FIGHT WEEK FRIDAY PICKS • NOVEMBER 13, 2026
The Fight Week Picks enter one of the biggest weekends of the month with some momentum behind them.
Last week finished 5–2. Denzel Bentley edged Shane Mosley Jr., Johnny Walker continued his heavyweight resurgence with a third-round stoppage of Waldo Cortes Acosta, Tatiana Suarez outworked Virna Jandiroba, Alycia Baumgardner became a two-division champion with a dominant decision over Elif Nur Turhan, and Skye Nicolson successfully defended her title against Miyo Yoshida. Joshua Buatsi and Chris Billam-Smith were the two misses, with Willy Hutchinson and Chev Clarke both delivering statement victories.
That 5–2 week moves the running total to:
Fight Week 2026 Prediction Record: 43–28
Saturday presents three very different fight cards. Carlos Adames gets the day started in Riyadh against Gerome Warburton. Diego Pacheco then headlines in Carson, California against dangerous contender Darius Fulghum, with Anthony Olascuaga defending his flyweight championship in the co-main event. The night closes at Madison Square Garden, where UFC 334 features Ciryl Gane defending the heavyweight title against unbeaten Josh Hokit and Kayla Harrison finally meeting returning legend Amanda Nunes.
There are favorites throughout the weekend, but almost every major fight comes with a legitimate question. That makes this exactly the kind of slate the Friday Picks were built for.
UFC 334 — GANE VS. HOKIT
Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit
Josh Hokit may be the most fascinating heavyweight story in MMA right now. He is only 10-0, but nine of those victories have come by finish — six knockouts and three submissions — and his rapid climb has already included a victory over Derrick Lewis. The former collegiate wrestler has gone from the prelims to a Madison Square Garden heavyweight title fight at a speed almost unheard of in the UFC.
That rise is also what makes Saturday such a massive test.
Ciryl Gane is 14-2 and has operated around the top of the heavyweight division for years. He owns seven knockouts and three submissions, lands more than five significant strikes per minute and moves with a level of speed and footwork that remains unusual for a man his size. After defeating Alex Pereira and later being elevated to undisputed champion, Gane finally enters a heavyweight title fight holding the belt rather than chasing it.
Hokit’s wrestling is the obvious complication. Gane’s takedown defense has never been the strongest part of his game, and Hokit is unlikely to spend 25 minutes trying to solve the Frenchman’s movement from kickboxing range. He should pressure immediately, force Gane toward the fence and make the champion work through extended wrestling sequences.
The question is whether he can do that for five rounds.
Gane is six-foot-five compared with Hokit’s six-foot-one, and handling that size becomes much different after 10 or 15 minutes of clinching and wrestling. If Hokit cannot establish control early, he will eventually have to spend more time at striking range against one of the most technically gifted heavyweights the division has produced.
Fight Week expects some uncomfortable moments for the champion. Hokit may even win the opening round with his pressure and wrestling. Over time, however, Gane’s movement should begin creating space, and once Hokit starts slowing, the striking gap becomes increasingly important.
Fight Week Pick: Ciryl Gane by TKO — Confidence 7/10.
We expect Hokit to make this look much more competitive early than some of Gane’s previous heavyweight opponents. By the championship rounds, however, the accumulated body kicks, movement and combinations should begin breaking down the challenger.
Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes
There may not be a more interesting women’s fight that could be made in MMA.
Amanda Nunes walked away from the sport as arguably the greatest female mixed martial artist ever. She held championships in two divisions and built a résumé that included victories over nearly every major name of her generation. More than three years after stepping away, Nunes is returning because Kayla Harrison gave her a reason to come back.
Harrison presents a completely different physical problem than most of Nunes’ previous opponents. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist is 19-1, with eight submission victories and six knockouts. She entered the UFC in 2024 and quickly overwhelmed Holly Holm before beating Ketlen Vieira and submitting Julianna Peña to capture the bantamweight championship.
There are questions on both sides. Harrison has not fought since June 2025 and underwent treatment for a longstanding neck injury after the original Nunes matchup was delayed. Nunes, meanwhile, has been away from active competition for more than three years. Ring rust is difficult to measure for either woman when neither has been fighting regularly.
Stylistically, Nunes needs space. Her power and counterpunching remain the biggest threats Harrison will face, particularly when Harrison attempts to close distance. Nunes has historically been difficult to bully physically and has enough grappling experience that simply putting her against the fence does not guarantee Harrison control.
But Harrison does not need to immediately submit her.
If she can consistently force clinches, make Nunes carry her weight and turn each round into a physical grappling battle, the fight becomes progressively more difficult for a returning 38-year-old champion. Nunes may still be the better pure striker, but Harrison can dictate where more of the fight takes place.
This is one of the closest picks we have made this season.
Fight Week Pick: Kayla Harrison by Decision — Confidence 6/10.
Nunes will have moments, particularly when she can maintain distance and force Harrison to enter through punches. Over five rounds, Fight Week believes Harrison’s physicality, clinch control and takedowns will be enough to keep the championship.
Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui
This is the fight on the UFC 334 main card that may tell us the most about a rising contender.
Yousri Belgaroui enters at 11-3 on a six-fight winning streak, with nine of his professional victories coming by knockout. His striking credentials are legitimate, and he has looked increasingly comfortable translating that background into MMA. Saturday represents an enormous jump in competition, however, because Caio Borralho has already established himself as the No. 5-ranked middleweight in the UFC.
Belgaroui’s ideal fight is obvious. He wants distance, time and space to build combinations. His height and kickboxing experience become much more dangerous when opponents allow him to establish a rhythm.
Borralho would be making a major mistake if he agrees to that fight for 15 minutes.
The Brazilian has six professional submission victories and is far more comfortable blending striking, wrestling and grappling. He does not need to dominate Belgaroui standing; he needs to make the striker constantly consider the possibility that every exchange could end with his back against the fence or on the canvas.
Belgaroui is dangerous enough that one poor entry could end the fight. That keeps the confidence rating from moving higher. Still, Fight Week believes Borralho has the broader skill set and the clearer ability to force the matchup into uncomfortable territory.
Fight Week Pick: Caio Borralho by Submission — Confidence 7/10.
Belgaroui’s striking makes the opening minutes dangerous, but Borralho eventually changes levels, gets extended control on the ground and finds the submission.
Uroš Medić vs. Kevin Holland
Uroš Medić is one of the hottest fighters on the card. He enters on a four-fight winning streak, and all four victories have come by first-round stoppage. The Serbian has reached a point where another impressive finish could move him well beyond the No. 11 ranking he currently holds at welterweight.
Kevin Holland, however, is exactly the kind of opponent who can make a fighter’s momentum disappear.
Holland has competed at both middleweight and welterweight, has fought significantly deeper UFC competition and brings a massive reach advantage into Saturday’s matchup. UFC’s preview notes that Holland has never been knocked out, which is particularly important against a fighter whose current run has been built around ending fights almost immediately.
Medić will probably win the opening exchanges. He is aggressive, fast and extremely confident right now. The longer the fight continues without a finish, however, the more interesting Holland becomes. He can attack off his back, scramble, use his length at range and force Medić to solve problems he has not encountered during this run of early knockouts.
This is our upset pick on the UFC card.
Fight Week Pick: Kevin Holland by Decision — Confidence 6/10.
Medić starts quickly and lands the harder shots early, but Holland survives the initial pressure, uses his reach more effectively as the fight develops and wins a close decision.
BOXING — PACHECO VS. FULGHUM
Diego Pacheco vs. Darius Fulghum
Diego Pacheco has spent several years positioned as one of boxing’s future super middleweight champions. Saturday feels like the point where the prospect label needs to begin disappearing.
Pacheco enters at 26-0 with 19 knockouts and is ranked near the top of several sanctioning bodies. He stopped Immanuwel Aleem in the 11th round earlier this year in his first fight with trainer Buddy McGirt and now returns to Dignity Health Sports Park against an opponent with enough power to make this more than another developmental assignment.
Darius Fulghum is 15-1-1 with 13 knockouts, and that record tells you why Pacheco cannot simply look beyond him toward a world-title opportunity. Fulghum has legitimate power, is ranked No. 5 by the WBO and understands that beating Pacheco would immediately place him near the front of the championship line.
Pacheco should own the technical advantages. His length, jab and ability to punch from range allow him to control fights without unnecessarily exposing himself. His challenge will be resisting the temptation to create a statement simply because he is fighting in Southern California.
Fulghum needs Pacheco to become impatient. If Pacheco stays behind the jab and makes the challenger repeatedly reset before entering, the opportunities for Fulghum’s power become much less frequent. If Pacheco decides to stand in front of him and trade, the fight becomes considerably more dangerous.
We believe Pacheco is ready for the next level.
Fight Week Pick: Diego Pacheco by TKO — Confidence 8/10.
Fulghum’s power keeps this competitive early, but Pacheco’s length and combination punching gradually take control. Fight Week sees a second-half stoppage that moves Pacheco closer to the world-title fight he has been chasing.
Anthony Olascuaga vs. Yuberjen Martinez
Anthony Olascuaga may have the most dangerous assignment of any champion fighting this weekend.
Olascuaga enters at 12-1 with nine knockouts and makes the sixth defense of his WBO flyweight championship. He has spent much of his title reign fighting in Japan and finally gets the opportunity to defend his championship in his hometown of Los Angeles.
The challenger has only seven professional fights.
That number is misleading.
Yuberjen Martinez is 7-0 with seven knockouts, but he also brings the experience of two Olympic Games and a silver medal from Rio. He spent years competing against elite amateurs before turning professional, meaning the usual experience gap associated with a seven-fight boxer does not apply here.
Martinez may actually be the more polished pure boxer in stretches. Olascuaga has the advantage of knowing what professional championship fights feel like — how to manage the middle rounds, when to increase pressure and how to keep producing offense after the pace begins taking something out of both fighters.
That experience is where we see the difference.
Olascuaga cannot chase an early knockout against a fighter with Martinez’s amateur background. He needs to attack the body, make Martinez operate at a professional pace and gradually remove some of the speed that makes the challenger dangerous.
This should be one of the best fights on Saturday’s boxing schedule.
Fight Week Pick: Anthony Olascuaga by Decision — Confidence 6/10.
Martinez proves immediately that he belongs at this level and wins several rounds with his speed and technical skill. Olascuaga’s professional experience, body punching and work rate ultimately allow him to retain the championship in a close fight.
ZUFFA BOXING 13 — RIYADH
Carlos Adames vs. Gerome Warburton
Carlos Adames enters Saturday in an unusual position. He is the WBC middleweight champion, but his Zuffa Boxing debut against Gerome Warburton will take place at a 165-pound contract weight rather than with his middleweight championship at stake.
Adames is 25-1-1 with 18 knockouts and has not lost in his last eight fights. He most recently produced a dominant title defense against Austin Williams and remains one of the most dangerous punchers around the middleweight division. Warburton arrives at 18-2-2, but only two of his victories have come by knockout. He rebuilt his momentum this year with consecutive decision victories over former British champion Nathan Heaney.
That power difference is difficult to ignore.
Warburton’s southpaw stance can create problems, and his best chance is to make Adames impatient. If he can keep the Dominican champion reaching for punches rather than setting his feet, he may be able to extend this fight much deeper than expected.
But Adames does not need to rush.
He carries considerably more finishing power and has spent more time against championship-level opposition. As the fight progresses, Warburton will have to take increasing risks simply to keep Adames from walking him down.
That is when we expect the finish to arrive.
Fight Week Pick: Carlos Adames by TKO — Confidence 9/10.
Warburton’s movement makes Adames work during the opening rounds, but the difference in power eventually becomes decisive. Adames closes distance more effectively as the fight develops and produces a stoppage before the final bell.
Fight Week Pick of the Week
Kayla Harrison over Amanda Nunes by Decision
There are much safer picks available.
Carlos Adames should win. Diego Pacheco should win. Ciryl Gane has substantially more experience at the elite level than Josh Hokit.
But Harrison–Nunes is the fight where making the pick actually means something.
Nunes is one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever produced. If this were Amanda Nunes at her peak, Fight Week might be going in the opposite direction. But returning after more than three years to face a fighter as physically demanding as Harrison is an enormous assignment.
Harrison does not need to prove she is a better striker than Nunes. She needs to make the former champion spend 25 minutes defending clinches, takedowns and top pressure.
We believe that becomes the story of the fight.
Nunes lands the cleaner punches when she has room. Harrison repeatedly removes that room.
Fight Week Pick of the Week: Kayla Harrison by Decision — Confidence 6/10.
Fight Week Picks — At a Glance
Ciryl Gane over Josh Hokit — TKO — 7/10
Kayla Harrison over Amanda Nunes — Decision — 6/10
Caio Borralho over Yousri Belgaroui — Submission — 7/10
Kevin Holland over Uroš Medić — Decision — 6/10
Diego Pacheco over Darius Fulghum — TKO — 8/10
Anthony Olascuaga over Yuberjen Martinez — Decision — 6/10
Carlos Adames over Gerome Warburton — TKO — 9/10
This weekend offers something the Friday Picks have not had every week: multiple fights where a legitimate changing of the guard is possible.
Hokit can go from prospect to heavyweight champion in one night. Harrison can add the greatest name in women’s MMA history to her résumé. Belgaroui can turn elite kickboxing credentials into a place among the best middleweights in the UFC. Fulghum and Martinez both have opportunities to derail fighters already being discussed as established or future world champions.
Those are the predictions worth putting on the record.
Fight Week 2026 Prediction Record: 43–28
Seven more picks are locked in. By Saturday night, we will know whether experience still owns the biggest stages or whether this becomes the weekend the next wave takes over.
Check back with Fight Week for results, reaction and post-fight analysis.
