Picking & Grinning: UFC 212 ‘Aldo vs. Holloway’

The Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title will soon be splintered no more.

Jose Aldo and Max Holloway will meet to unify the 145-pound crown in one of the year’s most anticipated bouts, as they lock horns in the UFC 212 main event on Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. In the women’s strawweight co-headliner, Claudia Gadelha square off in a three-round battle between two of the promotion’s best at 115 pounds.

Ahead of UFC 212 “Aldo vs. Holloway,” Sherdog.com staff members and contributors swallowed their pride and put their reputations on the line with bold predictions:

THE LINEUP

145: Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway
115: Claudia Gadelha vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
185: Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt
185: Paulo Henrique Costa vs. Oluwale Bamgbose
170: Erick Silva vs. Yancy Medeiros
135: Raphael Assuncao vs. Marlon Moraes
185: Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Eric Spicely
135: Johnny Eduardo vs. Matthew Lopez
135: Iuri Alcantara vs. Brian Kelleher
115: Viviane Pereira vs. Jamie Moyle
170: Jim Wallhead vs. Luan Chagas
125: Marco Beltran vs. Deiveson Alcantara Figueiredo

THE STANDINGS

Jordan Breen: 103-49-1
Tristen Critchfield: 102-50-1
Brian Knapp: 99-53-1
Connor Ruebusch: 97-55-1
Mike Fridley: 95-57-1
Todd Martin: 95-57-1
Eric Stinton: 90-62-1
Mike Sloan: 86-66-1

THE PICKS

Jordan Breen: Aldo, Gadelha, Belfort, Costa, Medeiros, Moraes, Carlos Jr., Lopez, Alcantara, Pereira, Chagas, Figueiredo

Tristen Critchfield: Aldo, Gadelha, Belfort, Costa, Medeiros, Assuncao, Carlos Jr., Eduardo, Alcantara, Pereira, Chagas, Figueiredo

Brian Knapp: Aldo, Gadelha, Belfort, Costa, Medeiros, Moraes, Carlos Jr., Eduardo, Alcantara, Pereira, Chagas, Figueiredo

Connor Ruebusch: Aldo, Gadelha, Belfort, Costa, Medeiros, Moraes, Carlos Jr., Eduardo, Kelleher, Pereira, Wallhead, Beltran

Mike Fridley: Aldo, Kowalkiewicz, Marquardt, Costa, Medeiros, Assuncao, Carlos Jr., Eduardo, Alcantara, Pereira, Wallhead, Figueiredo

Todd Martin: Aldo, Gadelha, Marquardt, Costa, Medeiros, Moraes, Carlos Jr., Eduardo, Alcantara, Moyle, Chagas, Figueiredo

Eric Stinton: Holloway, Gadelha, Belfort, Bamgbose, Medeiros, Moraes, Carlos Jr., Eduardo, Alcantara, Pereira, Chagas, Beltran

Mike Sloan: Aldo, Gadelha, Belfort, Costa, Medeiros, Moraes, Spicely, Lopez, Alcantara, Moyle, Chagas, Figueiredo