UFC 292 predictions: Who’s picking upsets in the two title fights in Boston?

The UFC is back in one of the most historic cities in the country this week with a paid of title fights at the top of the bill.

UFC 292 takes place Saturday at TD Garden in Boston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN 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.

Pedro Munhoz vs. Marlon Vera

Records: Pedro Munhoz (20-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC), Marlon Vera (20-8-1 MMA, 14-7 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Betting odds: Vera -200, Munhoz +165
Junkie pick results: Vera 9, Munhoz 2

Mario Bautista vs. Da'Mon Blackshear

Records: Mario Bautista (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Da’Mon Blackshear (14-5-1 MMA, 2-1-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Betting odds: Bautista -220, Blackshear +180
Junkie pick results: Bautista 9, Blackshear 1 (1 no-pick)

Ian Machado Garry vs. Neil Magny

Records: Ian Machado Garry (12-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Neil Magny (28-10 MMA, 21-9 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Betting odds: Garry -485, Magny +370
Junkie pick results: Garry 11, Magny 0

Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos

Records: Zhang Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC), Amanda Lemos (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Betting odds: Weili -310, Lemos +250
Junkie pick results: Weili 10, Lemos 1

Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley

Records: Aljamain Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC), Sean O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Betting odds: Sterling -260, O’Malley +210
Junkie pick results: Sterling 9, O’Malley 2

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:

UFC 292 is the most blowout-heavy full card of staff picks in MMA Junkie history. The 12 fights on the card had an average vote tally of 10-1, including four shutouts.

Gregory Rodrigues (13-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is the second biggest favorite on the entire card in his middleweight bout against Denis Tiuliulin (11-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), and he’s one of the four unanimous picks.

Along with Ian Garry on the main card, the other two unanimous picks are Kurt Holobaugh (19-7 MMA, 0-4 UFC) in his “TUF 31” lightweight final against Austin Hubbard (15-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) and Andre Petroski (9-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in his middleweight bout against Gerald Meerschaert (35-16 MMA, 10-8 UFC).

The closest fight from a picking standpoint still is a blowout at 8-3 for Brad Tavares (19-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) against former middleweight champ Chris Weidman (15-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC), who is returning from a layoff of more than two years due to a broken leg.

Check out all the playoff picks below.

UFC 292 main card picks

	Sterling vs. O’Malley	Weili vs. Lemos	Garry vs. Magny	Bautista vs. Blackshear	Munhoz vs. Vera
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 132-85	Sterling (63%)	Weili (83%)	Garry (77%)	Bautista (65%)	Vera (82%)
Nolan King @mma_kings 134-83	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Simon Samano @SJSamano 132-85	O’Malley	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 131-86 2018, 2022 Champion	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Matt Erickson @MattE 130-87	O’Malley	Lemos	Garry	Blackshear	Vera
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 130-87	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Munhoz
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 128-89 2014 Champion	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 127-90	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Brian Garcia @thegoze 125-92 2017 Champion	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 125-92	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Munhoz
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 122-95	Sterling	Weili	Garry	Bautista	Vera
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 120-97	Sterling	Weili	Garry	N/A	Vera

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie