Another Saturday fight day is here for our MMASucka staff picks.
The UFC returns to London, England for the second time of the year ahead of this afternoon’s UFC Fight Night 208. Six fights will lead the main card beginning at an earlier start time of 3:00pm ET (12:00pm PT) live for subscribers on ESPN+.
Results from all of UFC Fight Night 208: Blaydes vs. Aspinall will be available here at MMASucka.
Be sure to recap our staff picks from Friday night’s Bellator 283 event from Tacoma. Also, stay tuned this coming Tuesday the 26th for our Dana White’s Contender Series first card of 2022.
The Fights
Heavyweight title implications are likely around the corner for the winner of tonight’s main event between Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall.
Blaydes will attempt to make it three in-a-row after a September of 2021 decision over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and a March knockout of Chris Daukaus. The former NCAA wrestler looks for the most in his 16th promotional fight in hopes to be en route to his first UFC title shot. Blaydes’s opponent, Aspinall, will have the hometown advantage targeting a ninth straight victory since his days competing in BAMMA. Seven of the Englishman’s last eight wins have come by stoppage in the first round including a first-round armbar over Alexander Volkov in mid-March.
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In the co-main event, Jack Hermansson will meet Chris Curtis at 185 pounds. Sweden’s Hermansson aims for a strong bounce-back after his February split decision defeat to Sean Strickland. “The Action Man” Curtis plans to continue turning heads in his fourth UFC fight riding a dominant eight-fight win streak including a decision over Rodolfo Vieira just 28 days ago.
Also competing on the main card sees the fast-rising star of former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Paddy Pimblett and the long-awaited return of fan-favorite veteran Alexander Gustafsson. Find our staff picks for all the main card of UFC Fight Night 208 further below.
Staff Picks
Staff picks in 2022 will follow the same set of rules from the 2021 season. Throughout the calendar year, staff picks will be composed of main card fights from both UFC and Bellator events. Main card fights and selected preliminary fights will be included for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the entire fight card.
The WINNER of staff picks in 2022 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. A winner is determined simply by the individual correctly picking the most victorious fighters at the year’s end. Nate Freeman secured his first victory with MMASucka in 2021 with a compiled record 243-136.
Who are the MMASucka staff picking to win at Bellator 283: Lima vs. Jackson?
Staff Records after UFC on ABC 3:
1T. Wesley Riddle: 135-68
1T. Nate Freeman: 135-68
3. Michael DeSantis: 132-71
4. Frazer Krohn: 131-72
5. William Dong: 128-75
6. Julio Monteros Jr.: 127-65
7. Jeremy Brand: 125-72
8. Mike Lynch: 123-74
9. Chris Presnell: 120-77
10. Andrew Benjamin: 118-85
11. Tim Wheaton: 117-60
12. Brandon Joint: 103-65
13. Ash Camyab: 95-67
14. Coby Weinsier: 87-47
15. Jack Goodwillie: 86-37
16. Brian Knight: 82-57
17. Chinyere Okafor: 72-38
18. Jacek Okninski: 69-54
19. Mat Bricker: 24-22
20. Joe Porter: 11-5
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – Bellator 283 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Paul Craig (16-4-1), +130
vs.
Volkan Oezdemir (17-6), -150
Light Heavyweight Division
~ 205 lbs. ~
Jeremy Brand: Craig via Round 3 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Craig via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Oezdemir via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Craig via Round 2 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Craig via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Craig via Round 2 SUB
Nate Freeman: Craig via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Craig via Round 1 SUB
Chris Presnell: Craig via Round 2 SUB
Brandon Joint: Oezdemir via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Craig via Round 1 SUB
Julio Monteros Jr.: Craig via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Craig via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Oezdemir via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Craig: 11
Staff picking Oezdemir: 3
Molly McCann (12-4), -450
vs.
Hannah Goldy (6-2), +360
Flyweight Division
~ 125 lbs. ~
Jeremy Brand: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: McCann via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Joint: Goldy via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: McCann via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking McCann: 13
Staff picking Goldy: 1
Nikita Krylov (27-9), -205
vs.
Alexander Gustafsson (18-7), +175
Light Heavyweight Division
~ 205 lbs. ~
Jeremy Brand: Gustafsson via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Gustafsson via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Krylov via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Gustafsson via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Gustafsson via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Gustafsson via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Gustafsson via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Gustafsson via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Gustafsson via Round 2 TKO
Brandon Joint: Krylov via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Krylov via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Gustafsson via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Gustafsson via Split Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Krylov via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Krylov: 4
Staff picking Gustafsson: 10
Paddy Pimblett (18-3), -250
vs.
Jordan Leavitt (10-1), +210
Lightweight Division
~ 155 lbs. ~
Jeremy Brand: Pimblett via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Pimblett via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Pimblett via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Pimblett via Round 2 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Pimblett via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Pimblett via Round 3 TKO
Nate Freeman: Pimblett via Round 2 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Pimblett via Round 3 TKO
Chris Presnell: Pimblett via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Joint: Leavitt via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Pimblett via Round 1 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Pimblett via Round 2 TKO
Brian Knight: Pimblett via Round 2 TKO
Jack Goodwillie: Pimblett via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Pimblett: 13
Staff picking Leavitt: 1
Jack Hermansson (22-7), -110
vs.
Chris Curtis (29-8), -110
Middleweight Co-Main Event
~ 185 lbs. ~
Jeremy Brand: Hermansson via Round 3 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Curtis via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Curtis via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Curtis via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Curtis via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Curtis via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Curtis via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Curtis via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Hermansson via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Joint: Hermansson via Round 3 SUB
William Dong: Hermansson via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Hermansson via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Curtis via Unanimous Decision
Jack Goodwillie: Hermansson via Split Decision
Staff picking Hermansson: 6
Staff picking Curtis: 8
Curtis Blaydes (16-3, 1 NC), +120
vs.
Tom Aspinall (12-2), -140
Heavyweight Main Event
~ 265 lbs. ~
Jeremy Brand: Aspinall via Round 3 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Aspinall via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Aspinall via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Blaydes via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Aspinall via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Aspinall via Round 4 SUB
Nate Freeman: Aspinall via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Aspinall via Round 3 TKO
Chris Presnell: Aspinall via Round 1 TKO
Brandon Joint: Blaydes via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Aspinall via Round 3 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Aspinall via Round 2 TKO
Brian Knight: Aspinall via Round 3 TKO
Jack Goodwillie: Blaydes via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Blaydes: 3
Staff picking Aspinall: 11
*Fight odds from DraftKings*
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 208 FEATURED IMAGE:
Embed from Getty Images
