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

UFC on ABC 4 predictions: Can Jairzinho Rozenstruik upset Jailton Almeida in Charlotte?

Rozenstruik
vs.
Almeida
Smith
vs.
Walker
Garry
vs.
Rodriguez
Potieria
vs.
Ulberg
Means
vs.
Morono
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
66-49

Almeida
(77%)

Walker
(50.1%)

Garry
(61%)

Ulberg
(83%)

Morono
(77%)
Matt Erickson
@MattE
75-40

Almeida

Walker

Garry

Ulberg

Morono
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
73-42

Almeida

Walker

Garry

Ulberg

Morono
Nolan King
@mma_kings
71-44

Almeida

Smith

Rodriguez

Ulberg

Morono
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
70-45

Almeida

Smith

Garry

Ulberg

Morono
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
70-45

Almeida

Smith

Garry

Ulberg

Means
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
68-47
2014 Champion

Almeida

Smith

Rodriguez

Ulberg

Morono
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
-65-50
2018, 2022 Champion

Almeida

Smith

Rodriguez

Ulberg

Morono
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
65-50

Rozenstruik

Walker

Garry

Ulberg

Means
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
63-52

Almeida

Walker

Garry

Ulberg

Means
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
62-53

Almeida

Walker

Garry

Ulberg

Morono
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
62-53
2017 Champion

Rozenstruik

Smith

Garry

Potieria

Morono

The UFC is back on the road this week for a rare daytime event in North Carolina, and heavyweights top the lineup.

UFC on ABC 4 takes place Saturday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The main card airs on ABC at 3 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ that start early at 11:30 a.m.

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

In the main event, Jairzinho Rozenstruik (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) takes on Jailton Almeida (18-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at heavyweight. Almeida is more than a 5-1 favorite at some sportsbooks, and he’s got a big lead in the picks from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, who have it as a blowout for Almeida at 9-2.

In the co-feature, the closest fight on the main card from a betting perspective is between former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith (36-17 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and Johnny Walker (20-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC). The fight nearly is a pick’em at the betting window, and it’s close with our staff members, too, who have Smith with the smallest possible edge at 6-5.

Also on the main card, up-and-coming Irish welterweight Ian Machado Garry (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts his unbeaten record on the line against his most accomplished opponent yet, Daniel Rodriguez (17-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC). Garry is about a -250 favorite and he has a big 8-3 picks lead.

Ihor Potieria (19-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) meets Carlos Ulberg (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in a light heavyweight fight that has Ulberg as a big betting favorite at -450. He’s got a near-unanimous lead in the picks, too – just one of our staff members has Potieria in an upset.

And to open the main card, Tim Means (32-14-1 MMA, 14-11 UFC) takes on Alex Morono (22-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) at welterweight. Morono is more than a 2-1 favorite and he has a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Almeida (77 percent), Walker (50.1 percent), Garry (61 percent), Ulberg (83 percent) and Morono (77 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 4.

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