Who picked Mackenzie Dern to upset Amanda Rivas?

The UFC returns to its home base in Las Vegas this week to kick off the calendar year with a rematch in the women’s strawweight division as the highlight.

UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Get top card picks and additional analysis from 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers below.

Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano

Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic

Record: Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Last 5 games: Medic 3-2, Soriano 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Ranking: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Medic -220, Soriano +180
Junkie pick results: Medic 7, Soriano 4

Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez

Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Basi

Record: Basi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Last 5 games: Basi 5-0, Rodriguez 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Ranking: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Basi -270, Rodriguez +220
Junkie pick results: Basi 10, Rodriguez 1

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov

Record: Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Last 5: Curtis 2-3, Kopylov 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Ranking: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Curtis +190, Kopylov -230
Junkie pick results: Curtis 7, Kopylov 4

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida

Record: Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Last 5 games: Alhassan 2-3, Almeida 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Ranking: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Alhassan +205, Almeida -250
Junkie pick results: Almeida 8, Alhassan 3

Carlston Harris vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris

Record: Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC)
Last 5: Harris 3-2, Ponzinibbio 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Ranking: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Harris +120, Ponzinibbio -140
Junkie pick results: Ponzinibbio 8, Harris 3

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Rivas

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Rivas

Record: Dern (MMA 15-5, UFC 10-5), Rivas (MMA 12-6, UFC 7-5)
Last 5 games: Dern 2-3, Rivas 2-3
Division: Women’s Strawweight
Ranking: Dern 7th, Rivas 14th
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Delun +160, Rivas -190
Junkie pick results: Dern 7, Ribas 4

preliminary card picks

Ernesta Kalekaite vs. Nicole Cagliari

Although they will not count towards the standings, MMA Junkie staff members will still select fights in the prelims. Here are the results:

Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson: Johnson 9, Bunes 2 Ihor Potieria vs. Marco Tullio: Tulio 11, Pottieria 0 Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden: Moises 10, Ogden 1 Preston Parsons vs. Jacob Tullio Smith: Smith 11, Parsons 0 Nicole Cagliari vs. Ernesta Kalekite: Cagliari 6, Kalekite 5 Magomed Gaziyaslov vs. Bruno Lopez: Gaziyaslov 11, Lopez 0 Viktoria Dudakova vs. Fatima Klein: Klein 7, Kududakova 4 Nurlo Aliyev vs. Joe Solecki: Aliyev 11, Solecki 0

Check out all the main card picks below.

(Click here to open a PDF of the Staff Pick Grid in a new window.)

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC Fight Night 249 event hub. ;l;/