UFC on ESPN 41 predictions: Five blowout picks, but what’s our one iffy fight?
Cruz | Landwehr | Jauregui | Clark | Cachoeira | Meerschaert | |
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Ken Hathaway  2018 Champion |
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Abbey Subhan | 
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Mike Bohn 2014 Champion |
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Matthew Wells |
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Simon Samano |
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Matt Erickson |
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Farah Hannoun |
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Nolan King |
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Brian Garcia 2017 Champion |
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George Garcia |
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Danny Segura |
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The UFC is in Southern California this week with a key bantamweight fight atop the card.
UFC on ESPN 41 takes place Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. 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, former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (24-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) takes on Marlon Vera (21-7-1 MMA, 13-6 UFC). Vera is a sizable -250 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Cruz is +190. But it’s not a blowout with our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, who are siding with Vera at a 7-4 clip.
In the co-main event, Nate Landwehr (15-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) meets David Onama (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at featherweight. Onama is the biggest favorite on the main card at -320, and he’s a near-unanimous pick from our staff members at 10-1.
The only unanimous pick on the main card is Yazmin Jauregui (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in her promotional debut against fellow debtante Iasmin Lucindo (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Jauregui is more than a 2-1 favorite in the women’s strawweight bout and has an 11-0 shutout in the picks.
The closest fight from a betting perspective is between Devin Clark (13-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) and Azamat Murzakanov (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at light heavyweight. Murzakanov is just a -155 favorite, but he’s a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.
Another near-unanimous choice is Ariane Lipski (14-7 MMA, 3-4 UFC) in her women’s flyweight bout against Priscila Cachoeira (11-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC). Lipski is a -210 favorite and has a 10-1 blowout in the picks.
And to open the main card, Gerald Meerschaert (34-15 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is a heavy underdog at middleweight against Bruno Silva (22-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who is a 3-1 favorite and has a 10-1 near shutout from our staff members.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Vera (58 percent), Onama (77 percent), Jauregui (84 percent), Murzakanov (79 percent), Lipski (74 percent) and Silva (76 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 41.
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UFC on ESPN 41 breakdown: Can Marlon Vera put away ex-champ Dominick Cruz?
