The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week to kick off the calendar year with a women’s strawweight rematch at the top of the bill.
UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Get main card pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano
Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
Records: Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Past five: Medic 3-2, Soriano 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Medic -220, Soriano +180
Junkie pick results: Medic 7, Soriano 4
Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez
Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi
Records: Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Past five: Bashi 5-0, Rodriguez 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Bashi -270, Rodriguez +220
Junkie pick results: Bashi 10, Rodriguez 1
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
Records: Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Past five: Curtis 2-3, Kopylov 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Curtis +190, Kopylov -230
Junkie pick results: Curtis 7, Kopylov 4
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida
Records: Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Past five: Alhassan 2-3, Almeida 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Alhassan +205, Almeida -250
Junkie pick results: Almeida 8, Alhassan 3
Carlston Harris vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
Records: Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC)
Past five: Harris 3-2, Ponzinibbio 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Harris +120, Ponzinibbio -140
Junkie pick results: Ponzinibbio 8, Harris 3
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
Records: Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Past five: Dern 2-3, Ribas 2-3
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Dern No. 7, Ribas No. 14
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Dern +160, Ribas -190
Junkie pick results: Dern 7, Ribas 4
Preliminary card picks
Although they don’t count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
- Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson: Johnson 9, Bunes 2
- Ihor Potieria vs. Marco Tulio: Tulio 11, Potieira 0
- Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden: Moises 10, Ogden 1
- Preston Parsons vs. Jacobe Smith: Smith 11, Parsons 0
- Nicolle Caliari vs. Ernesta Kareckaite: Caliari 6, Kareckaite 5
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes: Gadzhiyasulov 11, Lopes 0
- Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline: Kline 7, kDudakova 4
- Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki: Aliev 11, Solecki 0
Check out all the main card picks below.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
Dern vs.
Ribas
Harris vs.
Ponzinibbio
Alhassan vs.
Almeida
Curtis vs.
Kopylov
Bashi vs.
Rodriguez
Medic vs.
Soriano
MMA Junkie readers’
208-108 (2024) 
Dern
(58%)
Ponzinibbio
(71%)
Almeida
(75%)
(66%)
Bashi
(67%)
Medic
(73%)
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
209-107 (2024)
2024 Champion
Dern
Ponzinibbio
Almeida 
Curtis
Bashi
Medic Ken Hathaway
209-107 (2024)
2018, 2022, 2024 Champion 
Ribas
Ponzinibbio 
Alhassan
Curtis
Bashi
Medic Mike Bohn
204-112 (2024)
2014 Champion
Ribas
Ponzinibbio
Alhassan
Curtis
Bashi 
Soriano Nolan King
202-114 (2024)
2023 Champion
Dern 
Harris
Almeida
Curtis
Bashi
Soriano Matt Erickson
198-118 (2024)
Dern
Ponzinibbio
Almeida
Kopylov
Bashi
Medic Matthew Wells
196-120 (2024)
Ribas
Ponzinibbio
Almeida
Kopylov
Bashi
Medic Abbey Subhan
193-123 (2024)
Dern
Ponzinibbio
Alhassan
Curtis
Bashi
Soriano Simon Samano
189-127 (2024)
Dern
Harris
Almeida
Kopylov
Bashi
Medic Brian Garcia
189-127 (2024)
2017 Champion
Dern
Ponzinibbio
Almeida
Kopylov
Bashi
Medic Danny Segura
187-129 (2024)
Ribas
Ponzinibbio
Almeida
Kopylov
Bashi
Medic George Garcia
177-139 (2024)
Dern
Harris
Almeida
Curtis 
Rodriguez
Soriano For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.;l;/
