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UFC on ESPN 31 predictions: Can ex-champ Jose Aldo upset Rob Font?

Font
vs.
Aldo

Fiziev
vs.
Riddell

Crute
vs.
Hill

Guida
vs.
Santos

Allen
vs.
Curtis

Gall
vs.
Morono

MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 200-109

aldo2021


Aldo
(51%)

riddell2021


Riddell
(52%)

crute2021


Crute
(69%)

santos2021


Santos
(67%)

allen2021


Allen
(76%)

morono2021


Morono
(75%)

John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 203-106

font2021


Font

fiziev2021


Fiziev

crute2021


Crute

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 197-112

aldo2021


Aldo

fiziev2021


Fiziev

crute2021


Crute

guida2021


Guida

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 193-116

trophy copy

2014 Champion

font2021


Font

riddell2021


Riddell

hill2021


Hill

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 192-117

aldo2021


Aldo

riddell2021


Riddell

hill2021


Hill

santos2021


Santos

curtis2021


Curtis

gall2021


Gall

Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 191-118

font2021


Font

fiziev2021


Fiziev

crute2021


Crute

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 190-119

trophy copy

2020 Champion

aldo2021


Aldo

riddell2021


Riddell

crute2021


Crute

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 186-123

aldo2021


Aldo

fiziev2021


Fiziev

crute2021


Crute

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 184-125

trophy copy

2018 Champion

aldo2021


Aldo

fiziev2021


Fiziev

crute2021


Crute

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

gall2021


Gall

Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 180-129

font2021


Font

fiziev2021


Fiziev

hill2021


Hill

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

gall2021


Gall

Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 179-130

trophy copy

2017 Champion

font2021


Font

fiziev2021


Fiziev

hill2021


Hill

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 179-130

font2021


Font

riddell2021


Riddell

hill2021


Hill

guida2021


Guida

curtis2021


Curtis

gall2021


Gall

Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 178-131

aldo2021


Aldo

fiziev2021


Fiziev

crute2021


Crute

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
2021: 120-73

aldo2021


Aldo

riddell2021


Riddell

hill2021


Hill

santos2021


Santos

allen2021


Allen

morono2021


Morono

The UFC starts to wind down 2021 this week in Las Vegas with a former champion at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 31 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, Rob Font (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) takes on former featherweight champ Jose Aldo (30-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) at bantamweight. Font is a -150 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Aldo is +120. But our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are siding with the slight underdog, Aldo, by the narrowest possible margin at 7-6.

In the co-feature, Rafael Fiziev (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Brad Riddell (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at lightweight. Fiziev is a slight -130 favorite, and he’s got an 8-5 edge from our pickers.

Also on the main card, Jimmy Crute (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) meets Jamahal Hill (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at light heavyweight. Crute is a -180 favorite, but he has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.

Longtime fighter Clay Guida (36-21 MMA, 16-15 UFC) takes on Leonardo Santos (18-4-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) at lightweight. Santos is a -180 favorite and has a big 11-2 picks lead.

Brendan Allen (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) fights Chris Curtis (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at middleweight in what is a quick turnaround for Curtis. Allen is the biggest favorite on the entire card at -350, and he’s got an 11-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, Mickey Gall (7-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) takes on Alex Morono (20-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) at welterweight. Morono is a -180 favorite, and he’s got a big 9-4 lead from our staff pickers.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Aldo (51 percent), Riddell (52 percent), Crute (69 percent), Santos (67 percent), Allen (76 percent) and Morono (75 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.