UFC on ESPN 36 predictions: Can ex-champ Jan Blachowicz get back on track vs. Aleksandar Rakic?
Blachowicz | Cutelaba | Grant | Chookagian | Camacho | Hadley | |
MMA Junkie readers’ | 
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Abbey Subhan |
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Ken Hathaway  2018 Champion | 
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Mike Bohn 2014 Champion |
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Matt Erickson |
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Simon Samano |
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Matthew Wells |
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Nolan King |
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Brian Garcia 2017 Champion |
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Farah Hannoun |
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George Garcia |
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Danny Segura |
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The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week with a former champion at the top of the bill.
UFC on ESPN 36 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, former light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) takes on Aleksandar Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Rakic is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Blachowicz is +150. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Rakic at a pretty high 8-3 clip.
In the co-feature, Ion Cutelaba (16-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) meets Ryan Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in another light heavyweight bout. Cutelaba is a -240 favorite, but it’s underdog Spann with a big 9-2 picks lead.
Also on the main card, Davey Grant (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC will go after his fifth straight post-fight bonus award when he takes on Louis Smolka (17-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) at bantamweight. Grant is more than a 3-1 favorite and has a big 8-3 edge in the picks from our staff members.
Former women’s flyweight title challenger Katlyn Chookagian (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will go after her fourth straight win when she meets Amanda Ribas (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC). Chookagian nearly is a 2-1 favorite and only one of our pickers is taking Ribas in an upset.
Frank Camacho (22-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC) returns after a hiatus of nearly two years to take on Manuel Torres (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at lightweight. Torres is a modest -130 favorite – the smallest favorite on the main card. But he’s a near-unanimous pick at 11-1.
And to open the main card, we have our only unanimous pick: -230 favorite Jake Hadley (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is an 11-0 pick against Allan Nascimento (18-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in their flyweight bout.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blachowicz (56 percent), Spann (53 percent), Grant (80 percent), Ribas (52 percent), Torres (73 percent) and Hadley (81 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
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