Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 25 main card in Rio Rancho, N.M.
|
Anderson
vs.
Blachowicz |
Pereira
vs.
Sanchez |
Borella
vs.
De La Rosa |
Vargas
vs.
Weaver |
Bontorin
vs.
Borg |
Medeiros
vs.
Vannata |
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 13-7 |

Anderson
(57%) |

Pereira
(58%) |

De La Rosa
(83%) |

Weaver
(71%) |

Borg
(61%) |

Medeiros
(62%) |
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 17-3
2017 Champion |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 16-4
2019 Champion* |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Bontorin |

Medeiros |
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 16-4 |

Anderson |

Sanchez |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Bontorin |

Medeiros |
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 16-4 |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 16-4
2014 Champion |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 16-4 |

Anderson |

Sanchez |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 15-5
2018 Champion |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Bontorin |

Medeiros |
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 15-5 |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Vannata |
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 15-5 |

Anderson |

Sanchez |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Bontorin |

Medeiros |
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 15-5 |

Anderson |

Sanchez |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 14-6 |

Anderson |

Sanchez |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 14-6 |

Blachowicz |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Vannata |
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 12-8 |

Blachowicz |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Weaver |

Borg |

Medeiros |
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 11-9 |

Anderson |

Pereira |

De La Rosa |

Vargas |

Bontorin |

Medeiros |
The UFC is in New Mexico this week for the first time in more than five years with a pair of light heavyweight contenders topping the bill.
UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., near Albuquerque. The event streams on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 8-5 UFC) in a fight that will see the winner stay in the light heavyweight title picture for a possible meeting with champion Jon Jones. Anderson is more than a 2-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he has a big 12-2 lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-main event, [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on longtime Albuquerque resident [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-12 UFC) at welterweight. Pereira is the slight favorite, and he’s got a 9-5 edge in the picks.
There’s a unanimous pick on the card, and another that nearly is unanimous. [autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is a -175 favorite over [autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in their women’s flyweight fight. But despite fairly close betting odds, De La Rosa, whose husband Mark De La Rosa fights on the prelims, is a 14-0 pick from our staff.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Brok Weaver[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick in his lightweight fight against [autotag]Kazula Vargas[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Only one of our pickers is taking Vargas in an upset – Weaver nearly is a 3-1 favorite.
[autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Rogerio Bontorin[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in a flyweight fight that was moved up to the main card from the prelims mid-week. The fight is one of our two most contentious ones with Borg at a 9-5 lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Lando Vannata[/autotag] (10-4-2 MMA, 2-4-2 UFC) in a lightweight fight that is a near pick’em at the sportsbooks. But it’s Medeiros who has a whopping 12-2 lead in the picks with only two staff members taking Vannata.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Anderson (57 percent), Pereira (58 percent), De La Rosa (83 percent), Weaver (71 percent), Borg (61 percent) and Medeiros (62 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.