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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

UFC 282 predictions: Is anyone picking Jan Blachowicz over Magomed Ankalaev?

Blachowicz
vs.
Ankalaev
Gordon
vs.
Pimblett
Morono
vs.
Ponzinibbio
Du Plessis
vs.
Till
Mitchell
vs.
Topuria
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
192-116

Ankalaev
(67%)

Pimblett
(80%)

Ponzinibbio
(64%)

Du Plessis
(63%)

Mitchell
(64%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
204-109
2018 Champion

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Morono

Till

Topuria
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
195-118

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Du Plessis

Topuria
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
193-120

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Du Plessis

Mitchell
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
191-122

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Till

Topuria
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
191-122
2014 Champion

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Till

Mitchell
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
189-124

Ankalaev

Gordon

Ponzinibbio

Du Plessis

Topuria
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
188-125

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Du Plessis

Topuria
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
182-131
2017 Champion

Ankalaev

Gordon

Ponzinibbio

Till

Topuria
Nolan King
@mma_kings
180-133

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Till

Topuria
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
172-141

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Du Plessis

Topuria
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
154-159

Ankalaev

Pimblett

Ponzinibbio

Till

Topuria

The UFC is back in its “Sin City” home base this week with the vacant light heavyweight title up for grabs.

UFC 282 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) meets Magomed Ankalaev (18-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in a fight for the vacant 205-pound title. Ankalaev is a big -310 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Blachowicz is +250. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Ankalaev 11-0 for our only unanimous pick on the card.

In the co-feature, Jared Gordon (19-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) takes on rising star Paddy Pimblett (19-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at lightweight. Pimblett is a -260 favorite at the betting window, but he’s not unanimous. Two of our staff members have Gordon in an upset.

Also on the main card, Alex Morono (22-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) will step up on less than a week’s notice for a 180-pound catchweight fight with Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC). Ponzinibbio is a -180 favorite, and he’s a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

Dricus Du Plessis (17-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on Darren Till (18-4 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) in a middleweight fight. Du Plessis is a mild favorite at -175, but in our most contentious fight from a picks standpoint, it’s Till with a 6-5 edge.

And to open the main card, Bryce Mitchell (15-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets Ilia Topuria (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a fight between unbeaten featherweights. Topuria is just a slight favorite at -140, but he’s got a big lead in our picks at 9-2.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Ankalaev (67 percent), Pimblett (80 percent), Ponzinibbio (64 percent), Du Plessis (63 percent) and Mitchell (64 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.

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