| Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw |
Paiva vs. Phillips |
Elkins vs. Minner |
Barber vs. Maverick |
Costa vs. Yanez |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 109-63 |
Sandhagen (65%) |
 Phillips (84%) |
 Elkins (53%) |
 Maverick (55%) |
 Yanez (71%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 111-61  2018 Champion |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
 Minner |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 108-64 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Minner |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 108-64 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Minner |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 105-67 2020 Champion |
 Dillashaw |
Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 105-67 2014 Champion |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 104-68 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 104-68 2017 Champion |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
 Costa |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 103-69 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
 Barber |
Yanez |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 103-69 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Minner |
Maverick |
Costa |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 103-69 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 102-70 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 99-73 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Minner |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 34-22 |
Sandhagen | Phillips |
Elkins |
Maverick |
Yanez |
| BetMGM Betting Favorites |
Sandhagen -190 | Phillips -300 |
Minner -155 |
Maverick -150 |
Yanez -250 |
The UFC stays in its Las Vegas home base this week with a former champion back after two and a half years away.
UFC on ESPN 27 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, Cory Sandhagen (14-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) takes on former bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw (16-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC). Dillashaw has been out since a January 2019 loss to Henry Cejudo, after which he was suspended for two years for a positive erythropoietin test. Sandhagen is a the betting favorite at -190 at BetMGM, and he’s got a whopping 12-1 lead in the picks from our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-feature, Kyler Phillips (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is the biggest favorite on the main card at 3-1 in his bantamweight fight against Raulian Paiva (20-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC). He’s also our only unanimous pick at 13-0.
Our most contentious fight is at featherweight between Darren Elkins (25-9 MMA, 15-8 UFC) and Darrick Minner (26-11 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Minner is a -155 favorite, but it’s Elkins with an 8-5 lead in the picks.
Miranda Maverick (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a -150 favorite at the betting window, making her the smallest favorite on the main card. But only one of our pickers is taking Maycee Barber (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) to beat her in their women’s flyweight bout.
And to open the main card, Adrian Yanez (13-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a -250 favorite against Randy Costa (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at bantamweight, and he’s got a big 11-2 picks lead.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Sandhagen (65 percent), Phillips (84 percent), Elkins (53 percent), Maverick (55 percent) and Yanez (71 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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UFC on ESPN 27 predictions: Who’s picking ex-champ Dillashaw over Sandhagen?
