UFC on ESPN 21 predictions: Who’s picking Derek Brunson to upset Kevin Holland?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 21 main card, featuring Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland.

Brunson
vs.
Holland
Gillespie
vs.
Riddell
Buys
vs.
Ruiz
Lopez
vs.
Yanez
Griffin
vs.
Kenan
Hunsucker
vs.
Tuivasa
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 23-19
holland2021
Holland
(72%)
gillespie2021
Gillespie
(78%)
buys2021
Buys
(64%)
yanez2021
Yanez
(78%)
kenan2021
Kenan
(62%)
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
(88%)
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 27-15
trophy copy 2020 Champion
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
lopez2021
Lopez
kenan2021
Kenan
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 26-16
trophy copy 2018 Champion
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 25-17
brunson2021
Brunson
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 25-17
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
lopez2021
Lopez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 25-17
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
ruiz2021
Ruiz
yanez2021
Yanez
kenan2021
Kenan
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 24-18
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 24-18
trophy copy 2017 Champion
brunson2021
Brunson
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
lopez2021
Lopez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Simon Head
@simonhead
2021: 23-19
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 23-19
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 22-20
trophy copy 2014 Champion
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
kenan2021
Kenan
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 21-21
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
griffin2021
Griffin
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 21-21
holland2021
Holland
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
kenan2021
Kenan
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 20-22
brunson2021
Brunson
gillespie2021
Gillespie
buys2021
Buys
yanez2021
Yanez
kenan2021
Kenan
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa
BetMGM
Betting Favorites
Bet now!
holland2021
Holland -175
gillespie2021
Gillespie -250
buys2021
Buys -350
yanez2021
Yanez -225
griffin2021
Griffin -200
tuivasa2021
Tuivasa -400

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The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week with a middleweight showdown leading at the top of the card.

UFC on ESPN 21 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2.

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

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In the main event, [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 12-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at middleweight. Holland is a -175 favorite at BetMGM, and he has a 10-3 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a lightweight bout. Gillespie is a -250 favorite and one of two unanimous picks from our staff members on the main card.

In a women’s strawweight fight between promotional newcomers, [autotag]Cheyanne Buys[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is a big favorite at -350 against [autotag]Montserrat Ruiz[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), and she’s got a hefty 12-1 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Gustavo Lopez[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at bantamweight. Yanez is a -225 favorite and has a big 10-3 picks lead.

[autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) is a 2-1 favorite against [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC), but their fight is our closest from a picks perspective with just an 8-5 lead for Griffin.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Harry Hunsucker[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) steps up on less than a week’s notice at heavyweight against 4-1 favorite [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC). Tuivasa is our other unanimous pick on the main card at 13-0.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holland (72 percent), Gillespie (78 percent), Buys (64 percent), Yanez (78 percent), Kenan (62 percent) and Tuivasa (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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