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UFC 295 predictions: We’re sincerely split on the two title fights in New York
The UFC is back in New York at the mecca of combat sports this week with a pair of title fights at the top of the card.
UFC 295 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
(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.
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Loopy Godinez
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Diego Lopes
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Benoit Saint-Denis
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Mackenzie Dern
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Sergei Pavlovich
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Alex Pereira
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Diego Lopes vs. Pat Sabatini
Records: Lopes (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Sabatini (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Betting odds: Sabatini (-120), Lopes (-105)
Junkie pick results: Lopes 6, Sabatini 5
Matt Frevola vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
Records: Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC), Saint-Denis (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Betting odds: Saint-Denis (-220), Frevola (+180)
Junkie pick results: Saint-Denis 8, Frevola 3
Jessica Andrade vs. Mackenzie Dern
Records: Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC), Dern (13-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Betting odds: Dern (-205), Andrade (+170)
Junkie pick results: Dern 9, Andrade 2
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall
Records: Pavlovich (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Betting odds: Aspinall (-115), Pavlovich (-105)
Junkie pick results: Pavlovich 7, Aspinall 4
Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira
Records: Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Betting odds: Pereira (-125), Prochazka (+105)
Junkie pick results: Pereira 6, Prochazka 5
Preliminary card picks
Although fights on the prelims don’t count toward the standings in the MMA Junkie staff picks, we still pick each fight. Here are some key results:
In the important women’s strawweight bout between Loopy Godinez (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Tabatha Ricci (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Godinez is a -170 favorite and has a big 8-3 lead in the picks from our staff members. Ricci has won four straight; Godinez has won three in a row and five of six.
In a rare occurrence, there were no unanimous picks on the entire card – but several fighters on the prelims came close. In the featured bout, 2-1 favorite Stephen Erceg (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is a 10-1 pick over Alessandro Costa (13-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at flyweight.
Also with 10-1 blowouts are Nazim Sadykhov (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), though he’s just a slight favorite at lightweight against Viacheslav Borshchev (7-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC); flyweight Joshua Van (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), more than a 2-1 favorite against Kevin Borjas (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC); and, oddly, Mark Madsen (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who is a betting underdog, has a 10-1 picks lead for his lightweight bout against the favored Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC).
Check out all the main card picks below.
UFC 295 main card picks
Prochazka | Pavlovich | Andrade | Frevola | Lopes | |
MMA Junkie readers’ | 
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Nolan King |
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George Garcia |
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Simon Samano | 
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Mike Bohn  2014 Champion |
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Ken Hathaway 2018, 2022 Champion |
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Brian Garcia 2017 Champion |
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Matthew Wells |
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Matt Erickson |
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Farah Hannoun |
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Abbey Subhan |
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Danny Segura |
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.
