Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

UFC on ESPN 33 predictions: Who’s our lone unanimous pick in Columbus?

Blaydes
vs.
Daukaus
Grasso
vs.
Wood
Barberena
vs.
Brown
Askarov
vs.
Kara-France
Latifi
vs.
Oleinik
Borshchev
vs.
Diakiese
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
47-19
blaydes2022
Blaydes
(75%)
grasso2022
Grasso
(79%)
brown2022
Brown
(72%)
askarov2022
Askarov
(64%)
latifi2022
Latifi
(51%)
borshchev2022
Borshchev
(76%)
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
45-21
blaydes2022
Blaydes
wood2022
Wood
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
oleinik2022
Oleinik
borshchev2022
Borshchev
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
44-22
trophy copy 2014 Champion
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
borshchev2022
Borshchev
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
44-22
trophy copy 2018 Champion
blaydes2022
Blaydes
wood2022
Wood
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
oleinik2022
Oleinik
borshchev2022
Borshchev
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
43-23
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
borshchev2022
Borshchev
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
42-24
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
diakiese2022
Diakiese
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
41-25
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
diakiese2022
Diakiese
Nolan King
@mma_kings
41-25
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
barberena2022
Barberena
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
borshchev2022
Borshchev
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
40-26
blaydes2022
Blaydes
wood2022
Wood
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
oleinik2022
Oleinik
borshchev2022
Borshchev
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
39-27
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
barberena2022
Barberena
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
borshchev2022
Borshchev
brian Garcia
@thegoze
38-28
trophy copy 2017 Champion
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
brown2022
Brown
karafrance2022
Kara-France
latifi2022
Latifi
diakiese2022
Diakiese
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
28-38
blaydes2022
Blaydes
grasso2022
Grasso
brown2022
Brown
askarov2022
Askarov
latifi2022
Latifi
borshchev2022
Borshchev

The UFC makes its long-awaited return to Ohio this week with a heavyweight bout at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 33 takes place Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. 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, Curtis Blaydes (15-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) takes on Chris Daukaus (12-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at heavyweight. Blaydes is a heavy -450 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Daukaus is +310. With Blaydes the biggest favorite on the main card, it’s no surprise our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have him in our only unanimous pick at 11-0.

In the co-feature, Alexa Grasso (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is a -250 favorite in her women’s strawweight bout against Joanne Wood (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC). Grasso has a big 8-3 lead in our picks.

Also on the main card, hometown fan favorite Matt Brown (23-18 MMA, 16-12 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick against Bryan Barberena (16-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in their welterweight bout. Although Barberena is a -115 favorite to -110 to Brown, Brown has a 10-1 rout in the picks.

Askar Askarov (14-0-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) is a -420 favorite at flyweight against Kai Kara-France (23-9 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and is a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

Ilir Latifi (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on Aleksei Oleinik (59-16-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Latifi is a -210 favorite at the betting window, and he’s got an 8-3 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, Viacheslav Borshchev (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a mild -160 favorite against Marc Diakiese (14-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), and he has a big 8-3 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blaydes (75 percent), Grasso (79 percent), Brown (72 percent), Askarov (64 percent), Latifi (51 percent) and Borshchev (76 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.