UFC 248 predictions: Who’s picking underdog upsets in the two title fights?

MMA News
UFC 248 predictions: Who’s picking underdog upsets in the two title fights?
Adesanya
vs.
Romero
Weili
vs.
Jedrzejczyk
Dariush
vs.
Klose
Jingliang
vs.
Magny
Griffin
vs.
Oliveira
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 28-16
Adesanya
(54%)
zhang2020
Weili
(69%)
dariush2020
Dariush
(55%)
jingliang2020
Jingliang
(58%)
oliveira2020
Oliveira
(77%)
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 38-11
trophy copy 2017 Champion
romero2020
Romero
zhang2020
Weili
dariush2020
Dariush
jingliang2020
Jingliang
griffin2020
Griffin
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 37-12
Adesanya jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk
dariush2020
Dariush
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 37-12
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
klose2020
Klose
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 37-12
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
dariush2020
Dariush
magny2020
Magny
griffin2020
Griffin
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 36-13
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
dariush2020
Dariush
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 36-13
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
klose2020
Klose
magny2020
Magny
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 36-13
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
dariush2020
Dariush
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 36-13
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
dariush2020
Dariush
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 35-14
trophy copy 2018 Champion
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
klose2020
Klose
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 35-14
Adesanya jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk
dariush2020
Dariush
magny2020
Magny
oliveira2020
Oliveira
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 34-15
Adesanya zhang2020
Weili
dariush2020
Dariush
magny2020
Magny
griffin2020
Griffin
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 34-15
trophy copy 2014 Champion
Adesanya jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk
dariush2020
Dariush
magny2020
Magny
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 31-18
romero2020
Romero
jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk
dariush2020
Dariush
jingliang2020
Jingliang
oliveira2020
Oliveira
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 23-26
romero2020
Romero
jedrzejczyk2020
Jedrzejczyk
klose2020
Klose
magny2020
Magny
oliveira2020
Oliveira

The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week, and a pair of title fights are at the top of the bill.

UFC 248 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, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he meets challenger Yoel Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC). Adesanya is as much as a 3-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he’s got a big lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers – only three of which are taking Romero in an upset.

The co-main event is another title fight. Women’s strawweight champ Zhang Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts her belt up for the first time when she takes on former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Zhang is a mild favorite, but she’s got a fairly significant 9-5 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, Beneil Dariush (17-4-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) takes on Drakkar Klose (11-1-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at lightweight. Dariush is a -170 favorite, and he’s got a big 10-4 lead in the picks.

Li Jingliang (17-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) also is about a -170 favorite in his welterweight bout against Neil Magny (21-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC). That bout is our most contentious – Jingliang has just an 8-6 picks edge.

And to open the main card, Alex Oliveira (20-8-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is just a slight favorite over Max Griffin (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC), but he’s got a big 11-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Adesanya (54 percent), Weili (69 percent), Dariush (55 percent), Jingliang (58 percent) and Oliveira (77 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

UFC 248 predictions: Who's picking underdog upsets in the two title fights?