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

UFC on ABC 3 predictions: Brian Ortega or Yair Rodriguez on Long Island?

Ortega
vs.
Rodriguez
Lemos
vs.
Waterson
Jingliang
vs.
Salikhov
Mudaerji
vs.
Schnell
Burgos
vs.
Jourdain
Murphy
vs.
Tate
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
117-63
ortega2022
Ortega
(63%)
lemos2022
Lemos
(65%)
salikhov2022
Salikhov
(64%)
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
(63%)
burgos2022
Burgos
(74%)
tate2022
Tate
(72%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
123-62
trophy copy 2018 Champion
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
jingliang2022
Jingliang
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
burgos2022
Burgos
murphy2022
Murphy
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
119-66
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
jingliang2022
Jingliang
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
119-66
trophy copy 2014 Champion
rodriguez2022
Rodriguez
lemos2022
Lemos
salikhov2022
Salikhov
schnell2022
Schnell
jourdain2022
Jourdain
tate2022
Tate
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
117-68
rodriguez2022
Rodriguez
lemos2022
Lemos
jingliang2022
Jingliang
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
jourdain2022
Jourdain
tate2022
Tate
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
117-68
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
jingliang2022
Jingliang
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
116-69
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
jingliang2022
Jingliang
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
110-75
rodriguez2022
Rodriguez
lemos2022
Lemos
salikhov2022
Salikhov
schnell2022
Schnell
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
Nolan King
@mma_kings
110-75
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
salikhov2022
Salikhov
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
109-76
trophy copy 2017 Champion
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
jingliang2022
Jingliang
mudaerji2022
Mudaerji
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
103-82
ortega2022
Ortega
lemos2022
Lemos
salikhov2022
Salikhov
schnell2022
Schnell
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
89-96
rodriguez2022
Rodriguez
lemos2022
Lemos
salikhov2022
Salikhov
schnell2022
Schnell
burgos2022
Burgos
tate2022
Tate

The UFC is back in New York on Long Island this week with a pair of featherweight contenders atop the lineup.

UFC on ABC 3 takes place Saturday at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. The main card airs on ABC and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) takes on Yair Rodriguez (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in a key bout for the division. Ortega is a -190 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Rodriguez is +145. But it’s not a blowout with our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, who have Ortega with a 7-4 lead in the picks.

In the women’s flyweight co-feature, Amanda Lemos (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Michelle Waterson (18-9 MMA, 6-5 UFC). Lemos is the biggest favorite on the main card at -320 and is our staff members’ only unanimous pick at 11-0.

Also on the main card, Li Jingliang (18-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) takes on Muslim Salikhov (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a welterweight bout. Salikhov is a -160 favorite, but our staff pickers have Jingliang with a narrow 6-5 picks lead.

Su Mudaerji (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is a big -260 favorite against Matt Schnell (15-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC) in their flyweight bout, but he doesn’t have a blowout in the picks. He has just a 7-4 edge from our crew.

Shane Burgos (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is a -170 favorite in his featherweight fight against Charles Jourdain (13-4-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) and has a 9-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, former women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (19-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC) makes her first appearance at flyweight. She’s more than a 2-1 favorite against Lauren Murphy (15-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and is a near-unanimous pick at 10-1.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Ortega (63 percent), Lemos (65 percent), Salikhov (64 percent), Mudaerji (63 percent), Burgos (74 percent) and Tate (72 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 3.

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