| Makhachev vs. Moises |
Reneau vs. Tate |
Gamrot vs. Stephens |
Stoltzfus vs. Vieira |
Benitez vs. Quarantillo |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 99-63 |
 Makhachev (88%) |
 Tate (78%) |
 Gamrot (68%) |
 Vieira (74%) |
 Quarantillo (71%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 101-61  2018 Champion |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 99-63 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
 Stephens |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 98-64 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 96-66 2020 Champion |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 96-66 2014 Champion |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
 Benitez |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 95-67 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Benitez |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 95-67 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Stephens |
Vieira |
Benitez |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 95-67 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Stephens |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 95-67 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Benitez |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 95-67 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 93-69 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 91-71 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Stephens |
Vieira |
Quarantillo |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 26-20 |
Makhachev |
Tate |
Gamrot |
Vieira |
Benitez |
| BetMGM Betting Favorites |
Makhachev -700 |
Tate -150 |
Gamrot -225 |
Vieira -225 |
Benitez -165 |
The UFC is back in its home base with a lightweight fight atop the card, plus a comeback bout.
UFC on ESPN 26 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at lightweight. Makhachev is a big betting favorite at -700 at BetMGM, and he’s one of three unanimous picks on the main card from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers at 13-0.
In the co-feature, former women’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag] (18-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) returns from a retirement of nearly five years to take on [autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag] (9-7-1 MMA, 5-6-1 UFC), who is planning to retire after the fight. Tate is the smallest favorite on the main card at -150, but she’s a unanimous pick from our staff members.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) in a lightweight bout. Gamrot is a -225 favorite, and he’s got a 9-4 lead in the picks.
[autotag]Rodolfo Vieira[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is a -225 favorite in his middleweight bout against [autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and is our third unanimous pick.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is a -165 favorite at featherweight against [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC). But it’s Quarantillo with an 8-5 lead from our pickers.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Makhachev (88 percent), Tate (78 percent), Gamrot (68 percent), Vieira (74 percent) and Quarantillo (71 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.