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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

UFC Fight Night 208 predictions: Who are we picking in big bouts in London?

Blaydes
vs.
Aspinall
Curtis
vs.
Hermansson
Leavitt
vs.
Pimblett
Gustafsson
vs.
Krylov
Goldy
vs.
McCann
Craig
vs.
Oezdemir
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
119-67
aspinall2022
Aspinall
(65%)
curtis2022
Curtis
(60%)
pimblett2022
Pimblett
(76%)
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
(63%)
mccann2022
McCann
(83%)
craig2022
Craig
(69%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
127-64
trophy copy 2018 Champion
blaydes2022
Blaydes
curtis2022
Curtis
leavitt2022
Leavitt
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
122-69
blaydes2022
Blaydes
curtis2022
Curtis
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
122-69
trophy copy 2014 Champion
blaydes2022
Blaydes
hermansson2022
Hermansson
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
120-71
aspinall2022
Aspinall
curtis2022
Curtis
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
120-71
blaydes2022
Blaydes
curtis2022
Curtis
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
119-72
aspinall2022
Aspinall
curtis2022
Curtis
leavitt2022
Leavitt
krylov2022
Krylov
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
114-77
blaydes2022
Blaydes
hermansson2022
Hermansson
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
oezdemir2022
Oezdeir
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
112-79
trophy copy 2017 Champion
blaydes2022
Blaydes
hermansson2022
Hermansson
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Nolan King
@mma_kings
112-79
blaydes2022
Blaydes
hermansson2022
Hermansson
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
oezdemir2022
Oezdeir
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
106-85
blaydes2022
Blaydes
curtis2022
Curtis
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
93-98
blaydes2022
Blaydes
curtis2022
Curtis
pimblett2022
Pimblett
gustafsson2022
Gustafsson
mccann2022
McCann
craig2022
Craig

The UFC is back in London just four months after its highly successful event there in March, and heavyweights are at the top of the lineup.

UFC Fight Night 208 takes place Saturday at The O2 in London. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, Curtis Blaydes (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) takes on Tom Aspinall (12-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) at heavyweight. Aspinall, from England, is a slight -145 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Blaydes is +115. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers mostly see it the other way. Blaydes has a big 9-2 advantage in the picks.

In the middleweight co-feature, Jack Hermansson (22-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) meets short-notice replacement Chris Curtis (29-8 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who stepped in for the injured Darren Till. The fight nearly is a pick’em at the betting window, but it’s Curtis with a 7-4 edge from our staff members.

Also on the main card, rising British star Paddy Pimblett (18-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) fights Jordan Leavitt (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at lightweight. Pimblett is a -270 favorite and has a big 9-2 picks lead.

Three-time light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson (18-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is back in the division after a one-fight stint at heavyweight in 2020. He is a +160 underdog against -210 favorite Nikita Krylov (27-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC). But despite the betting odds in Krylov’s favor, Gustafsson is a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

Our lone unanimous pick on the main card is another British fan favorite, Pimblett’s teammate Molly McCann (12-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC). She’s the main card’s biggest favorite at -420 for her women’s flyweight bout against Hannah Goldy (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), and she has a shutout in the picks at 11-0.

And to open the main card, Paul Craig (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) takes on former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir (17-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC), who is a -155 favorite. But despite that, +120 underdog Craig has a big 9-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Aspinall (65 percent), Curtis (60 percent), Pimblett (76 percent), Gustafsson (63 percent), McCann (83 percent) and Craig (69 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 208.

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