UFC 258 predictions: Can Gilbert Burns upset Kamaru Usman to win title?

	Usman vs. Burns	Barber vs. Grasso	Gastelum vs. Heinisch	Green vs. Miller	Marquez vs. Pitolo
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 9-10	Usman (50.1%)	Barber (65%)	Gastelum (75%)	Green (63%)	Marquez (65%)
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 13-6	Burns	Barber	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 11-8	Usman	Grasso	Gastelum	Green	Pitolo
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 11-8 2017 Champion	Usman	Grasso	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 11-8	Usman	Grasso	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 11-8 2018 Champion	Burns	Barber	Heinisch	Green	Marquez
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 11-8 2014 Champion	Usman	Barber	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2021: 10-9	Usman	Grasso	Gastelum	Miller	Marquez
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 10-9 2020 Champion	Usman	Grasso	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 9-10	Usman	Barber	Heinisch	Miller	Marquez
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 9-10	Usman	Barber	Heinisch	Green	Marquez
Simon Head @simonhead 2021: 9-10 2019 Champion*	Usman	Barber	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 8-11	Usman	Barber	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 8-11	Burns	Barber	Gastelum	Green	Marquez
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 7-12	Usman	Grasso	Gastelum	Miller	Marquez

The UFC is back in its home base this week for its first title fight of the 2021 calendar year.

UFC 258 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) puts his belt on the line against challenger Gilbert Burns (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC). Usman is a -275 favorite at BetMGM, and he’s got a big 11-3 picks lead from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, Maycee Barber (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) takes on Alexa Grasso (12-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in a fight between women’s flyweight contenders. It’s a tight matchup with Grasso a -120 favorite at the betting window, and it’s close with our staff members, too. Barber has an 8-6 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, Kelvin Gastelum (16-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on Ian Heinisch (14-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at middleweight. Gastelum is a fairly decent favorite at -225 and has a big 11-3 picks lead.

It’s also a picks blowout for Bobby Green (27-11-1 MMA, 8-6-1 UFC) in his lightweight fight against Jim Miller (32-15 MMA, 21-14 UFC). Green is a -275 favorite and is the choice of 11 of our 14 pickers.

And to open the main card, Julian Marquez (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has the biggest picks lead on the card in his middleweight fight against Maki Pitolo (13-7 MMA, 1-3 UFC). Although Marquez only is a -175 favorite, he’s a near-unanimous pick at 13-1.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Usman (50.1 percent), Barber (65 percent), Gastelum (75 percent), Green (63 percent) and Marquez (65 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.