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

UFC on ESPN 42 predictions: No unanimous picks in Orlando

Thompson
vs.
Holland
Barberena
vs.
Dos Anjos
Nicolau
vs.
Schnell
Pavlovich
vs.
Tuivasa
Dolidze
vs.
Hermansson
Anders
vs.
Daukaus
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
190-112

Holland
(52%)

Dos Anjos
(72%)

Nicolau
(72%)

Tuivasa
(62%)

Hermansson
(52%)

Daukaus
(60%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
200-107
2018 Champion

Holland

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Pavlovich

Dolidze

Daukaus
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
191-116

Holland

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Pavlovich

Dolidze

Daukaus
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
189-118

Thompson

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Tuivasa

Hermansson

Anders
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
187-120

Thompson

Dos Anjos

Schnell

Tuivasa

Dolidze

Anders
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
187-120
2014 Champion

Holland

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Pavlovich

Dolidze

Daukaus
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
185-122

Thompson

Barberena

Nicolau

Tuivasa

Dolidze

Anders
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
184-123

Thompson

Barberena

Schnell

Pavlovich

Dolidze

Anders
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
177-130
2017 Champion

Thompson

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Tuivasa

Hermansson

Anders
Nolan King
@mma_kings
177-130

Holland

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Pavlovich

Hermansson

Daukaus
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
168-139

Thompson

Dos Anjos

Schnell

Tuivasa

Dolidze

Anders
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
150-157

Thompson

Dos Anjos

Nicolau

Tuivasa

Dolidze

Daukaus

The UFC is back on the road this week in Florida with big-name welterweights atop the lineup.

UFC on ESPN 42 takes place Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. 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, two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) takes on Kevin Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC). Holland nearly is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Thompson is +160. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Thompson, though, at a 7-4 clip.

In the co-feature, former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (31-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) meets Bryan Barberena (18-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) at welterweight. Dos Anjos is the biggest favorite on the card at -575, but he’s not unanimous. Two of our staff pickers have Barberena in an upset.

Also on the main card, Matheus Nicolau (18-3-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets Matt Schnell (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in a key flyweight fight. Nicolau is a big favorite at -370 and has an 8-3 picks lead.

Sergei Pavlovich (16-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Tai Tuivasa (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in a heavyweight bout. Pavlovich is a -230 favorite at the betting window, but Tuivasa has a slim 6-5 lead from our staff members.

Roman Dolidze (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is an underdog in his middleweight fight against -190 favorite Jack Hermansson (23-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC). But our staff members are thinking upset with Dolidze picked at a big 8-3 margin.

And to open the main card, Eryk Anders (14-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) takes on Kyle Daukaus (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at middleweight. Daukaus is more than a 2-1 favorite, but Anders is bucking the trend and has a 6-5 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holland (52 percent), Dos Anjos (72 percent), Nicolau (63 percent), Tuivasa (62 percent), Hermansson (52 percent) and Daukaus (60 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.

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