| Blachowicz vs. Teixeira |
Sandhagen vs. Yan |
Hooker vs. Makhachev |
Tybura vs. Volkov |
Chimaev vs. Jingliang |
Ankalaev vs. Oezdemir |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 178-101 |
 Blachowicz (77%) |
 Yan (70%) |
 Makhachev (67%) |
 Volkov (76%) |
 Chimaev (78%) |
 Ankalaev (79%) |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 182-97 |
Blachowicz |
Yan |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 177-102 |
 Teixeira |
Yan |
Makhachev |
 Tybura |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 172-107 |
Blachowicz |
 Sandhagen |
 Hooker |
Tybura |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 172-107 |
Blachowicz |
Yan |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 171-108  2020 Champion |
Blachowicz |
Yan |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 171-108 2014 Champion |
Blachowicz |
Yan |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 168-111 2018 Champion |
Blachowicz |
Sandhagen |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 164-115 |
Teixeira |
Sandhagen |
Hooker |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 163-116 |
Teixeira |
Yan |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 162-117 2017 Champion |
Blachowicz |
Sandhagen |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 159-120 |
Teixeira |
Sandhagen |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 159-120 |
Blachowicz |
Sandhagen |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 100-63 |
Blachowicz |
Sandhagen |
Makhachev |
Volkov |
Chimaev |
Ankalaev |
The UFC is back on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi with a pair of title fights this week.
UFC 267 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The card streams on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] (32-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC). Blachowicz is a big -320 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Teixeira is +235. Our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking Blachowicz at a 9-4 clip.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) meets former champ [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) for the interim bantamweight title. Yan is a -220 favorite, but in a surprise, it’s Sandhagen with the smallest possible 7-6 edge in the picks. (Our readers are taking Yan at a hefty 70 percent margin.)
Also on the main card, [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (21-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) at lightweight. Makhachev is the event’s biggest favorite at -700, but Hooker has two of our pickers thinking upset.
[autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) meets [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (33-9 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a heavyweight tilt. Volkov is a -320 favorite, and he’s got a big 11-2 picks lead.
[autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) returns at welterweight against [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC). He’s a massive 6-1 favorite and one of two unanimous picks from our staff members.
[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is our other unanimous pick. He opens the main card in a light heavyweight bout against former title challenger [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC). Ankalaev is a -320 favorite and has a 13-0 picks shutout.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blachowicz (77 percent), Yan (70 percent), Makhachev (76 percent), Volkov (76 percent), Chimaev (78 percent) and Ankalaev (79 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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