles

The UFC is back in the “Big Apple” with a pair of title fights at the top of the bill.

UFC 281 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who holds two wins over him in kickboxing. Adesanya is a -220 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Pereira is +170. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers largely are sticking with the champ at a big 9-2 clip.

In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champ Carla Esparza (19-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) defends the title for the first time in her second stint as champion when she meets former titleholder Zhang Weili (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC). Weili is the biggest favorite on the main card at 4-1 and has a big 8-3 picks lead.

Also on the main card, former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (23-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meets former UFC interim champ Dustin Poirier (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC). Poirier is more than a 2-1 favorite at the betting window and has a 7-4 edge in the picks.

Former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (24-10-1 MMA, 18-10-1 UFC) will fight for what is likely to be the final time when he takes on Chris Gutierrez (18-3-2 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) at bantamweight. Gutierrez is a -230 favorite and has a 7-4 picks lead.

And to open the main card, Dan Hooker (21-12 MMA, 11-8 UFC) takes on Claudio Puelles (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Hooker is the favorite at -165, but Puelles is bucking the betting trend and has a big 8-3 lead from our staff members.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (51 percent), Weili (86 percent), Poirier (6z9 percent), Gutierrez (64 percent) and Hooker (55 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.