The first quarter of 2023 nears its end as the second-half of our double-header weekend for MMASucka staff picks is ready to go.
UFC on ESPN 43 takes place tonight, March 25th from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. This marks the promotional return to The Alamo City for the first time since UFC on ESPN 4 in July of 2019 and only the third time from the city in UFC history. Prelims will begin at 4:00pm ET (1:00pm PT) followed by the main card at 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT) with all fights available to view on ESPN and ESPN+.
Stay tuned to MMASucka for live results from the entirety of UFC on ESPN 43: Vera vs. Sandhagen.
Also, be sure to recap our staff picks from Friday night’s ONE Fight Night 8 event in Kallang.
The Fights
Bantamweight implications ride high in tonight’s featured main event between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen.
For a third consecutive fight, Vera will make his third headlining appearance with the UFC after a successful 2022 seeing victories over Rob Font by unanimous decision and Dominick Cruz by fourth-round knockout. A win for the Ecuadorian would be his fifth in-a-row and likely enough to warrant a shot against the victor of May 6th’s championship fight between current champion Aljamain Sterling and the returning former champion of Henry Cejudo. Similar could arguably be said for his opponent, Sandhagen, who snapped a two-fight skid with a doctor stoppage win last September of Song Yadong. The former interim title challenger knows a finish could be the needed way for a shot at gold having stopped ten of his 15 total professional victories through 19 matches in eight years.
Women’s bantamweights of Holly Holm and Yana Santos are set for battle in the co-main event slot. Former divisional champion Holm, fresh off signing a new six-fight UFC contract, looks to bounce back strong following her May of 2022 defeat to Ketlen Vieira in a debatable split decision. Former title challenger and Invicta FC title holder Santos returns to the octagon after a near-two year hiatus due to the birth of her daughter and where, in her mid-2021 fight, she was met with a first-round knockout loss against Irene Aldana.
Four additional fights make up the main card ahead. See our staff picks for UFC on ESPN 43 further below.
On stage for the final face off 🔥
DO NOT miss @ChitoVeraUFC and @CorySandhagen tomorrow at #UFCSanAntonio!
[ Prelims 4:30pmET | Main Card 7pmET | LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/ZvqRZM27zU
— UFC (@ufc) March 25, 2023
2023 Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of five promotions: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature picks from only main cards. PFL will feature select fights from the main and preliminary card while DWCS sees all fights counted from the event. ONE Championship returns to picks for the first time since 2020 and will feature only mixed martial arts (MMA) fights selected from cards with a minimum three matchups.
The WINNER of staff picks at the end of 2023, who picked the most victorious fighters, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2022 was won by Wesley Riddle with a record of 264-135.
Find out below who are the MMASucka staff picking to win from the main card of tonight’s UFC on ESPN 43: Vera vs. Sandhagen.
Staff Records after UFC 286:
1. Ben Jamieson: 41-20
2. Nate Freeman: 40-21
3T. Jeremy Brand: 38-23
3T. Tim Wheaton: 38-23
5. Frazer Krohn: 37-24
6T. Wesley Riddle: 36-25
6T. Michael DeSantis: 36-25
6T. Roemello Reyes: 36-22
9. Jack Goodwillie: 35-21
10. Julio Monteros Jr.: 32-21
11. Brian Knight: 29-23
12. Andrew Benjamin: 27-29
13. Brandon Joint: 12-9
14. Andrew Harbaugh: 10-7
15. Joshua Yule: 7-6
16. Jonathan Andrade: 2-3
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – ONE Fight Night 8 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Chidi Njokuani (22-8), -155
vs.
Albert Duraev (15-4), +135
– Middleweight Division –
– 185 LBS. ~ 83.9 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Njokuani via Round 1 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Njokuani via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Njokuani via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Njokuani via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Njokuani via Round 3 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Duraev via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Duraev via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Duraev via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Duraev via Unanimous Decision
Roemello Reyes: Njokuani via Round 1 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Njokuani via Round 1 TKO
Jonathan Andrade: Njokuani via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Njokuani: 8
Staff picking Duraev: 4
Alex Perez (24-7), +165
vs.
Manel Kape (18-6), -195
– Flyweight Division –
– 125 LBS. ~ 56.7 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Perez via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Kape via Round 3 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Kape via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Kape via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Kape via Round 3 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Kape via Round 3 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Kape via Round 2 TKO
Brian Knight: Kape via Split Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Kape via Round 3 TKO
Roemello Reyes: Kape via Round 2 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Kape via Round 3 TKO
Jonathan Andrade: Perez via Split Decision
Staff picking Perez: 2
Staff picking Kape: 10
Andrea Lee (13-6), +220
vs.
Maycee Barber (11-2), -260
– Women’s Flyweight Division –
– 125 LBS. ~ 56.7 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Barber via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Lee via Split Decision
Roemello Reyes: Barber via Split Decision
Ben Jamieson: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Jonathan Andrade: Barber via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Lee: 1
Staff picking Barber: 11
Nate Landwehr (16-4), -200
vs.
Austin Lingo (9-1), +170
– Featherweight Division –
– 145 LBS. ~ 65.8 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Landwehr via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Landwehr via Round 2 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Lingo via Round 2 TKO
Jack Goodwillie: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Roemello Reyes: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Landwehr via Unanimous Decision
Jonathan Andrade: Lingo via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Landwehr: 10
Staff picking Lingo: 2
Holly Holm (14-6), -240
vs.
Yana Santos (14-6), +200
– Women’s Bantamweight Division –
– Co-Main Event –
– 135 LBS. ~ 61.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Holm via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Roemello Reyes: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Holm via Unanimous Decision
Jonathan Andrade: Holm via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Holm: 12
Staff picking Santos: 0
Marlon Vera (20-7-1), +135
vs.
Cory Sandhagen (15-4), -155
– Bantamweight Division –
– Main Event –
– 115 LBS. ~ 52.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Vera via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Sandhagen via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Vera via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Vera via Round 4 TKO
Brian Knight: Sandhagen via Round 4 TKO
Jack Goodwillie: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Roemello Reyes: Sandhagen via Round 3 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Sandhagen via Round 1 TKO
Jonathan Andrade: Vera via Round 4 TKO
Staff picking Vera: 4
Staff picking Sandhagen: 8
