UFC 246 predictions: Is anyone picking Donald Cerrone against Conor McGregor in his return?

MMA News

UFC 246 predictions: Is anyone picking Donald Cerrone against Conor McGregor in his return?

McGregor
vs.
Cerrone
Holm
vs.
Pennington
Greene
vs.
Oleinik
Ferreira
vs.
Pettis
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 233-130 (64.19%)
McGregor
(53%)
holm2020
Holm
(82%)
oleinik2020
Oleinik
(64%)
pettis2020
Pettis
(63%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 149-72 (67.42%)
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 141-75 (65.28%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 236-127 (65.01%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion
cerrone2020
Cerrone
holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 235-128 (64.74%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 234-129 (64.46%)
cerrone2020
Cerrone
holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
ferreira2020
Ferreira
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 234-129 (64.46%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
ferreira2020
Ferreira
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 132-78 (62.86%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 228-135 (62.81%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion
cerrone2020
Cerrone
holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
ferreira2020
Ferreira
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 228-135 (62.81%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
ferreira2020
Ferreira
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 225-138 (61.98%)
McGregor pennington2020
Pennington
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 223-140 (61.43%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 157-114 (57.93%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
oleinik2020
Oleinik
pettis2020
Pettis
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 186-177 (51.24%)
McGregor holm2020
Holm
greene2020
Greene
pettis2020
Pettis
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2019: 0-0
McGregor holm2020
Holm
greene2020
Greene
ferreira2020
Ferreira

The UFC kicks off 2020 with the return of its most bankable fighter.

UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former dual champion Conor McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) returns after a 15-month layoff to take on Donald Cerrone (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in a welterweight bout. McGregor is more than a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s the pick of 11 of our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-main event, former women’s bantamweight champ Holly Holm (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) takes on Raquel Pennington (10-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC). Holm is just a slight favorite, but she’s got a massive 13-1 lead in the picks with just one staff member taking Pennington in an upset.

At heavyweight, Maurice Greene (8-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is a slight favorite against Aleksei Oleinik (57-13-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC). But it’s Oleinik who has a whopping 12-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) is a sizable underdog against Diego Ferreira (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who has won six straight fights. But it’s Pettis with a 9-5 lead in the picks.

A women’s strawweight fight between Claudia Gadelha (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and Alexa Grasso (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) was scheduled for the main card. But after Grasso missed weight by 5.5 pounds at Friday’s weigh-ins and came in at 121.5, the fight was canceled by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Grasso had been a 10-4 pick over Gadelha from our staff members in the fight, though it was Gadelha with a big 72 percent number from our readers..

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, McGregor (53%), Holm (82 percent), Oleinik (64 percent) and Pettis (63 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

UFC 246 predictions: Is anyone picking Donald Cerrone against Conor McGregor in his return?