UFC on ESPN 65 predictions: Who's picking Josh Emmett to hand Lerone Murphy first loss?
UFC on ESPN 65 (ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Torrez Finney vs. Rob Valentin
Records: Finney (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Valentin (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Past five: Finney 5-0, Valentin 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 04.05.25): Finney -300, Valentin +240
Junkie pick results: Finney 11, Valentin 0
Luis Gurule vs. Ode Osbourne
Records: Gurule (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Osbourne (12-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC)
Past five: Gurule 5-0, Osbourne 1-4
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 04.05.25): Gurule -245, Osbourne +200
Junkie pick results: Gurule 9, Osbourne 2
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Brad Tavares
Records: Meerschaert (37-18 MMA, 12-10 UFC), Tavares (20-10 MMA, 15-10 UFC)
Past five: Meerschaert 2-3, Tavares 1-4
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 04.05.25): Meerschaert +165, Tavares -200
Junkie pick results: Tavares 7, Meerschaert 4
ChangHo Lee vs. Cortavious Romious
Records: Lee (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Romious (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Past five: Lee 4-1, Romious 3-2
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 04.05.25): Lee -130, Romious +110
Junkie pick results: Lee 11, Romious 0
Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini
Records: Brito (17-4-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Sabatini (19-5 MMA, 6-22 UFC)
Past five: Brito 4-1, Sabatini 3-2
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 04.05.25): Brito -230, Sabatini +190
Junkie pick results: Brito 9, Sabatini 2
Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy
Records: Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC), Murphy (15-0-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC)
Past five: Emmett 3-2, Murphy 5-0
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: Emmett No. 6, Murphy No. 12
Odds (as of 04.05.25): Emmett +260, Murphy -325
Junkie pick results: Murphy 8, Emmett 3
Preliminary card picks
Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
Dione Barbosa vs. Diana Belbita: Barbosa 9, Belbita 2
Barbosa 9, Belbita 2 Daniel Frunza vs. Rhys McKee: Frunza 10, McKee 1
Frunza 10, McKee 1 Loma Lookboonmee vs. Istela Nunes: Lookboonmee 11, Nunes 0
Lookboonmee 11, Nunes 0 Pedro Falcao vs. Victor Henry: Henry 9, Falcao 2
Henry 9, Falcao 2 Martin Buday vs. Uran Satybaldiev: Satybaldiev 8, Buday 3
Satybaldiev 8, Buday 3 Talita Alencar vs. Vanessa Demopoulos: Demopoulos 9, Alencar 2
Check out all the main card picks below.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
Emmett
vs.
Murphy Brito
vs.
Sabatini Lee
vs.
Romious Meerschaert
vs.
Tavares Gurule
vs.
Osbourne Finney
vs.
Valentin MMA Junkie readers'
consensus picks
38-24
Murphy
(58%)
Brito
(80%)
Lee
(74%)
Tavares
(55%)
Gurule
(68%)
Finney
(82%) Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
42-20
2024 Champion
Emmett
Brito
Lee
Tavares
Gurule
Finney Ken Hathaway
@1khathaway
40-22
2017, 2022, 2024 Champion
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Meerschaert
Gurule
Finney Brian Garcia
@thegoze
40-22
2017 Champion
Emmett
Brito
Lee
Tavares
Gurule
Finney Nolan King
@mma_kings
39-23
2023 Champion
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Tavares
Gurule
Finney Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
38-24
2014 Champion
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Tavares
Gurule
Finney Matt Erickson
@MattE
37-25
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Meerschaert
Gurule
Finney Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
36-26
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Meerschaert
Gurule
Finney George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
36-26
Emmett
Sabatini
Lee
Tavares
Osbourne
Finney Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
35-27
Murphy
Sabatini
Lee
Tavares
Osbourne
Finney Simon Samano
@SJSamano
34-28
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Tavares
Gurule
Finney Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
31-31
Murphy
Brito
Lee
Meerschaert
Gurule
Finney
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.
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