UFC on ESPN 31 predictions: Can ex-champ Jose Aldo upset Rob Font?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 31 main card, featuring Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo.

Font
vs.
Aldo
Fiziev
vs.
Riddell
Crute
vs.
Hill
Guida
vs.
Santos
Allen
vs.
Curtis
Gall
vs.
Morono
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 200-109
aldo2021
Aldo
(51%)
riddell2021
Riddell
(52%)
crute2021
Crute
(69%)
santos2021
Santos
(67%)
allen2021
Allen
(76%)
morono2021
Morono
(75%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 203-106
font2021
Font
fiziev2021
Fiziev
crute2021
Crute
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 197-112
aldo2021
Aldo
fiziev2021
Fiziev
crute2021
Crute
guida2021
Guida
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 193-116
trophy copy 2014 Champion
font2021
Font
riddell2021
Riddell
hill2021
Hill
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 192-117
aldo2021
Aldo
riddell2021
Riddell
hill2021
Hill
santos2021
Santos
curtis2021
Curtis
gall2021
Gall
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 191-118
font2021
Font
fiziev2021
Fiziev
crute2021
Crute
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 190-119
trophy copy 2020 Champion
aldo2021
Aldo
riddell2021
Riddell
crute2021
Crute
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 186-123
aldo2021
Aldo
fiziev2021
Fiziev
crute2021
Crute
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 184-125
trophy copy 2018 Champion
aldo2021
Aldo
fiziev2021
Fiziev
crute2021
Crute
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
gall2021
Gall
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 180-129
font2021
Font
fiziev2021
Fiziev
hill2021
Hill
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
gall2021
Gall
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 179-130
trophy copy 2017 Champion
font2021
Font
fiziev2021
Fiziev
hill2021
Hill
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 179-130
font2021
Font
riddell2021
Riddell
hill2021
Hill
guida2021
Guida
curtis2021
Curtis
gall2021
Gall
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 178-131
aldo2021
Aldo
fiziev2021
Fiziev
crute2021
Crute
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 120-73
aldo2021
Aldo
riddell2021
Riddell
hill2021
Hill
santos2021
Santos
allen2021
Allen
morono2021
Morono

The UFC starts to wind down 2021 this week in Las Vegas with a former champion at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 31 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]Rob Font[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on former featherweight champ [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) at bantamweight. Font is a -150 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Aldo is +120. But our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are siding with the slight underdog, Aldo, by the narrowest possible margin at 7-6.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Brad Riddell[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at lightweight. Fiziev is a slight -130 favorite, and he’s got an 8-5 edge from our pickers.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at light heavyweight. Crute is a -180 favorite, but he has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.

Longtime fighter [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag] (36-21 MMA, 16-15 UFC) takes on [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) at lightweight. Santos is a -180 favorite and has a big 11-2 picks lead.

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) fights [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at middleweight in what is a quick turnaround for Curtis. Allen is the biggest favorite on the entire card at -350, and he’s got an 11-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) at welterweight. Morono is a -180 favorite, and he’s got a big 9-4 lead from our staff pickers.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Aldo (51 percent), Riddell (52 percent), Crute (69 percent), Santos (67 percent), Allen (76 percent) and Morono (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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