The UFC returns to its home of Las Vegas with a pair of title fights this Saturday for UFC 320. Get yourself ready and in the know with another edition of MMA News staff fight predictions.
The event will be available exclusively on ESPN pay-per-view on Saturday, October 4. The main card will begin at its usual 10pm ET start time, with preliminary card action kicking off at 6pm ET.
The main event will feature a rematch for the UFC light heavyweight championship, as Magomed Ankalaev makes his first defense, taking on the man he won the belt from, Alex Pereira.
The pair first met at UFC 313 in March, with Ankalaev executing a perfect gameplan to nullify Pereira's offense and claim the championship. Ankalaev has not lost since dropping his UFC debut in March 2018, going 12-0-1 (1 NC) in that span. Pereira, who is also a former UFC middleweight champion, won the light heavyweight title by defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. He retained the title three times in 2024, defeating Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, Prochazka at UFC 303, and Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307.
The co-main event of the evening will also see gold on the line, as Merab Dvalishvili defends the UFC bantamweight championship against Cory Sandhagen.
Dvalishvili has not lost since dropping his first two Octagon bouts. After defeating Sean O'Malley for the title at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 last year, Dvalishvili has since retained the gold against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and O'Malley at UFC 316. Sandhagen has won four of his last five, most recently finishing Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines in May.
The rest of the UFC 320 main card will see light heavyweight action featuring Prochazka and Rountree Jr., a featherweight fight where Josh Emmett takes on Youssef Zalal, and a middleweight matchup between Abus Magomedov and Joe Pyfer.
UFC 320: MMA News Staff Predictions
With UFC 320 just a couple of short days away, Ryan Jarrell, Pranav Pandey, and myself (Thomas Albano) have provided our picks for the fights that make up the main card.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through nine cards in 2025.
- Pranav Pandey (23-19)
Thomas Albano (23-19) - Ryan Jarrell (22-20)
And now, let's take a look at everyone's picks for UFC 320!
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer
Pranav Pandey: Pyfer has put together a solid run in the UFC, and aside from that slip-up against Jack Hermansson, I still see him as a real threat in the middleweight division. Meanwhile, I’m not entirely convinced about Abus Magomedov’s consistency, though there’s no denying he has the power to end a fight if he finds his shot. Still, I believe “Bodybagz” will be the sharper, more dangerous fighter on the night, and I’m backing him to get the job done. (Prediction: Pyfer)
Thomas Albano: I don’t want to exclusively refer to this as grappler vs. striker, as Abus Magomedov has a decent all-around game. Having said that, with Pyfer being better with his striking – and perhaps a desire to put on a show after a lackluster win over Kelvin Gastelum – expect him to push the pace while Magomedov tries to hold him back. Magomedov is going to need to mix things up, and he’s going to have to avoid tiring himself out. If Magomedov tries to be too focused on getting an impressive finish himself, a brutal consequence might await. The longer the fight goes, I feel Pyfer will have more of an edge, so I will lean to him scoring the win here. (Prediction: Pyfer)
Ryan Jarrell: Joe Pyfer has the tools to be a real problem in the middleweight division and this matchup should be an interesting test for the surging fighter. Abus is a well rounded fighter on a nice three fight win streak with his most recent win over the dynamic, Michel Periera. I expect Bodybagz to use his strength and grappling skills to dictate where the fight takes place throughout the duration of the contest. Give me Pyfer to win a decision in the main card curtain jerker. (Prediction: Pyfer)
Consensus: 3-0 Pyfer
Featherweight: Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal
Pranav Pandey: Age could be a factor here, but with age comes experience, and Josh Emmett has plenty of that to lean on. He’s been around long enough to know how to trade with precision on the feet, and he still carries fight-ending power in his hands. Sure, his recent form hasn’t been the best, but those losses came against some of the elite in the division.
On the other side, Zalal brings youth, freshness, and a dangerous finishing instinct, especially when he’s able to drag opponents into his world on the canvas. The real question is whether Emmett can shrug off those grappling exchanges. If he can keep “The Moroccan Devil” from controlling the fight on the ground, I think the veteran has a very fair shot at reminding everyone why he’s still a serious threat. (Prediction: Emmett)
Thomas Albano: Simply put, this is a battle of experienced talent versus rising, talented youth name. Emmett’s got power and wrestling, and he shouldn’t be written off. That said, you can see age showing its presence by how he looked a little slower in his loss against Lerone Murphy. I could see Zalal utilizing his speed to land quick strikes and control the action around the Octagon – and potentially go tit-for-tat with Emmett on the ground. I’m not going to deny Emmett’s abilities and power, but I will say I think this is a fight where the youth wins out. (Prediction: Zalal)
Ryan Jarrell: Youssef Zalal looked absolutely incredible in the first two rounds of the Calvin Kattar fight. His timing and movement looked as good as I’ve seen at featherweight and if that version of the Moroccan devil shows up in Las Vegas then it will be a long night for the veteran fighter. Josh Emmett, however, has fight altering power and can change the trajectory of a fight with one shot. This fight will come down to just that. I believe the movement of Zalal will be too superior and he will avoid the power shots of Emmett en route to a smartly fought unanimous decision victory. (Prediction: Zalal)
Consensus: 2-1 Zalal
Light Heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
Pranav Pandey: This one screams top-tier violence, the kind of chaos that could swing either way. Both men are among the most dangerous strikers at 205 pounds, yet their styles couldn’t be more different, and that contrast is what makes this matchup so intriguing. Rountree Jr. is as fundamentally sound as they come, throwing clean, precise shots with bone-crushing power. “The War Horse” put on a strong showing against Pereira even though he fell short, and his fight with Jamahal Hill proved just how much he’s leveled up.
But things are never straightforward against Prochazka. He’s unorthodox, unpredictable, and nearly impossible to read. You never know what angle his strikes will come from or how he’ll set traps in the chaos. For me, this feels like a pure 50-50 fight, but if I have to choose, I’m putting my money on “BJP” to find a way in the madness. (Prediction: Prochazka)
Thomas Albano: After UFC Baku, people were calling for this match, and now it will be delivered. If you like power, if you like strikes, and if you especially like kicks, this is going to be the matchup for you. Both men are excellent strikers, albeit one (Prochazka) is more wild, while the other (Rountree) is more strategical. Both men are tough to finish, but even with a potential grappling edge in Rountree, I feel Prochazka will be looking to continuously pressure and use his power to put Rountree in trouble. And given their UFC resumes side-by-side as well, I’ll lean toward the former champion in this one. (Prediction: Prochazka)
Ryan Jarrell: This fight is so interesting because Rountree has the power to turn off anyone’s lights including Prochazka. We saw Khalil fight incredibly disciplined in his impressive win over the former champion, Jamahal Hill. I can honestly see a very similar fight happening here, however, Jiri is more dynamic and unpredictable inside the octagon. Because of that I expect some crazy moments where both men may be in trouble and it could come down to who fights the smarter fight. I don’t feel great about this pick but I will lean Rountree to stay disciplined and fight somewhat safe en route to a decision victory. (Prediction: Rountree)
Consensus: 3-0 Prochazka
Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen
Pranav Pandey: Few fighters earn their nicknames quite like “The Machine.” Dvalishvili is a generational talent, and I personally love watching his relentless style; elite opponents constantly struggle to figure him out. He imposes his will, grinding down challengers with his endless cardio and ceaseless pressure.
But then there’s Sandhagen, a master of striking, with fluid footwork, sharp angles, and a frame built to leverage every punch. In a world without Dvalishvili, Sandhagen’s weaponry could give almost anyone trouble. But the truth is, keeping pace with Merab’s relentless pressure and nonstop output is a different challenge altogether. “The Machine” shines when opponents try to chase him
“The Machine” will need to stay sharp against Sandhagen’s power shots; otherwise, he could cruise to another dominant control win, or maybe even a stoppage. (Prediction: Dvalishvili)
Thomas Albano: For Dvalishvili, this is a fight where if he wins, he may have locked up Fighter of the Year awards across MMA media when 2025 comes to an end. Sandhagen is a tough competitor with great boxing, and he will need to use it to secure a victory here. The problem is, with all due respect to him, I don’t see him as too much of a threat. Sure, he’s got good takedown defense, but Dvalishvili is another level of animal when it comes to takedowns and grappling. And even as champion, I feel Dvalishvili has continued to show improvements, from a comeback victory to retain against Umar Nurmagomedov, to being able to finish Sean O’Malley in their rematch. Give me Dvalishvili in a one-sided decision to keep the gold and lock himself in as 2025’s Fighter of the Year. (Prediction: Dvalishvili)
Ryan Jarrell: Until I actually see the Champion lose his belt, I just cannot pick against him. Merab has proven to be such a tough out for anyone in the world at 135 pounds. Cory Sandhagen has the skillset to be a champion and he definitely poses some interesting challenges to the champ. But at the end of day, Merab always finds a way to win and that’s exactly what I expect to see in the co-main event. Merab will dictate where the fight takes place and cruise to a unanimous decision victory. (Prediction: Dvalishvili)
Consensus: 3-0 Dvalishvili
Light Heavyweight Championship: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2
Pranav Pandey: After a first fight that fell short of expectations, this rematch feels like the redemption both fans and fighters were craving. Now that Ankalaev and Pereira have studied each other’s every move, we can expect a sharper, smarter, and more intense battle. At UFC 313, Ankalaev had the upper hand against "Poatan," making the most of his sharp striking and masterful counter-punching. Every grappling attempt he tried was neatly defended by Pereira, who struggled to get his offense going. Now, the big question is what new tricks Ankalaev will bring. With his arsenal of tools—from cutting angles with surgical precision to exploiting every weakness—he’s ready to constantly keep Pereira on edge.
On the flip side, I’m genuinely curious to see how Pereira has evolved for this rematch. In their first fight, he seemed hesitant to pull the trigger, but we all know "Poatan" carries some of the most devastating kicks in MMA. I think those kicks will be a crucial weapon to slow down Ankalaev’s forward pressure and shake up the fight’s rhythm.
Honestly, predicting this one has me torn. Both fighters bring incredible skill, and it could go either way. Still, I’m leaning toward Pereira to finally get the job done that slipped through his fingers last time. “Poatan’s” time to shine, but this is not going to be an easy night for him. (Prediction: Pereira)
Thomas Albano: Ultimately, the question here will be if Pereira is going to be able to make the adjustments from the first fight. His offense was completely neutralized by Ankalaev in March. He has claimed that he wasn’t at 100 percent for the fight (a fair argument perhaps given his activity level in 2024), but the UFC 313 bout showed that Ankalaev has what it takes to stop Pereira’s creative and powerful striking over the course of 25 minutes. And while I don’t want to count Chama out, if Ankalaev was able to do that once, what’s to say he won’t be able to do it again? (Prediction: Ankalaev)
Ryan Jarrell: My initial thought for this main event title fight was to pick Ankalaev to do the exact same thing we saw in their first tilt. But after hearing Poatan say he was injured and not close to 100%, I am hesitant to do so. If the former champ is being truthful about his previous injury, then this could be a vastly different fight then the one we saw at UFC 313. At the end of the day, Alex is 5 years older than the new champ in a sport where the young eat the old. I wouldn’t be shocked if Poatan lands one of his devastating strikes and wins by TKO, but I believe the safe play is to pick Ankalaev by decision. (Prediction: Ankalaev)
Consensus: 2-1 Ankalaev
That’ll do it for our UFC 320 staff picks! What do you think? Do your predictions look similar? Let us know in the comments section!
Also, you can check out the full UFC 320 card below.
Main Card:
- Light Heavyweight Championship: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira
- Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen
- Light Heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
- Featherweight: Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal
- Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer
Preliminary Card:
- Middleweight: Ateba Gautier vs. Treston Vines
- Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Muniz
- Bantamweight: Chris Gutierrez vs. Farid Basharat
- Featherweight: Daniel Santos vs. Joosang Yoo
Early Preliminary Card:
- Women's Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos
- Bantamweight: Patchy Mix vs. Jakub Wiklacz
- Welterweight: Punahele Soriano vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
- Welterweight: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Austin Vanderford