The UFC wraps up its five-event run at “Fight Island” this week with a lightweight title bout at the top of the bill.

UFC 254 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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

In the main event, dominant lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a title unification bout. Nurmagomedov is a heavy favorite at more than 3-1, and all but two our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are picking him to defend his belt for a third time – though our readers, from more than 2,000 votes, are taking Gaethje.

In the co-feature, Jared Cannonier (13-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) tries to keep his streak going and cement a possible title shot when he meets former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker (21-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC). The fight is a virtual pick’em at the sports books, but Whittaker has a huge 12-2 lead in our picks.

Also on the main card, Walt Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) takes on former Bellator heavyweight champion Alexander Volkov (31-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC). Volkov is nearly a 2-1 favorite, and he’s got a 9-5 edge in the picks.

Whittaker teammate Jacob Malkoun (4-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotional debut in a middleweight bout against Phil Hawes (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Hawes is a reasonably big favorite, and only two of pickers are taking Malkoun in an upset.

Lauren Murphy (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) will try to stay in the women’s flyweight picture when she takes on promotional newcomer Liliya Shakirova (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Murphy is more than a 2-1 favorite, and she’s got a big 12-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, Magomed Ankalaev (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Ion Cutelaba (15-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) finally get a chance to rematch. Ankalaev is more than a 3-1 favorite, and he’s got our biggest runaway from a picks standpoint at 13-1.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Gaethje (51 percent), Whittaker (63 percent), Volkov (62 percent), Hawes (59 percent), Murphy (69 percent) and Ankalaev (70 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.