UFC Fight Night 276 is set to deliver another thrilling night of action this Saturday, live from the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The featherweight division takes center stage, with a stacked card headlined by a compelling matchup between Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa. Our team of 10 editors, writers, radio hosts, and videographers has crunched the numbers and submitted their picks, giving you an inside look at the consensus favorites and potential upsets.
The main event features Allen (20-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) against Costa (26-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC), and the picks are split. While Allen holds a slight edge in fan voting (54% favor him), our experts are divided. Danny Segura, Mike Bohn, and several others back Allen, but a significant group, including Nolan King, Matt Erickson, and Brian Garcia, are siding with Costa. This is a classic striker vs. grappler clash that could go either way.
Elsewhere on the card, the featherweight battle between Doo Ho Choi (16-4-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) and Bill Algeo (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has fans leaning toward Santos (57%), but our experts are split. Santos gets the nod from most, but Choi has strong support from Matt Erickson and Matthew Wells, suggesting this could be a Fight of the Night contender.
In the women's flyweight division, Melissa Gatto (15-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) takes on Ariane Lipski (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), with Wellmaker being a near-unanimous pick (88% of readers agree). Every single expert chose Wellmaker, making her the safest bet on the card.
The light heavyweight bout between Modestas Bukauskas (19-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Marcin Prachnio (8-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is another lopsided affair, with Bukauskas getting 79% of reader support and all but one expert pick. Matt Erickson is the lone dissenter, backing Edwards for an upset.
In the welterweight division, a pair of exciting prospects collide: Jai Herbert (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Chris Duncan (12-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC). Sopaj is the favorite among readers (67%) and most experts, though Mike Bohn, Ken Hathaway, and Brian Garcia are going with Cuamba.
Rounding out the main card, the lightweight bout between Nasrat Haqparast (14-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and Jamie Mullarkey (15-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) sees Williams as the slight favorite (-120 odds) and the pick of most readers (60%). However, our experts are split down the middle: Danny Segura, Mike Bohn, and others favor Veretennikov, while Nolan King, Matthew Wells, and Brian Garcia back Williams.
With a mix of heavy favorites and contentious matchups, UFC Fight Night 276 promises fireworks. Whether you're backing the consensus picks or rooting for an underdog, this card has something for every MMA fan. Tune in Saturday night to see who comes out on top!