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| Ngannou vs. Dos Santos |
Benavidez vs. Formiga |
Maia vs. Martin |
Pichel vs. Roberts |
Dober vs. Reyes |
Craig vs. Menifield |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2019: 110-55 (67%) |
 Ngannou (54%) |
 Benavidez (N/A) |
 Maia (74%) |
 Roberts (67%) |
 Dober (73%) |
 Menifield (73%) |
| Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 17-6 (74%) |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
 Martin |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 13-5 (72%) |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Maia |
 Pichel |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 112-53 (68%) |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 109-56 (66%) |
 Dos Santos |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 108-57 (65%) |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Martin |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 106-59 (64%)  2017 Champion |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Pichel |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 105-60 (64%) 2014 Champion |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Steven Marrocco @MMAjunkieSteven 2019: 102-63 (62%) |
Dos Santos |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 102-63 (62%) 2018 Champion |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 100-65 (61%) |
Dos Santos |
Benavidez |
Martin |
Roberts |
Dober |
 Craig |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 99-66 (60%) |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Martin |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 99-66 (60%) |
Dos Santos |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Pichel |
 Reyes |
Menifield |
| Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 43-31 (58%) |
Dos Santos |
Benavidez |
Maia |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 7-5 (58%) |
Ngannou |
Benavidez |
Martin |
Roberts |
Dober |
Menifield |
The UFC is back in Minnesota this week for the first time in nearly seven years, and a potential heavyweight title eliminator headlines the card.
UFC on ESPN 3 takes place Saturday at Target Center in Minneapolis. The card airs on ESPN.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, former title challenger Francis Ngannou (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) takes on former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos (21-5 MMA, 15-4 UFC). The winner could be next in line for the winner of champ Daniel Cormier and ex-titleholder Stipe Miocic, who rematch in August. Ngannou is more than a 2-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and he has a 9-5 edge from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.
In the co-feature, Joseph Benavidez (27-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) is the lone unanimous pick on the main card. Benavidez is about a 2-1 favorite against Jussier Formiga (23-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC), whom he beat in 2013 by first-round TKO.
It’s not a unanimous pick, but it’s close for Alonzo Menifield (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a light heavyweight fight against Paul Craig (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC). Neither fighter has been to a decision before. Menifield is nearly a 3-1 favorite, and only one brave picker on our staff is going against him.
Also on the main card, Demian Maia (26-9 MMA, 20-9 UFC) has a solid 9-5 edge in his welterweight fight against Anthony Rocco Martin (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who has won four straight since moving up to 170 pounds.
Roosevelt Roberts (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is about a 3-1 favorite in his lightweight bout against Vinc Pichel (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), and he has an 11-3 big edge in the picks. And Drew Dober (20-9 MMA, 6-5 UFC) is a 3-1 favorite against Marco Polo Reyes (8-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in their lightweight fight, and Dober has a 12-2 picks lead.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Ngannou (54 percent), Benavidez (N/A), Maia (74 percent), Roberts (67 percent), Dober (73 percent) and Menifield (73 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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