UFC 268 predictions: Is anyone picking against champs Kamaru Usman and Rose Namajunas?

	Usman vs. Covington	Namajunas vs. Weili	Edgar vs. Vera	Burgos vs. Quarantillo	Chandler vs. Gaethje
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 183-102	Usman (66%)	Namajunas (67%)	Vera (57%)	Burgos (66%)	Gaethje (73%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 187-97	Usman	Namajunas	Vera	Quarantillo	Gaethje
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 182-103	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Quarantillo	Gaethje
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 177-108	Usman	Namajunas	Vera	Quarantillo	Gaethje
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 176-109 2020 Champion	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Quarantillo	Gaethje
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 176-109 2014 Champion	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Burgos	Gaethje
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 174-111	Usman	Namajunas	Vera	Burgos	Chandler
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 172-113 2018 Champion	Usman	Namajunas	Vera	Burgos	Gaethje
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 169-116	Usman	Namajunas	Vera	Burgos	Gaethje
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 168-117	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Quarantillo	Chandler
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 166-119 2017 Champion	Usman	Namajunas	Vera	Quarantillo	Chandler
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 164-121	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Quarantillo	Gaethje
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 163-122	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Burgos	Gaethje
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 104-65	Usman	Namajunas	Edgar	Quarantillo	Gaethje

The UFC makes its long-awaited return to New York this week, and a pair of titles are on the line in rematches.

UFC 268 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ and early prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (19-1 MMA, 14-0 UFC) puts his title on the line in a rematch against Colby Covington (16-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC). Usman won their first fight with a fifth-round TKO. Usman is a -320 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Covington is +235. But not a single one of our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers is picking Covington in an upset. Usman has a 13-0 shutout.

In the co-feature, women’s strawweight champ Rose Namajunas (10-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) puts her belt up against Zhang Weili (21-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), whom she knocked out to win the title. Although Weili is a slight betting favorite at -125, it’s Namajunas who has a shutout in the picks, just like Usman.

Also on the main card, former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (24-9-1 MMA, 18-9-1 UFC) fights Marlon Vera (19-7-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC) at bantamweight. Vera is the favorite from the oddsmakers at -160, but the bout is our closest from a picks standpoint. Edgar has the smallest possible lead at 7-6.

Shane Burgos (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meets Billy Quarantillo (16-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at featherweight. Burgos is more than a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, but Quarantillo has an 8-5 picks lead from our staff members.

And to open the main card, former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on ex-UFC interim champ Justin Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) in a bout that will keep the winner in title contention. Gaethje is the favorite at -220, and he’s also a big 10-3 favorite in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Usman (66 percent), Namajunas (67 percent), Vera (57 percent), Burgos (66 percent) and Gaethje (73 percent), are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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