UFC Fight Night 197 predictions: Max Holloway is unanimous, but what about Yadong?

	Holloway vs. Rodriguez	de Lima vs. Rothwell	Letson vs. Spencer	Baeza vs. Williams	Arce vs. Yadong
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 190-104	holloway2021 Holloway (88%)	rothwell2021 Rothwell (72%)	spencer2021 Spencer (86%)	baeza2021 Baeza (51%)	yadong2021 Yadong (81%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 194-100	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 188-106	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 184-110 trophy copy 2014 Champion	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 182-112 trophy copy 2020 Champion	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	arce2021 Arce
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 182-112	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 181-113	holloway2021 Holloway	delima2021 de Lima	spencer2021 Spencer	williams2021 Williams	yadong2021 Yadong
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 177-117	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 177-117 trophy copy 2018 Champion	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 172-122	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	arce2021 Arce
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 171-123 trophy copy 2017 Champion	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 169-125	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 169-125	holloway2021 Holloway	rothwell2021 Rothwell	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 2021: 110-68	holloway2021 Holloway	delima2021 de Lima	spencer2021 Spencer	baeza2021 Baeza	yadong2021 Yadong

The UFC is back home in Las Vegas this week with a former champion at the top of the lineup.

UFC Fight Night 197 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, former featherweight champion Max Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) takes on Yair Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who is fighting for the first time in more than two years. Holloway is a huge -800 favorite at Tipico; the comeback on Rodriguez is +470. Given those odds, it’s not surprising that not a single one of our 13 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers is picking against Holloway.

In the co-feature, Marcos Rogerio de Lima (18-7-1 MMA, 7-5 UFC) meets Ben Rothwell (39-13 MMA, 9-7 UFC) at heavyweight. And though Rothwell only is a -165 favorite, he’s got the support of 11 of our 13 staff members.

Also on the main card, Leah Letson (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on former Invicta champion and former UFC women’s featherweight title challenger Felicia Spencer (8-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC). Spencer is a big -320 favorite, and she’s our other unanimous pick.

Miguel Baeza (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) may be just a -150 favorite at welterweight against Khaos Williams (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), but he’s got a near-unanimous picks lead at 12-1.

And to open the main card, Song Yadong (17-5-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) is a slim -140 favorite at featherweight against Julio Arce (17-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC). Yadong has most of our backing – he’s an 11-2 pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Holloway (88 percent), Rothwell (72 percent), Spencer (86 percent), Baeza (51 percent) and Yadong (81 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

List

UFC Fight Night 197 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Which trio is on the call?

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