Darren Stewart – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Déjà vu at UFC Fight Night 187 as illegal knee stops fight for second consecutive week

Again!? This time it was Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart being ruled a no contest.

For the second consecutive week, a UFC fight ended because of an illegal knee.

One week after the UFC 259 bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan ended in a disqualification, Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 187 main card opener between [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] and [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] was declared a no contest midway through Round 1. Both fights were stopped by the referee due to a knee to the head of a downed opponent.

The sequence that led up to the stoppage Saturday consisted of a heavy onslaught attack by Anders, who had Stewart hurt on the ground. Stewart worked his way back to his feet only to be tossed down again. As Anders stepped over his opponent and looked for openings, Stewart got up to one knee against the cage with his hand still on the canvas. That’s when Anders hit him with a knee to the side of the head, which was partially blocked by Stewart.

After an illegal knee, the Anders-Stewart bout has been stopped. #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/kcmL95imP5

— UFC (@ufc) March 14, 2021

So why was the fight declared a no content and not a disqualification? According to UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner, the difference between Sterling-Yan and Stewart-Anders was simply the referee’s ruling of the knee itself.

During the UFC 259 title fight between Sterling and Yan, referee Mark Smith deemed the fight-ending blow intentional – causing it to be ruled a disqualification. On Saturday, referee Herb Dean declared Anders’ knee unintentional.

“It’s a referee judgment. That’s the bottom line,” Ratner said backstage at the UFC Apex. “It’s up to him, and if he reads intent into it, and there’s this foul that stops the fight, then he can call it intentional. It’s the referee’s decision.”

If the fight had already hit the third round, the bout would’ve gone to the judges’ scorecards. However, the fight-ending blow took place midway through Round 1, so a no contest was the right call, according to Ratner.

Check out Ratner’s explanation below (via Twitter):

https://twitter.com/oscarswillis/status/1370912714072068098?s=20

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UFC on ESPN+ 51: Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 51 fight between Eryk Anders and Darren Stewart, with MMA odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a middleweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Eryk Anders and Darren Stewart meet at UFC on ESPN+ 51 – also known as UFC Fight Night 187 or UFC Vegas 21 – at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The early prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and then the main card on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET Below, we analyze the UFC on ESPN+ 51 odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

Stream UFC on ESPN+ 51 on ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC on ESPN+ 51 Anders vs. Stewart: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:09 a.m. ET.

Fight result (2-way line): Anders +150 (bet $100 to win $150) | Stewart -185 (bet $185 to win $100)
Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -225 | Under +185)
Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -190 | No +160)

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UFC on ESPN+ 51 Anders vs. Stewart: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Records: Anders 13-5 | Stewart 12-6

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

The underdog Anders (+150) is looking to bounce back after a unanimous-decision loss to Krzysztof Jotko last time out on May 16, 2020, and he is just 2-4 across the past six outings. Meanwhile, Stewart (-185) is looking to rebound from a split-decision loss to Kevin Holland on Sept. 19, 2020. Both fighters will be hungry and trying to avoid a two-bout losing skid.

Both fighters are pretty even in the significant strikes landed per minute category, with Stewart holding a slight 3.08-to-3.02 edge in that category, with the accuracy difference rather negligible. Both are also fairly even in the takedown average and accuracy departments, as well as submission average. As a result, “Ya Boi” ANDERS (+150) is the much better value here.

Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Over/Under (O/U)

Five of the past six pro fights for Stewart have ended up needing the judges to decide a winner, with two wins in those five decisions with one submission win along the way.

For Anders, he has had just one stoppage in the past five bouts. That’s why the odds are so skewed favor of the fight going the distance.

The best bet here, based upon both fighters going the distance so frequently lately, is playing YES (-190) ON ‘WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?’.

For an added bonus, play ANDERS BY DECISION (+300) for a small-unit wager and good value.

To watch the early prelims and prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.

Want some action on UFC on ESPN+ 51? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

MMA Junkie:

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

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UFC Fight Night 187 predictions: Edwards or Muhammad in welterweight showdown?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC Fight Night 187 main card, featuring Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad.

	Edwards vs. Muhammad	Cirkunov vs. Spann	Ige vs. Tucker	Grant vs. Martinez	Kape vs. Nicolau	Anders vs. Stewart
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 18-15	Edwards (68%)	Cirkunov (51%)	Ige (65%)	Martinez (72%)	Nicolau (50.1%)	Stewart (61%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 25-13 2020 Champion	Edwards	Cirkunov	Ige	Martinez	Nicolau	Stewart
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 24-14 2018 Champion	Muhammad	Spann	Tucker	Martinez	Nicolau	Stewart
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 24-14	Edwards	Cirkunov	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Stewart
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 23-15 2017 Champion	Edwards	Cirkunov	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Anders
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 23-15	Edwards	Spann	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Stewart
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 23-15	Muhammad	Spann	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Anders
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 22-16	Edwards	Cirkunov	Ige	Martinez	Nicolau	Stewart
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 21-17	Edwards	Cirkunov	Ige	Martinez	Nicolau	Stewart
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 20-18	Muhammad	Cirkunov	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Stewart
Simon Head @simonhead 2021: 20-18 2019 Champion*	Edwards	Spann	Ige	Grant	Nicolau	Stewart
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 20-18 2014 Champion	Edwards	Spann	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Anders
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 19-19	Edwards	Spann	Ige	Martinez	Kape	Stewart
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 18-20	Muhammad	Spann	Tucker	Martinez	Nicolau	Anders

[mm-video type=video id=01f0hb62h65qrhvz9p playlist_id=01eqvpne7c1q486dvv player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f0hb62h65qrhvz9p/01f0hb62h65qrhvz9p-d33788b43a69371a3c1797b8a720347f.jpg]

The UFC stays on its home turf in Las Vegas this week with a welterweight clash atop the bill.

UFC Fight Night 187 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

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

Get action on UFC Fight Night 187: Place your legal, online bets in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV at BetMGM Sportsbook. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet. Bet now!

In the main event, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) takes on replacement opponent [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) at welterweight. Edwards is a -275 favorite at BetMGM, and he has a 9-4 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Misha Cirkunov[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meets [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at light heavyweight. Cirkunov is a slim -125 favorite, but it’s Spann with a 7-6 edge in the picks.

It’s a close fight from a betting perspective between featherweights [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) with Ige a -155 favorite. But he has a big 11-2 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is the main card’s biggest favorite at -300 at bantamweight against [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC). He’s also the biggest favorite from our staff pickers, near unanimous at 12-1.

[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is a -140 favorite at flyweight against [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (15-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), and he’s got just a narrow 7-6 edge in our picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC) is a -185 favorite at middleweight against [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), and he’s got a big 9-4 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Edwards (68 percent), Cirkunov (51 percent), Ige (65 percent), Martinez (72 percent), Nicolau (50.1 percent) and Stewart (61 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC Fight Night 187: Darren Stewart media day interview

UFC Fight Night 187: Make your predictions for Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 187 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC Fight Night 187 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC Fight Night 187 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

UFC books Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart for March 13 event

The middleweight fight will be on the undercard of the event headlined by Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards.

Middleweights are the latest addition to the UFC’s March 13 card.

Former University of Alabama linebacker and LFA champion [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] will return to action to face the United Kingdom’s [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] at the UFC Fight Night card. The event does not currently have a publicly known location or venue.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Anders (13-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) has won two of his most recent three fights. Following wins over Vinicius Moreira and Gerald Meerschaert, Anders lost a unanimous decision to Krzysztof Jotko in May.

Stewart (12-6 MMA, 5-6 UFC) has won three of five outings entering the fight – but also dropped two of his most recent three. He most recently competed in September 2020 when he lost a unanimous decision to Kevin Holland.

The updated UFC Fight Night lineup for March 13 includes:

Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Davey Grant vs. Jonathan Martinez
Matthew Semelsberger vs. Jason Witt
Jinh Yu Frey vs. Gloria de Paula
Ciryl Gane vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Ryan Hall vs. Dan Ige
Matheus Nicolau vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart

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Darren Stewart not UFC’s only dentist: Khamzat Chimaev ‘took a filling out of my tooth’

Count middleweight Darren Stewart among those who believe Khamzat Chimaev could be the next big thing in the UFC.

Count middleweight [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] among those who believe [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] could be the next big thing in the UFC.

During a recent interview with the “AbzTalks,” Stewart shared details of a prior training session with the fast-rising Chechen contender, in which “The Dentist” says he was actually the recipient of some unplanned dental procedures, courtesy of Chimaev.

“I know people sit there and say he hasn’t fought certain people,” Stewart said of Chimaev. “He hasn’t yet. But look here, bro, the guy took a filling out of my tooth, just by cranking my neck.

“He’s so strong, bruv. You could sit there and say, ‘It’s not about strength,’ and this. Brother, he’s so technical and so strong.”

Chimaev, of course, is one of the UFC’s breakout stars of 2020, picking up dominant wins over Gerald Meerschaert, Rhys McKee and John Phillips in a span of just a little over two months.

Stewart spent time at Allstars Gym in Sweden ahead of Chimaev’s octagon debut, so he had a preview of what was to come.

“I was grappling with him, and my ear ripped,” Stewart said. “Then he had to come put tape around my head. It was mad.”

Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is slated to face perennial welterweight contender Leon Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), currently sitting at No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, in the main event of an upcoming UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi.

Like Stewart, “Rocky” also lives and trains in the U.K. Their paths haven’t crossed in the gym, but Stewart said he respects Edwards and has heard nothing but good things about his abilities, including from Edwards’ brother, current Bellator contender Fabian Edwards.

“I’m not saying Leon can’t beat him,” Stewart said. “We haven’t seen him fight people like that. … It’s going to be a good one.”

Meanwhile, Stewart (12-6-1 MMA, 5-6-1 UFC) also wants to make it clear that it wasn’t all one-way traffic when he was on the mats with Chimaev.

“Not like I didn’t give him back nothing,” Stewart said. “I’m not saying he beat me up. I gave it back to him.”

That said, Stewart wants to make it very clear if you choose to write off Chimaev at this point in his career, you do so at your own risk.

“I’ve seen what he does,” Stewart said. “He’s not a guy to mess with. But in this game, yeah, MMA is MMA, and anything can happen. So I’ve heard from Fabian that Leon is a bad man, and I’ve seen that Khamzat is a bad man, so it’s going to be a good matchup.

“The unfortunate thing is (Chimaev) hasn’t fought no one, but then what do you want him to do? You can only fight who’s in front of you, so yeah, I’m looking forward to that one.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OYzroBMgh/

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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UFC on ESPN+ 36 medical suspensions: Tyron Woodley, Sarah Alpar, two others face 180-day terms

Three main card fighters and one prelim fighter are facing lengthy suspensions.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] is among four fighters facing potential 180-day medical suspensions as a result of damage sustained at UFC on ESPN+ 36 on Saturday.

Woodley suffered a rib injury in the fifth round of his main event fight against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], which resulted in a TKO. Monday, Woodley revealed his ribs were broken earlier in the fight and shifted on a fifth-round guillotine choke submission attempt, which led to the finish.

On Tuesday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.

Joining Woodley on the list of UFC on ESPN+ 36 fighters facing potential six-month suspensions is co-headliner [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag], who fought to a draw with [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]. Price may have suffered a serious injury to his right hand, according to the medical records.

[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag], who was submitted by [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] via armbar in the first round of their main card fight, injured her elbow and will need clearance to compete before her 180-day term is up.

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Preliminary card fighter and UFC debutant [autotag]Sarah Alpar[/autotag] suffered a nasal fracture as a result of damage sustained against [autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]. The finish garnered attention from many reporters and viewers alike, including UFC president Dana White. Midway through Round 3, referee Chris Tognoni stopped the fight for a legal knee. The action resumed, but Alpar was finished with strikes shortly thereafter.

Alpar has also been suspended 180 days – or until a doctor grants her clearance.

Below is the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 36 medical suspensions:

Colby Covington: No suspension.
Tyron Woodley: Suspended 180 days or until left costochondral tear is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
Donald Cerrone: No suspension.
Niko Price: Suspended 180 days or until right hand X-ray is cleared by an orthopedic doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
Mackenzie Dern: No suspension.
Randa Markos: Suspended 180 days or until left elbow is cleared by doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left eyebrow laceration.
[autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag]: Suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to right foot pain.
[autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: Suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left tibia contusion.
[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Mara Borella[/autotag]: No suspension.
Jessica-Rose Clark: No suspension.
Sarah Alpar: Suspended 180 days or until nasal fracture is cleared by ENT doctor; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 15 days.
[autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]T.J. Laramie[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days due to left eye laceration.
[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to facial lacerations.
[autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to facial abrasions.
[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: No suspension.
[autotag]Jerome Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.

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UFC on ESPN+ 36 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone gets highest payout

UFC on ESPN+ 36 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 36 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $169,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN+ 36 took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 36 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]: $20,000
vs. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]David Dvorak[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mirsad Bektic[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mara Borella[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Jessica-Rose Clark[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sarah Alpar[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]TJ Laramie[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Journey Newson[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jerome Rivera[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

“UFC on ESPN+ 36: Covington vs. Woodley” – $169,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 35: Waterson vs. Hill” – $137,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 34: Overeem vs. Sakai” – $82,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 33: Smith vs. Rakic” – $158,000
“UFC on ESPN 15: Munhoz vs. Edgar” – $88,000
“UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3” – $201,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 32: Lewis vs. Oleinik” – $162,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 31: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan” – $103,500
“UFC on ESPN 14: Whittaker vs. Till” – $209,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 30: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2” – $165,000
“UFC on ESPN 13: Kattar vs. Ige” – $97,000
“UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal” – $305,500
“UFC on ESPN 11: Blaydes vs. Volkov” – $178,500
“UFC on ESPN 10: Eye vs. Calvillo” – $95,000
“UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer” – $266,000
“UFC on ESPN 9: Woodley vs. Burns” – $114,500
“UFC on ESPN 8: Overeem vs. Harris” – $184,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 29: Smith vs. Teixeira” – $166,000
“UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje” – $305,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 28: Lee vs. Oliveira” – $209,500
“UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero” – $257,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 27: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo” – $119,500
“UFC on ESPN+ 26: Felder vs. Hooker” – $130,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 25: Anderson vs. Blachowicz 2” – $186,500
“UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes” – $243,000
“UFC on ESPN+ 24: Blaydes vs. Dos Santos” – $169,000
“UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy” – $165,000

Year-to-date total: $4,598,500
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $35,603,000

UFC on ESPN+ 36 predictions: Can Tyron Woodley be great again and upset Colby Covington?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 36 main card in Las Vegas, featuring Colby Covington vs. Tyron Woodley.

	Covington vs. Woodley	Cerrone vs. Price	Chimaev vs. Meerschaert	Spann vs. Walker	Dern vs. Markos	Holland vs. Stewart
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 99-62	Covington (69%)	Price (52%)	Chimaev (78%)	Walker (62%)	Dern (79%)	Holland (79%)
Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 108-53	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Walker	Dern	Holland
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 107-54	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Spann	Markos	Holland
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 107-54	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Spann	Dern	Holland
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 105-56 2017 Champion	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Walker	Dern	Holland
Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 105-56 2019 Champion*	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Walker	Dern	Holland
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 104-57	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Walker	Dern	Holland
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 104-57	Covington	Cerrone	Chimaev	Spann	Dern	Holland
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 102-59 2014 Champion	Covington	Cerrone	Chimaev	Spann	Dern	Holland
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 100-61	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Spann	Dern	Holland
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 98-63	Covington	Price	Chimaev	Walker	Dern	Holland
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 98-63 2018 Champion	Woodley	Cerrone	Chimaev	Spann	Dern	Holland
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 97-64	Covington	Cerrone	Chimaev	Spann	Dern	Holland
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 95-66	Covington	Cerrone	Chimaev	Walker	Dern	Stewart
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 69-92	Woodley	Cerrone	Meerschaert	Spann	Markos	Stewart

The UFC wraps up its lengthy Las Vegas run this week with a heated grudge match atop the bill.

UFC on ESPN+ 36 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former interim welterweight champion [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) takes on former welterweight champ [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC). Covington is more than a 3-1 favorite, and 12 of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are picking him to win.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) meets [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at welterweight. Price is a slight favorite in the fight, but he has just an 8-6 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (31-13 MMA, 6-5 UFC) at middleweight looking for his third UFC win in a little more than two months. Chimaev is the biggest favorite on the main card at -450, and only one of our pickers is taking Meerschaert in an upset.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 4-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at light heavyweight. And though Walker is a slight favorite, it’s Spann with an 8-6 picks lead.

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is favored over [autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag] (10-8-1 MMA, 6-7 UFC) in their women’s strawweight bout at around -175, but she’s got a big 12-2 blowout in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) does battle at middleweight against [autotag]Darren Stewart[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC). Holland is more than a 2-1 favorite and has an 11-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Covington (69 percent), Price (52 percent), Chimaev (78 percent), Walker (62 percent), Dern (79 percent) and Hollandd (79 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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