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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

UFC 278 predictions: Who are our three unanimous picks in Salt Lake City?

Usman
vs.
Edwards
Costa
vs.
Rockhold
Aldo
vs.
Dvalishvili
Pudilova
vs.
Yanan
Hunsucker
vs.
Pedro
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
134-86

Usman
(71%)

Costa
(73%)

Aldo
(63%)

Pudilova
(67%)

Pedro
(92%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
149-76
2018 Champion

Usman

Costa

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
143-82

Usman

Costa

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
141-84
2014 Champion

Usman

Costa

Dvalishvili

Pudilova

Pedro
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
139-86

Usman

Costa

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
135-90

Usman

Costa

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
135-90

Usman

Costa

Dvalishvili

Pudilova

Pedro
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
134-91

Usman

Rockhold

Dvalishvili

Pudilova

Pedro
Nolan King
@mma_kings
132-93

Usman

Costa

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
130-95
2017 Champion

Usman

Rockhold

Dvalishvili

Pudilova

Pedro
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
122-103

Usman

Rockhold

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
107-118

Usman

Costa

Aldo

Pudilova

Pedro

The UFC has touched down in Utah this week and the welterweight title is on the line at the top of the bill.

UFC 278 takes place Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

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

The main event features a highly anticipated rematch between welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) and Leon Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC). The two first fought in December 2015 in Usman’s first fight after winning Season 21 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Usman won a unanimous decision. Usman is a big -370 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Edwards is +265. All of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Usman to defend his title yet again. He’s one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

The co-main event features the return of former middleweight champ Luke Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), who will be fighting for the first time in more than three years when he meets Paulo Costa (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC). Costa is a -380 favorite at the betting window, but he’s not a unanimous pick. Still, he has a big 8-3 lead in our picks.

Also on the main card, former featherweight champ Jose Aldo (31-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC) takes on Merab Dvalishvili (14-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at bantamweight. Although Dvalishvili is a -140 favorite, it’s Aldo who has a 7-4 picks lead.

Lucie Pudilova (13-7 MMA, 2-5 UFC) is just a slight -125 favorite in her women’s bantamweight bout against Wu Yanan (13-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC), but she’s one of our three unanimous picks despite the closest odds on the entire 12-fight event.

And to open the main card, Tyson Pedro (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is the event’s biggest betting favorite at 8-1. Not surprisingly, he is a unanimous pick from our staff members in his light heavyweight bout against Harry Hunsucker (7-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC).

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Usman (71 percent), Costa (73 percent), Aldo (63 percent), Pudilova (67 percent) and Pedro (92 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.

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