UFC 292 Predictions: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Picks

We're just a few days out from UFC 292, which means it's time for another round of predictions from the B/R combat sports squad.

The event goes down at TD Garden in Boston this Saturday, and the card will be topped by two intriguing title fights.

The top attraction will see bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling attempt to defend his belt a record fourth time against popular striker Sean O'Malley. Before that, women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili will put her belt on the line against an extremely dangerous challenger in Amanda Lemos.

The middle bout of the card will be contested at welterweight, where rising contender Ian Machado Garry will duke it out with the always game Neil Magny, who stepped in to replace Geoff Neal on short notice.

The second fight of the main card will also be under short-notice circumstances, with Da'Mon Blackshear stepping in to fight Mario Bautista at bantamweight, just a week after he submitted Jose Johnson with a twister. He's replacing Cody Garbrandt.

The UFC 292 main card opener will be a fun-looking bantamweight scrap between top-10 mainstays Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera.

Keep scrolling to see how we see the major contests shaking out.

Haris Kruskic: Sean O'Malley has beaten one fighter who is still on the UFC roster. It's hard to fathom how someone could get a title shot with that resume, but matchmakers are more than willing to make fights like that happen when star power is involved.

I just can't pick against Aljamain Sterling. A win on Saturday will make him the all-time bantamweight record holder for title defenses with four. In my opinion, he is legitimately the greatest 135-pounder we've seen. That sentiment will only echo with a quick finish on Saturday.

Sterling by submission, Rd. 1

Tom Taylor: This is a pretty easy fight to break down. Sterling, who has looked incredible since winning the belt, will be the superior grappler. O'Malley, meanwhile, is one of the best strikers in the division, and he will have his opponent beat in that area.

Overall, there are more reasons to pick Sterling in this fight. He's got the wrestling and submissions to take away O'Malley's best weapons. He will probably be the bigger, stronger guy in the Octagon—even if he's a bit shorter. He's got tons of five-round experience and is battle-tested against some of the best fighters in the weight class.

Despite all of that, I'm picking O'Malley. I know he has a lot to deal with against the champ, but he has confidence, momentum and vicious knockout power for a bantamweight, and those intangibles will matter on Saturday.

Call it a hunch, but I think he will rise to the occasion and win this one in classic O'Malley fashion.

O'Malley by TKO, Rd. 1

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Smart money says Sterling will get things to the ground and it'll instantly be all over, but I feel a certain loyalty toward O'Malley, and it stands to reason that he'll be able to force at least one striking exchange. He's got to. And he's got to make it count.

I'm with Tom. Superstar "it" quality wins.

O'Malley by TKO, Rd. 1

Haris Kruskic: This one is pretty straightforward for me. Zhang Weili's output over five-round fights is incredible, and I don't think Amanda Lemos will be able to keep up. Zhang's experience in some of the hardest-hitting strawweight fights we've seen will be invaluable.

Zhang by TKO, Rd. 4

Tom Taylor: I'm surprised there's not more buzz about this fight. Weili is arguably the best female fighter in the sport right now, and Lemos is one of the best finishers in their division, with cracking knockout power and great submissions to fall back on.

Zhang will need to be perfect in this fight if she doesn't want to suffer the same fate as previous Lemos opponents such as Marina Rodriguez, Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Montserrat Ruiz, who were all finished in brutal fashion. That's a tall order, especially over five rounds, but the champ has the tools to pull it off.

Her best option would be to mix it up, tire Lemos out and take control of the fight when the Brazilian's gas tank begins to deplete. That's the way I see this one going, so I'll echo Haris' prediction.

Zhang by TKO, Rd. 4

Lyle Fitzsimmons: My colleagues said it about as well as it can be said. This ought to be a banger, as the kids say. But when push comes to shove—or punch comes to kick—it seems the champ has just a smidge more going for her.

It'll be fun for a while before it gradually becomes more one-sided.

Zhang by unanimous decision

Haris Kruskic: Ian Machado Garry certainly knows how to make enemies with his confidence. After a couple lackluster performances, many fans wondered if he could live up to 'The Future' nickname. Then he knocked out Daniel Rodriguez in three minutes last May and changed that narrative.

Neil Magny steps in on short notice after Geoff Neal pulled out. Coincidentally, Garry has called out Magny on a few occasions previously. This will be the Irishman's toughest test to date, but I think he'll pass.

Garry's striking is elite and Magny hasn't been very convincing the last few fights.

Garry by unanimous decision

Tom Taylor: Garry has looked great in the UFC so far, but I don't think he's as good as he thinks he is.

Sooner or later, somebody is going to find his chin, or he's going to get wrestled into a fine dust by one of the world-class grapplers at the top of the weight class. No way he ever beats somebody like Shavkat Rakhmonov. That's my long-term prediction.

As far as my prediction for Saturday is concerned, this seems like a very winnable fight for Garry, and that's surely why he called the veteran out. Throw in the fact that Magny has stepped in on short notice, and the Irishman's chances look even better.

To me, it's just a question of how Garry gets it done. I'm thinking he hammers Magny with something at close range—maybe a stiff cross or an uppercut—and finishes the fight with ground-and-pound.

Garry by TKO, Rd. 2

Lyle Fitzsimmons: This one strikes me as a classic "get over" fight for Garry. An opponent who's recognizable, respected and undeniably qualified but also on the short end when it comes to age and momentum and ceiling.

There may be a few hair-raising moments, but it would be more of a shock if Garry doesn't win than if he does.

Garry by unanimous decision

Haris Kruskic: Massive props to Da'Mon Blackshear for taking this fight on five days' notice after his incredible twister submission last Saturday. Some may scoff at this being on the main card, but the quickest turnaround in UFC history deserves a little love.

Both Blackshear and Mario Bautista are fascinating prospects, but I'll give a slight edge to the latter. He has been dominant during his four-fight win streak, and one has to wonder how Blackshear manages to turn it around so quickly against a fighter of this caliber.

Regardless of who wins, there's bound to be a neat grappling exchange or two.

Bautista by unanimous decision

Tom Taylor: I'm with Haris: You've got to give Blackshear some love for stepping into this fight on such short notice.

As for a prediction, I honestly have no idea. Both men can finish fights anywhere, so it may just be a question of who comes in with the better game plan.

Given that Blackshear was added to this card on extremely short notice, I'm going to assume Bautista will be a little better prepared. He has also been in there with better opposition at this point in their careers, which also makes me lean in his direction.

I'm not confident about it, but I'm going to say he wins this one over three rounds and becomes the sixth person to beat Blackshear by decision.

Bautista by unanimous decision

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Scoring a submission by one of the promotion's least-likely methods earned Blackshear a return engagement on a PPV card. Not a bad deal for a guy in a Fight Night prelim just a week ago.

However, he gets an opponent who's won six of eight and has submissions in the last three. That's a tough ask.

Bautista by submission, Rd. 2

Haris Kruskic: Another one that's straightforward. Both fighters are going to stand and trade, and Marlon Vera is significantly better at that than Pedro Munhoz.

No disrespect to the game Munhoz, but Vera is an elite contender and won't be going away any time soon.

It probably will go the distance though, as Munhoz has never been finished in 29 professional fights.

Vera by unanimous decision

Tom Taylor: I always ride with "Chito" Vera. Well, almost always. I don't know if I could have picked him over Henry Cejudo, but I'm certainly picking him in this fight.

Munhoz is super well-rounded, but so is Chito, and the Ecuadorian also has serious stopping power, which can not really be said of his opponent.

Munhoz is extremely tough to finish and may well win the first round given Chito's habit of slow starts, but by the time three rounds are up, the Brazilian will be much worse for wear.

Chito bloodies and bruises him with punches, kicks and elbows en route to a 29-28 sweep.

Vera by unanimous decision

Lyle Fitzsimmons: Think it's a little frustrating for Vera, who's won 10 of his last 13 in the Octagon, to be opening up a PPV show in which a guy he beat for one of those wins—O'Malley—is in the main event? It says here that it will be and that'll be all the motivation Chito needs to pound out a scorecard nod.

Vera by unanimous decision