The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week to kick off the calendar year with a women’s strawweight rematch at the top of the bill.
UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Get main card pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano
Records: Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Past five: Medic 3-2, Soriano 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Medic -220, Soriano +180
Junkie pick results: Medic 7, Soriano 4
Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez
Records: Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Past five: Bashi 5-0, Rodriguez 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Bashi -270, Rodriguez +220
Junkie pick results: Bashi 10, Rodriguez 1
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
Records: Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Past five: Curtis 2-3, Kopylov 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Curtis +190, Kopylov -230
Junkie pick results: Curtis 7, Kopylov 4
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida
Records: Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Past five: Alhassan 2-3, Almeida 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Alhassan +205, Almeida -250
Junkie pick results: Almeida 8, Alhassan 3
Carlston Harris vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Records: Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC)
Past five: Harris 3-2, Ponzinibbio 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Harris +120, Ponzinibbio -140
Junkie pick results: Ponzinibbio 8, Harris 3
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
Records: Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Past five: Dern 2-3, Ribas 2-3
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Dern No. 7, Ribas No. 14
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Dern +160, Ribas -190
Junkie pick results: Dern 7, Ribas 4
Preliminary card picks
Although they don’t count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
- Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson: Johnson 9, Bunes 2
- Ihor Potieria vs. Marco Tulio: Tulio 11, Potieira 0
- Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden: Moises 10, Ogden 1
- Preston Parsons vs. Jacobe Smith: Smith 11, Parsons 0
- Nicolle Caliari vs. Ernesta Kareckaite: Caliari 6, Kareckaite 5
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes: Gadzhiyasulov 11, Lopes 0
- Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline: Kline 7, kDudakova 4
- Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki: Aliev 11, Solecki 0
Check out all the main card picks below.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
| Dern vs. Ribas |
Harris vs. Ponzinibbio |
Alhassan vs. Almeida |
Curtis vs. Kopylov |
Bashi vs. Rodriguez |
Medic vs. Soriano |
|
|
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 208-108 (2024) |
 Dern (58%) |
 Ponzinibbio (71%) |
 Almeida (75%) |
 Kopylov (66%) |
 Bashi (67%) |
 Medic (73%) |
|
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 209-107 (2024)  |
Dern |
Ponzinibbio |
Almeida |
 Curtis |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
Ken Hathaway @1khathaway 209-107 (2024) |
 Ribas |
Ponzinibbio |
 Alhassan |
Curtis |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 204-112 (2024) |
Ribas |
Ponzinibbio |
Alhassan |
Curtis |
Bashi |
 Soriano |
|
Nolan King @mma_kings 202-114 (2024) |
Dern |
 Harris |
Almeida |
Curtis |
Bashi |
Soriano |
|
Matt Erickson @MattE 198-118 (2024) |
Dern |
Ponzinibbio |
Almeida |
Kopylov |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 196-120 (2024) |
Ribas |
Ponzinibbio |
Almeida |
Kopylov |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 193-123 (2024) |
Dern |
Ponzinibbio |
Alhassan |
Curtis |
Bashi |
Soriano |
|
Simon Samano @SJSamano 189-127 (2024) |
Dern |
Harris |
Almeida |
Kopylov |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
Brian Garcia @thegoze 189-127 (2024) |
Dern |
Ponzinibbio |
Almeida |
Kopylov |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 187-129 (2024) |
Ribas |
Ponzinibbio |
Almeida |
Kopylov |
Bashi |
Medic |
|
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 177-139 (2024) |
Dern |
Harris |
Almeida |
Curtis |
 Rodriguez |
Soriano |
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.;l;/
