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USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

UFC Fight Night 244 predictions: Is unbeaten Tatsuro Taira one of our unanimous picks?

(This story was updated to add new information, and because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

The UFC is back on its home turf this week with a pair of flyweight contenders at the top of the lineup in “Sin City.”

UFC Fight Night 244 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Get main card pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Alex Morono vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono

Records: Morono (24-10 MMA, 13-7 UFC), Rodriguez (17-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Past five: Morono 2-3, Rodriguez 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.11.24): Morono +180, Rodriguez -220
Junkie pick results: Rodriguez 6, Morono 5

Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia

Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia

Records: Dawson (12-2-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC), Garcia (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Past five: Dawson 4-1, Garcia 4-1
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: Dawson No. 8
Odds (as of 10.11.24): Dawson -425, Garcia +330
Junkie pick results: Dawson 11, Garcia 0

Jared Gooden vs. Chidi Njokuani

Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden

Records: Gooden (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC), Njokuani (23-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Past five: Gooden 3-2, Njokuani 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.11.24): Gooden +140, Njokuani -170
Junkie pick results: Njokuani 10, Gooden 1

JunYong Park vs. Brad Tavares

Brad Tavares vs. JunYong Park

Records: Park (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Tavares (20-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC)
Past five: Park 4-1, Tavares 2-3
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.11.24): Park -200, Tavares +165
Junkie pick results: Park 6, Tavares 5

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

Records: Royval (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Past five: Royval 4-1, Taira 5-0
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: Royval No. 3, Taira No. 6
Odds (as of 10.11.24): Royval +240, Taira -300
Junkie pick results: Taira 10, Royval 1

Preliminary card picks

Julia Polastri vs. Cory McKenna

Although they don’t count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:

  • Ramazonbek Temirov vs. CJ Vergara: Temirov 10, Vergara 1
  • Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini: Sabatini 9, Pearce 2
  • Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price: Gorimbo 11, Price 0
  • Sean Sharaf vs. Junior Tafa: Tafa 11, Sharaf 0
  • Cory McKenna vs. Julia Polastri: McKenna 9, Polastri 2
  • Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon: Haddon 10, Argueta
  • Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha: Carpenter 6, Rocha 5

Check out all the main card picks below.

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

Royval
vs.
Taira
Park
vs.
Tavares
Gooden
vs.
Njokuani
Dawson
vs.
Garcia
Morono
vs.
Rodriguez
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
164-93

Taira
(65%)

Park
(62%)

Njokuani
(77%)

Dawson
(87%)

Rodriguez
(76%)
Ken Hathaway
@1khathaway
170-87
2017, 2022 Champion

Taira

Park

Njokuani

Dawson

Morono
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
168-89

Taira

Park

Njokuani

Dawson

Morono
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
163-94
2014 Champion

Taira

Tavares

Njokuani

Dawson

Rodriguez
Nolan King
@mma_kings
159-98
2023 Champion

Taira

Park

Njokuani

Dawson

Rodriguez
Matt Erickson
@MattE
158-99

Taira

Park

Njokuani

Dawson

Morono
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
157-100

Taira

Park

Njokuani

Dawson

Morono
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
155-102

Taira

Tavares

Njokuani

Dawson

Morono
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
153-104

Taira

Park

Njokuani

Dawson

Rodriguez
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
153-104
2017 Champion

Taira

Tavares

Njokuani

Dawson

Rodriguez
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
148-109

Taira

Tavares

Njokuani

Dawson

Rodriguez
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
139-118

Royval

Tavares

Njokuani

Dawson

Rodriguez

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

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