UFC on ESPN 53 predictions: Amanda Ribas or Rose Namajunas in Las Vegas?

The UFC is back on its home turf this week with women’s flyweights leading the way.

UFC on ESPN 53 (ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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

Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Fernando Padilla vs. Luis Pajuelo

Records: Padilla (15-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Pajuelo (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Padilla 3-2, Pajuelo 5-0
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 03.22.24): Padilla -170, Pajuelo +140
Junkie pick results: Pajuelo 6, Padilla 5

Billy Quarantillo vs. Youssef Zalal

Records: Quarantillo (18-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Zalal (13-5-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC)
Past five: Quarantillo 3-2, Zalal 3-1-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 03.22.24): Quarantillo -110, Zalal -110
Junkie pick results: Quarantillo 9, Zalal 2

Cameron Saaiman vs. Payton Talbott

Records: Saaiman (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Talbott (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Past five: Saaiman 4-1, Talbott 5-0
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 03.22.24): Saaiman +125, Talbott -150
Junkie pick results: Saaiman 7, Talbott 4

AJ Dobson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan

Records: Dobson (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Shahbazyan (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC)
Past five: Dobson 3-2, Shahbazyan 1-4
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 03.22.24): Dobson +170, Shahbazyan -205
Junkie pick results: Shahbazyan 10, Dobson 1

Justin Tafa vs. Karl Williams

Records: Tafa (7-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC), Williams (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
Past five: Tafa 3-2, Williams 5-0
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 03.22.24): Tafa +160, Williams -190
Junkie pick results: Williams 6, Tafa 5

Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas

Records: Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Namajunas (11-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC)
Past five: Ribas 3-2, Namajunas 3-2
Division: Women’s flyweight
Rankings: Namajunas No. 4 women’s strawweight, No. 13 pound-for-pound; Ribas No. 13 women’s strawweight
Odds (as of 03.22.24): Ribas +170, Namajunas -205
Junkie pick results: Namajunas 9, Ribas 2

Check out all the main card picks below.

UFC on ESPN 53 main card picks

	Ribas vs. Namajunas	Tafa vs. Williams	Dobson vs. Shahbazyan	Saaiman vs. Talbott	Quarantillo vs. Zalal	Padilla vs. Pajuelo
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 33-19	Namajunas (66%)	Williams (58%)	Shahbazyan (76%)	Talbott (60%)	Quarantillo (67%)	Pajuelo (52%)
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 38-14 2014 Champion	Namajunas	Williams	Shahbazyan	Saaiman	Quarantillo	Padilla
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 32-20	Namajunas	Williams	Dobson	Saaiman	Zalal	Pajuelo
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 32-20	Ribas	Williams	Shahbazyan	Talbott	Quarantillo	Pajuelo
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 32-20	Namajunas	Tafa	Shahbazyan	Talbott	Zalal	Padilla
Ken Hathaway @1khathaway 32-20 2018, 2022 Champion	Namajunas	Williams	Shahbazyan	Talbott	Quarantillo	Pajuelo
Brian Garcia @thegoze 31-21 2017 Champion	Namajunas	Tafa	Shahbazyan	Saaiman	Quarantillo	Padilla
Matt Erickson @MattE 31-21	Ribas	Williams	Shahbazyan	Saaiman	Quarantillo	Pajuelo
Simon Samano @SJSamano 31-21	Namajunas	Tafa	Shahbazyan	Talbott	Quarantillo	Pajuelo
Nolan King @mma_kings 30-22 2023 Champion	Namajunas	Tafa	Shahbazyan	Saaiman	Quarantillo	Padilla
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 22-30	Namajunas	Williams	Shahbazyan	Saaiman	Quarantillo	Pajuelo
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 22-30	Namajunas	Tafa	Shahbazyan	Saaiman	Quarantillo	Padilla

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s eventgholvlrlllg for Bellator Champions Series: Belfast.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie