UFC on ESPN 31 predictions: Can ex-champ Jose Aldo upset Rob Font?

	Font vs. Aldo	Fiziev vs. Riddell	Crute vs. Hill	Guida vs. Santos	Allen vs. Curtis	Gall vs. Morono
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 200-109	Aldo (51%)	Riddell (52%)	Crute (69%)	Santos (67%)	Allen (76%)	Morono (75%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 203-106	Font	Fiziev	Crute	Santos	Allen	Morono
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 197-112	Aldo	Fiziev	Crute	Guida	Allen	Morono
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 193-116 2014 Champion	Font	Riddell	Hill	Santos	Allen	Morono
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 192-117	Aldo	Riddell	Hill	Santos	Curtis	Gall
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 191-118	Font	Fiziev	Crute	Santos	Allen	Morono
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 190-119 2020 Champion	Aldo	Riddell	Crute	Santos	Allen	Morono
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 186-123	Aldo	Fiziev	Crute	Santos	Allen	Morono
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 184-125 2018 Champion	Aldo	Fiziev	Crute	Santos	Allen	Gall
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 180-129	Font	Fiziev	Hill	Santos	Allen	Gall
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 179-130 2017 Champion	Font	Fiziev	Hill	Santos	Allen	Morono
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 179-130	Font	Riddell	Hill	Guida	Curtis	Gall
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 178-131	Aldo	Fiziev	Crute	Santos	Allen	Morono
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 120-73	Aldo	Riddell	Hill	Santos	Allen	Morono

The UFC starts to wind down 2021 this week in Las Vegas with a former champion at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 31 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, Rob Font (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on former featherweight champ Jose Aldo (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) at bantamweight. Font is a -150 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Aldo is +120. But our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are siding with the slight underdog, Aldo, by the narrowest possible margin at 7-6.

In the co-feature, Rafael Fiziev (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Brad Riddell (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at lightweight. Fiziev is a slight -130 favorite, and he’s got an 8-5 edge from our pickers.

Also on the main card, Jimmy Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) meets Jamahal Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at light heavyweight. Crute is a -180 favorite, but he has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.

Longtime fighter Clay Guida (36-21 MMA, 16-15 UFC) takes on Leonardo Santos (18-4-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) at lightweight. Santos is a -180 favorite and has a big 11-2 picks lead.

Brendan Allen (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) fights Chris Curtis (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at middleweight in what is a quick turnaround for Curtis. Allen is the biggest favorite on the entire card at -350, and he’s got an 11-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, Mickey Gall (7-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on Alex Morono (20-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) at welterweight. Morono is a -180 favorite, and he’s got a big 9-4 lead from our staff pickers.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Aldo (51 percent), Riddell (52 percent), Crute (69 percent), Santos (67 percent), Allen (76 percent) and Morono (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.