UFC on ESPN+ 24 predictions: Can ex-champ Junior Dos Santos upset Curtis Blaydes?

	Blaydes vs. Dos Santos	Chiesa vs. Dos Anjos	Espinosa vs. Perez	Cifers vs. A. Hill	J. Hill vs. Stosic
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 3-1	Blaydes (62%)	Dos Anjos (62%)	Perez (85%)	Cifers (52%)	J. Hill (63%)
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 4-0 2017 Champion	Blaydes	Dos Anjos	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 4-0	Dos Santos	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 3-1 2019 Champion*	Blaydes	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 3-1	Dos Santos	Dos Anjos	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 3-1	Blaydes	Dos Anjos	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 3-1	Blaydes	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 3-1	Blaydes	Chiesa	Perez	Cifers	J. Hill
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 3-1 2014 Champion	Blaydes	Dos Anjos	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 3-1	Dos Santos	Dos Anjos	Perez	Cifers	J. Hill
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 3-1	Dos Santos	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 3-1	Blaydes	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 2-2 2018 Champion	Blaydes	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 2-2	Dos Santos	Chiesa	Perez	A. Hill	J. Hill
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 2-2	Blaydes	Chiesa	Perez	Cifers	Stosic

The has touched down in a new North Carolina city for the first time, and a former heavyweight champion is atop the card.

UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC) will try to get back on track when he takes on Curtis Blaydes (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC). Dos Santos lost to Francis Ngannou this past July and had a three-fight winning streak snapped. Blaydes has lost just twice in his career – both to Ngannou. But he’s working on a two-fight streak since his most recent setback to him, and he’s a fairly heavy favorite in the fight at around -260. Blaydes has a big 9-5 lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-main event, former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos (29-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) continues his run at welterweight when he takes on Michael Chiesa (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who is 2-0 since he moved to the division from 155 pounds. Although dos Anjos is a big favorite around -270, it’s Chiesa who has a 9-5 lead from our pickers.

We have one unanimous pick on the main card. Alex Perez (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has the support of all 14 of our pickers in his flyweight bout against Jordan Espinosa (14-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

Angela Hill (10-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) has a heavy 11-3 picks lead over North Carolina local Hannah Cifers (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in their women’s strawweight bout – though Hill is just a slight favorite at the sports books, and our readers are picking Cifers.

And to open the main card, Jamahal Hill (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick in his promotional debut at light heavyweight against Darko Stosic (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC). Only one picker is taking Stosic in what would be a mild upset.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blaydes (62 percent), dos Anjos (62 percent), Perez (85 percent), Cifers (52 percent) and Jamahal Hill (63 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.