UFC 266 predictions: Is anyone picking titles to change hands in upsets?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 266 main card in Las Vegas.

Volkanovski
vs.
Ortega
Shevchenko
vs.
Murphy
Diaz
vs.
Lawler
Blaydes
vs.
Rozenstruik
Andrade
vs.
Calvillo
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 147-90
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
(58%)
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
(95%)
diaz2021
Diaz
(61%)
blaydes2021
Blaydes
(71%)
andrade2021
Andrade
(80%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 152-85
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 147-90
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 144-93
trophy copy 2018 Champion
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
diaz2021
Diaz
blaydes2021
Blaydes
calvillo2021
Calvillo
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 143-94
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 142-95
trophy copy 2014 Champion
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
diaz2021
Diaz
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 142-95
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 141-96
trophy copy 2020 Champion
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
diaz2021
Diaz
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 137-100
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
diaz2021
Diaz
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 135-102
trophy copy 2017 Champion
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 135-102
ortega2021
Ortega
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
diaz2021
Diaz
blaydes2021
Blaydes
calvillo2021
Calvillo
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 134-103
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
diaz2021
Diaz
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 132-105
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
calvillo2021
Calvillo
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 70-51
volkanovski2021
Volkanovski
shevchenko2021
Shevchenko
lawler2021
Lawler
blaydes2021
Blaydes
andrade2021
Andrade

A pair of UFC titles are on the line when the UFC returns to pay-per-view Saturday.

UFC 266 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 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, featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) takes on challenger [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC). Volkanovski is a -190 favorite at Tipico. And only one of our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers is picking the +145 underdog Ortega to pull the upset.

In the co-feature, women’s flyweight champ [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is a massive -1800 favorite against challenger [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC). Not surprisingly, Shevchenko is one of two unanimous picks on our main card.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) returns for the first time in nearly seven years to take on former welterweight champ [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in a rematch at middleweight. Lawler is a -155 favorite, but he’s only got a 7-6 lead in the picks.

Our other unanimous pick is at heavyweight. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) is a -340 favorite against [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), and he pitched a 13-0 shutout in the picks.

And to open the main card, former women’s strawweight champ [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (21-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) is a -270 favorite at flyweight against [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (9-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC). Andrade has a big 10-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Volkanovski (58 percent), Shevchenko (95 percent), Diaz (61 percent), Blaydes (71 percent) and Andrade (80 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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