The UFC is back in its hometown of Las Vegas this week to open the calendar year with a women’s strawweight rematch.

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

Below you’ll find key map selection results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis.

Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano

Records: Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
After five: Medic 3-2, Soriano 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of September 1, 2025): Medic -220, Soriano +180
Junkie Pick Results: Paramedic 7, Soriano 4

Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez

Records: Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
After five: Bashi 5:0, Rodriguez 4:1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of September 1, 2025): Baschi -270, Rodriguez +220
Junkie Pick Results: Baschi 10, Rodriguez 1

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov

Records: Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
After five: Curtis 2-3, Kopylov 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of September 1, 2025): Curtis +190, Kopylov -230
Junkie Pick Results: Curtis 7, Kopylov 4

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida

Records: Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
After five: Alhassan 2:3, Almeida 4:1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of September 1, 2025): Alhassan +205, Almeida -250
Junkie Pick Results: Almeida 8, Alhassan 3

Carlston Harris vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Records: Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC)
After five: Harris 3-2, Ponzinibbio 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of September 1, 2025): Harris +120, Ponzinibbio -140
Junkie Pick Results: Ponzinibbio 8, Harris 3

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas

Records: Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
After five: Dern 2-3, Ribas 2-3
Division: Strawweight for women
Rankings: Dern No. 7, Ribas No. 14
Odds (as of September 1, 2025): Dern +160, Ribas -190
Junkie Pick Results: Dern 7, Ribas 4

Preliminary map selection

Although they don’t count towards the rankings, the MMA Junkie staff still determines the fights in the preliminary rounds. Here are the results:

• Felipe Bunes vs Jose Johnson: Johnson 9, Bunes 2
• Ihor Potieria vs Marco Tulio: Tulio 11, Potieira 0
• Thiago Moises vs Trey Ogden: Moises 10, Ogden 1
• Preston Parsons vs Jacobe Smith: Smith 11, Parsons 0
• Nicolle Caliari vs Ernesta Kareckaite: Caliari 6, Kareckaite 5
• Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes: Gadzhiyasulov 11, Lopes 0
• Viktoriia Dudakova vs Fatima Kline: Kline 7, kDudakova 4
• Nurullo Aliev vs Joe Solecki: Aliev 11, Solecki 0

Check out all the key card picks below.

(Click here to open a PDF of the personnel selection table in a separate window.)

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