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

UFC on ESPN 44 predictions: Who’s taking Arnold Allen over ex-champ Max Holloway in mighty K.C.?

Holloway
vs.
Allen
Barboza
vs.
Quarantillo
Jacoby
vs.
Murzakanov
Boser
vs.
Cutelaba
Gutierrez
vs.
Munhoz
Garcia
vs.
Guida
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
45-33

Holloway
(62%)

Quarantillo
(54%)

Jacoby
(53%)

Boser
(63%)

Gutierrez
(71%)

Garcia
(53%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
48-30

Holloway

Quarantillo

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Guida
Matt Erickson
@MattE
48-30

Allen

Barboza

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Garcia
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
48-30

Holloway

Barboza

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Guida
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
47-31

Holloway

Barboza

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Garcia
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
45-33

Holloway

Quarantillo

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Garcia
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
44-34

Holloway

Quarantillo

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Guida
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
44-34
2018, 2022 Champion

Allen

Quarantillo

Murzakanov

Cutelaba

Gutierrez

Guida
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
44-34

Holloway

Barboza

Murzakanov

Cutelaba

Gutierrez

Guida
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
43-35
2014 Champion

Holloway

Barboza

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Guida
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
43-35
2017 Champion

Holloway

Quarantillo

Jacoby

Boser

Gutierrez

Guida
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
41-37

Holloway

Barboza

Murzakanov

Boser

Gutierrez

Garcia

Five years after its first visit, the UFCc is back in an historic Midwest city this week with a former featherweight champion on the top of the card.

UFC on ESPN 44 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former featherweight champion Max Holloway (23-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) takes on England’s Arnold Allen (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC), who is unbeaten in the UFC. Holloway is nearly a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have him in a rout at 9-2.

In the co-feature, Edson Barboza (22-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC) meets Billy Quarantillo (17-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in another potential featherweight banger. Quarantillo is a -175 favorite, but it’s elite striker Barboza who has the slimmest possible edge in the picks at 6-5.

Also on the main card, Dustin Jacoby (18-6-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) fights Azamat Murzakanov (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at light heavyweight, and even though he’s a -165 favorite, it’s Murzakanov who has a near-shutout in the picks as an underdog at 10-1.

Another fight at 205 pounds sees Tanner Boser (20-9-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) take on Ion Cutelaba (16-9-1 MMA, 5-8-1 UFC). Cutelaba is a slight favorite at -135, but Boser has a big 9-2 picks lead.

Chris Gutierrez (19-3-2 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite against Pedro Munhoz (19-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) in their bantamweight bout, and he’s our lone unanimous pick from our staff members at 11-0.

And to open the main card, Rafa Garcia (15-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) takes on longtime lightweight and UFC Hall of Famer Clay Guida (38-22 MMA, 18-16 UFC). Garcia is the biggest favorite on the entire card at -275, but the picks didn’t play out that way. Underdog Guida has a 7-4 lead from our pickers.

In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Holloway (62 percent), Quarantillo (54 percent), Jacoby (53 percent), Boser (63 percent), Gutierrez (71 percent), and Garcia (54 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 44.

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