The UFC is back in Asia this week with the a pair of former champions atop the lineup.
UFCÂ Fight Night 248 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Macau.
Get main card pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Ozzy Diaz vs. Zhang Mingyang
Records: Diaz (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Mingyang (17-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Past five: Diaz 4-1, Mingyang 5-0
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.22.24): Diaz +270, Mingyang -340
Junkie pick results: Mingyang 10, Diaz 1
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Carlos Ulberg
Records: Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC), Ulberg (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Past five: Oezdemir 3-2, Ulberg 5-0
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.22.24): Oezdemir +200, Ulberg -245
Junkie pick results: Ulberg 8, Oezdemir 3
Wang Cong vs. Gabriella Fernandes
Records: Cong (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Fernandes (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Past five: Cong 5-0, Fernandes 3-2
Division: Women’s flyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.22.24): Cong -950, Fernandes +625
Junkie pick results: Cong 11, Fernandes 0
Song Kenan vs. Muslim Salikhov
Records: Kenan (22-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC), Salikhov (20-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Past five: Kenan 2-3, Salikhov 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 11.22.24): Kenan +160, Salikhov -190
Junkie pick results: Kenan 8, Salikhov 3
Yan Xiaonan vs. Tabatha Ricci
Records: Xiaonan (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Ricci (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Past five: Xiaonan 2-3, Ricci 4-1
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Xiaonan No. 4, Ricci No. 9
Odds (as of 11.22.24): Xiaonan -175, Ricci +145
Junkie pick results: Xiaonan 10, Ricci 1
Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Records: Yan (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC), Figueiredo (24-3-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC)
Past five: Yan 2-3, Figueiredo 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: Yan No. 5, Figueiredo No. 12
Odds (as of 11.22.24): Yan -305, Figueiredo +245
Junkie pick results: Figueiredo 6, Yan 5
Check out all the main card picks below.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
Yan vs. Figueiredo |
Ricci vs. Xiaonan |
Kenan vs. Salikhov |
Cong vs. Fernandes |
Oezdemir vs. Ulberg |
Diaz vs. Mingyang |
|
MMA Junkie readers’ 190-103 |
Yan (56%) |
Xiaonan (68%) |
Salikhov (66%) |
Cong (90%) |
Ulberg (75%) |
Mingyang (85%) |
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 193-100 |
Figueiredo |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Oezdemir |
Mingyang |
Ken Hathaway 192-101 2017, 2022 Champion |
Yan |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
Mike Bohn 186-107 2014 Champion |
Yan |
Xiaonan |
Salikhov |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
Nolan King 185-108 2023 Champion |
Yan |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Oezdemir |
Mingyang |
Matt Erickson 181-112 |
Figueiredo |
Ricci |
Salikhov |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
Matthew Wells 181-112 |
Figueiredo |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
Abbey Subhan 178-115 |
Yan |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
Simon Samano 176-117 |
Figueiredo |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Oezdemir |
Mingyang |
Brian Garcia 176-117 2017 Champion |
Figueiredo |
Xiaonan |
Salikhov |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Diaz |
Danny Segura 170-123 |
Figueiredo |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
George Garcia 162-131 |
Yan |
Xiaonan |
Kenan |
Cong |
Ulberg |
Mingyang |
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFCÂ Fight Night 248.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 248 predictions: Tight race with ex-champs Yan, Figueiredo in Macau