UFC on ESPN+ 22 predictions: Who’s taking ‘Jacare’ to upset Blachowicz in Sao Paulo?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 22 main card in Sao Paulo.

Blachowicz
vs.
Souza
Craig
vs.
Rua
Gordon
vs.
Oliveira
Arroyo
vs.
Muniz
Perez
vs.
Turman
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 194-120 (62%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
(61%)
rua2019
Rua
(64%)
oliveira2019
Oliveira
(95%)
muniz2019
Muniz
(53%)
perez2019
Perez
(56%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 110-62 (64%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 200-114 (64%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 106-61 (63%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 198-116 (63%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion
souza2019
Souza
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
turman2019
Turman
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 197-117 (63%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 195-119 (62%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 195-119 (62%)
souza2019
Souza
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 194-120 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion
souza2019
Souza
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 190-124 (61%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
turman2019
Turman
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 96-65 (60%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
gordon2019
Gordon
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 184-130 (59%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 122-100 (55%)
blachowicz2019
Blachowicz
rua2019
Rua
oliveira2019
Oliveira
muniz2019
Muniz
perez2019
Perez
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 167-147 (53%)
souza2019
Souza
craig2019
Craig
gordon2019
Gordon
arroyo2019
Arroyo
turman2019
Turman

The UFC is back in Brazil this week with a longtime middleweight heading to 205 pounds for the first time.

UFC on ESPN+ 22 takes place Saturday at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

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In the main event, [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) takes on longtime 185-pound standout [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who is moving to light heavyweight for the first time. Blachowicz is as much as a 2-1 favorite at some sports books, and nine of our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking him to win in hostile territory.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) travels into hostile territory to take on former light heavyweight champion and longtime fan favorite [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 10-9 UFC). “Shogun” is a heavy favorite, and all but one of our pickers are taking him to beat Craig.

Also on the main card, only two pickers are taking [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) to upset [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) in their lightweight bout. Oliveira is the heaviest favorite on the card at -450.

A pair of promotional newcomers from Dana White’s Contender Series meet at middleweight when [autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC). It’s a close fight with the oddsmakers, who have it nearly a pick’em with just a slight betting edge to Muniz. But Muniz has the picks lead from our staff members in a 12-1 blowout.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is a slight favorite against [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at middleweight, but our pickers have Perez with a heavy 10-3 lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blachowicz (61%), Rua (64 percent), Oliveira (95 percent), Muniz (53 percent) and Perez (56 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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