Miocic

vs.

Overeem Browne

vs.

Werdum Gall

vs.

Punk Faber

vs.

Rivera Andrade

vs.

Calderwood MMAjunkie readers’

consensus picks

2016: 88-52 (63%)

Miocic

(52%)

Werdum

(81%)

Gall

(64%)

Faber

(74%)

Calderwood

(60%) Ben Fowlkes @BenFowlkesMMA 2016: 92-48 (66%)

Miocic

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Calderwood Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt

2016: 89-51 (64%)

Miocic

Browne

Punk

Faber

Calderwood Brent Brookhouse @BrentBrookhouse

2016: 89-51 (64%)

Overeem

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Calderwood Steven Marrocco @MMAjunkieSteven

2016: 88-52 (63%)

Overeem

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Andrade Dann Stupp

@DannStupp

2016: 86-54 (61%)

2015 Champion

Miocic

Werdum

Gall

Rivera

Andrade John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn

2016: 85-55 (61%)

Overeem

Werdum

Gall

Rivera

Calderwood Brian Garcia @thegoze

2016: 85-55 (61%)

Miocic

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Andrade Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA

2016: 85-55 (61%)

2014 Champion

Overeem

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Andrade George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge

2016: 76-64 (54%)

Miocic

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Andrade Fernanda Prates @nandaprates_

2016: 38-36 (51%)

Miocic

Werdum

Gall

Faber

Andrade

At long last, the UFC has touched down in Cleveland – thanks in no small part to new heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who calls the city home.

Miocic (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) puts his heavyweight title on the line for the first time today when he meets former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem (41-14 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in the UFC 203 main event. The fight headlines the card at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

In the headliner, our 10 MMAjunkie editors, writers and radio hosts are torn nearly down the middle. Six of the 10 think Miocic will defend his strap in front of his home fans. But four think Overeem will walk away as yet another new champ in what would be a mild upset.

The co-feature could have big implications on the heavyweight division, as well. Former champ Fabricio Werdum (20-6-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) fights for the first time since losing his belt to Miocic. He takes on Travis Browne (18-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) in a rematch from a fight two and a half years ago that Werdum won in dominant fashion. Nine of our 10 pickers think the Brazilian will get it done again.

Perhaps the most talked-about fight on the main card, though, is between a pair of fighters with a combined two fights of pro experience. Welterweight Mickey Gall (2-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has the honor of welcoming former WWE champion Phil “CM Punk” Brooks (0-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the world of real fighting. Gall is a heavy favorite – and only one of our pickers is taking Punk to pull off the upset.

Also on the main card, Urijah Faber (33-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) meets Jimmie Rivera (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in a bantamweight fight – and brings a stat to the cage that sounds intimidating: Faber has never lost a non-title fight at 135 pounds. Eight of our 10 staff members like how that sounds for Faber’s chances and are picking him. And to open the pay-per-view, Jessica Andrade (14-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) meets Joanne Calderwood (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in a women’s strawweight fight that our pickers think is a close one. Six of the 10 like Andrade to get it done.

In the MMAjunkie reader consensus picks, Miocic, Werdum, Gall, Faber and Calderwood are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on UFC 203, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.