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UFC Fight Night 208 predictions: Who are we picking in big bouts in London?

Blaydes
vs.
Aspinall

Curtis
vs.
Hermansson

Leavitt
vs.
Pimblett

Gustafsson
vs.
Krylov

Goldy
vs.
McCann

Craig
vs.
Oezdemir

MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
119-67

aspinall2022


Aspinall
(65%)

curtis2022


Curtis
(60%)

pimblett2022


Pimblett
(76%)

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson
(63%)

mccann2022


McCann
(83%)

craig2022


Craig
(69%)

Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
127-64

trophy copy

2018 Champion

blaydes2022


Blaydes

curtis2022


Curtis

leavitt2022


Leavitt

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
122-69

blaydes2022


Blaydes

curtis2022


Curtis

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
122-69

trophy copy

2014 Champion

blaydes2022


Blaydes

hermansson2022


Hermansson

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
120-71

aspinall2022


Aspinall

curtis2022


Curtis

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
120-71

blaydes2022


Blaydes

curtis2022


Curtis

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Simon Samano
@SJSamano
119-72

aspinall2022


Aspinall

curtis2022


Curtis

leavitt2022


Leavitt

krylov2022


Krylov

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
114-77

blaydes2022


Blaydes

hermansson2022


Hermansson

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

oezdemir2022


Oezdeir

Brian Garcia
@thegoze
112-79

trophy copy

2017 Champion

blaydes2022


Blaydes

hermansson2022


Hermansson

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Nolan King
@mma_kings
112-79

blaydes2022


Blaydes

hermansson2022


Hermansson

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

oezdemir2022


Oezdeir

George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
106-85

blaydes2022


Blaydes

curtis2022


Curtis

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
93-98

blaydes2022


Blaydes

curtis2022


Curtis

pimblett2022


Pimblett

gustafsson2022


Gustafsson

mccann2022


McCann

craig2022


Craig

The UFC is back in London just four months after its highly successful event there in March, and heavyweights are at the top of the lineup.

UFC Fight Night 208 takes place Saturday at The O2 in London. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, Curtis Blaydes (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) takes on Tom Aspinall (12-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) at heavyweight. Aspinall, from England, is a slight -145 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Blaydes is +115. But our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers mostly see it the other way. Blaydes has a big 9-2 advantage in the picks.

In the middleweight co-feature, Jack Hermansson (22-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) meets short-notice replacement Chris Curtis (29-8 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who stepped in for the injured Darren Till. The fight nearly is a pick’em at the betting window, but it’s Curtis with a 7-4 edge from our staff members.

Also on the main card, rising British star Paddy Pimblett (18-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) fights Jordan Leavitt (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at lightweight. Pimblett is a -270 favorite and has a big 9-2 picks lead.

Three-time light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson (18-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is back in the division after a one-fight stint at heavyweight in 2020. He is a +160 underdog against -210 favorite Nikita Krylov (27-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC). But despite the betting odds in Krylov’s favor, Gustafsson is a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

Our lone unanimous pick on the main card is another British fan favorite, Pimblett’s teammate Molly McCann (12-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC). She’s the main card’s biggest favorite at -420 for her women’s flyweight bout against Hannah Goldy (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), and she has a shutout in the picks at 11-0.

And to open the main card, Paul Craig (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) takes on former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir (17-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC), who is a -155 favorite. But despite that, +120 underdog Craig has a big 9-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Aspinall (65 percent), Curtis (60 percent), Pimblett (76 percent), Gustafsson (63 percent), McCann (83 percent) and Craig (69 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 208.

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