Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 24 main card in Raleigh, N.C., featuring Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos.
|
Blaydes
vs.
Dos Santos |
Chiesa
vs.
Dos Anjos |
Espinosa
vs.
Perez |
Cifers
vs.
A. Hill |
J. Hill
vs.
Stosic |
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 3-1 |
Blaydes
(62%) |
Dos Anjos
(62%) |
Perez
(85%) |
Cifers
(52%) |
J. Hill
(63%) |
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 4-0
2017 Champion |
Blaydes |
Dos Anjos |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 4-0 |
Dos Santos |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 3-1
2019 Champion* |
Blaydes |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 3-1 |
Dos Santos |
Dos Anjos |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 3-1 |
Blaydes |
Dos Anjos |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 3-1 |
Blaydes |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 3-1 |
Blaydes |
Chiesa |
Perez |
Cifers |
J. Hill |
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 3-1
2014 Champion |
Blaydes |
Dos Anjos |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 3-1 |
Dos Santos |
Dos Anjos |
Perez |
Cifers |
J. Hill |
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 3-1 |
Dos Santos |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 3-1 |
Blaydes |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 2-2
2018 Champion |
Blaydes |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 2-2 |
Dos Santos |
Chiesa |
Perez |
A. Hill |
J. Hill |
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 2-2 |
Blaydes |
Chiesa |
Perez |
Cifers |
Stosic |
The has touched down in a new North Carolina city for the first time, and a former heavyweight champion is atop the card.
UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. 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 heavyweight champ [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC) will try to get back on track when he takes on [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC). Dos Santos lost to Francis Ngannou this past July and had a three-fight winning streak snapped. Blaydes has lost just twice in his career – both to Ngannou. But he’s working on a two-fight streak since his most recent setback to him, and he’s a fairly heavy favorite in the fight at around -260. Blaydes has a big 9-5 lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-main event, former lightweight champ [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) continues his run at welterweight when he takes on [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who is 2-0 since he moved to the division from 155 pounds. Although dos Anjos is a big favorite around -270, it’s Chiesa who has a 9-5 lead from our pickers.
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We have one unanimous pick on the main card. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has the support of all 14 of our pickers in his flyweight bout against [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC).
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) has a heavy 11-3 picks lead over North Carolina local [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in their women’s strawweight bout – though Hill is just a slight favorite at the sports books, and our readers are picking Cifers.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick in his promotional debut at light heavyweight against [autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC). Only one picker is taking Stosic in what would be a mild upset.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blaydes (62 percent), dos Anjos (62 percent), Perez (85 percent), Cifers (52 percent) and Jamahal Hill (63 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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