| Holloway vs. Kattar |
Brown vs. Condit |
Jingliang vs. Ponzinibbio |
Buckley vs. Di Chirico |
Soriano vs. Todorovic |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 0-0 |
Holloway (68%) |
 Condit (63%) |
 Ponzinibbio (82%) |
 Buckley (85%) |
 Todorovic (57%) |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 0-0  2020 Champion |
Holloway | Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
 Soriano |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 0-0 |
 Kattar |
Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 0-0 |
Holloway | Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Todorovic |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 0-0 |
Kattar |
Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 0-0 2014 Champion |
Holloway | Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Todorovic |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2021: 0-0 2019 Champion* |
Holloway | Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Todorovic |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 0-0 2017 Champion |
Kattar |
Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 0-0 |
Holloway |  Brown |
 Jingliang |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2021: 0-0 |
Kattar |
Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Todorovic |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 0-0 2018 Champion |
Holloway | Brown |
Jingliang |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 0-0 |
Kattar |
Brown |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 0-0 |
Kattar |
Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Soriano |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 0-0 |
Holloway | Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Todorovic |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 0-0 |
Kattar |
Condit |
Ponzinibbio |
Buckley |
Soriano |
The UFC is back for its first event of 2021 – and the first of three cards in eight days on “Fight Island.”
UFC on ABC 1 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on ABC and 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 (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) takes on Calvin Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC). Holloway is a slight favorite at BetMGM at -165, but for the first headliner of the year, our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are split down the middle at 7-7.
In the co-feature, longtime UFC welterweights Matt Brown (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC) and former interim champion Carlos Condit (31-13 MMA, 8-9 UFC) meet. Condit is the slight favorite, but he’s got a big 11-3 lead from our pickers.
Also on the main card, Li Jingliang (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is a heavy underdog at welterweight against Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), and Ponzinibbio has a big 12-2 lead in the picks.
Joaquin Buckley (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is the only unanimous pick from our staff members in his middleweight fight against Alessio Di Chirico (12-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC). He’s nearly a 3-1 favorite at the sports books, and he’s got a 14-0 shutout from our staff members.
And to open the main card, Punahele Soriano (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a slight underdog at middleweight against Dusko Todorovic (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC). Both are undefeated, but it’s Soriano with a 9-5 picks lead.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holloway (68 percent), Condit (63 percent), Ponzinibbio (82 percent), Buckley (85 percent) and Todorovic (57 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
UFC on ABC 1 predictions: We’re split down the middle on Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar