UFC 165 preview: 50 pre-fight facts about 'Jones vs. Gustafsson' in Toronto
The UFC returns to the Great White North on Saturday as the octagon is set to touch down at Toronto's Air Canada Centre for "UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson."
For the third time in the organization's four trips to the Canadian city, two championship fights top a fight card that's loaded with significant matchups.
Jon Jones (18-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC), who has headlined the UFC's past two cards in Toronto, once again will put his light heavyweight title on the line in the city, but this time with some added importance: "Bones" is just one win away from breaking Tito Ortiz's UFC record for the most consecutive 205-pound title defenses.
Out to derail Jones' chances of making history is Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), a fighter who is on a mission of his own and eager to become the first Swedish-born fighter to have UFC gold wrapped about his waist.
As for the co-main event, the interim bantamweight title is on the line, and champion Renan Barao (33-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is determined to defend the belt and move on to a title-unification bout with Dominick Cruz in early 2014. Eddie Wineland (20-8-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has other plans in mind, though, and will do his best to make sure he's the one who faces "The Dominator" in his return to the octagon.
While the biggest names are receiving the most media attention, the hometown crowd will also have plenty to cheer for as seven Canadian fighters are slated to compete on the preliminary card, which airs on FOX Sports 1 and streams on Facebook. The main card is available on pay-per-view.
UFC 165 has a little bit of something for everyone, and with the event just days away, it's time to dig a little deeper (with the help of FightMetric) into the numbers surrounding the 26 fighters on the card.
MAIN EVENT
Jones owns or is on the verge of owning several light heavyweight and overall UFC records, all of which can be viewed on his complete UFC career stat sheet.
Neither Jones nor Gustafsson has ever been knocked down in 21 combined UFC fights.
Gustafsson's six-fight UFC winning streak is the second longest among light heavyweight fighters.
Gustafsson's five knockout or submission wins in UFC competition are tied for the third most stoppage victories in divisional history. "The Mauler" has finished his opponent in five of his seven UFC victories.
Gustafsson earned five stoppage victories in the UFC as quickly as any light heavyweight in history, accomplishing the feat in just six bouts.
Gustafsson can become the first European-born fighter to wear UFC gold since Andrei Arlovski held the heavyweight belt in 2005. Only two European fighters (Arlovski and Bas Rutten) have ever won UFC gold.
Gustafsson's 50 percent takedown accuracy ranks third best in light heavyweight history behind Jones and Lyoto Machida.
Gustafsson has successfully defended 16 of 19 takedowns in his UFC career for a takedown defense rate of 84.2 percent.
Gustafsson's average fight time of 7:19 is the third shortest among active light heavyweights.
Gustafsson's 41-second knockout of Jared Hamman at UFC 105 is the second fastest knockout finish by a debuting light heavyweight in the modern era. The fastest was Ryan Jimmo's seven-second knockout of Anthony Perosh at UFC 149.
CO-MAIN EVENT
Barao can become the first fighter in UFC history to defend an interim championship belt twice. Barao is just one of two fighters in history (Arlovski) to record an interim title defense.
Barao's 20-fight MMA winning streak is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Glover Teixeira for the longest among active UFC fighters. The Brazilian is undefeated (29 wins and one no-contest) in 30 consecutive fights.
Barao's current five-fight UFC winning streak is the longest in bantamweight history. The 26-year-old was also the first in UFC history to record five 135-pound wins.
Barao's seven wins in UFC/WEC competition are tied for the fourth most in bantamweight history. Only Scott Jorgensen (10), Dominick Cruz (nine) and Miguel Torres (eight) have more wins at 135 pounds.
Barao's 104 significant strikes landed against Jorgensen at UFC 143 are the fourth most ever landed by a bantamweight in a single UFC/WEC fight.
Barao's 95.2 percent takedown defense rate is the best in UFC/WEC bantamweight history (minimum of five fights and 20 opponent attempts).
Barao's average fight time of 15:37 is tied with Urijah Faber for the longest in UFC/WEC bantamweight history.
Barao's 66.8 percent significant strike defense rate is the second best in UFC bantamweight history behind Urijah Faber (67.3 percent).
Barao has never been out-struck in seven career UFC/WEC fights.
Barao's 391 total strikes landed in UFC bantamweight competition are the third most ever behind Faber (500) and Takeya Mizugaki (544).
Barao's submission of Michael McDonald at 3:57 of Round 4 at UFC on FUEL TV 7 marked the fifth latest submission in UFC history.
Wineland was the first-ever WEC bantamweight champion and reigned from May 2006 to March 2007.
Wineland can become just the seventh fighter in history to have held both UFC and WEC championship belts.
Wineland's six knockdowns landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with McDonald for most in history.
Wineland's only losses in the past four years came to top flyweight and bantamweight contenders Joseph Benavidez and Faber.
REMAINING MAIN CARD
Matt Mitrione (6-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is one of two active fighters on the UFC roster (Amir Sadollah) to have competed under the UFC banner for all of his pro fights.
Mitrione's 67.6 percent significant strike defense rate is the second best percentage in heavyweight history. His 51.7 percent significant strike accuracy rates sixth best in heavyweight history.
Mitrione's six knockdowns landed in heavyweight competition are tied for the fifth most in divisional history.
Brendan Schaub (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has been knocked out in the first round in all three of his career defeats.
Mitrione and Schaub own a combined 11 career UFC victories; however, only one of those wins come against an active UFC heavyweight.
Constantinos Philippou (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Francis Carmont (21-7 MMA, 5-0 UFC) both enter the event on five-fight UFC winning streaks, which are tied for the second longest UFC winning streak in the middleweight division behind champion Chris Weidman (six).
Philippou vs. Carmont is the first non-title fight in history featuring two fighters who enter the event on a minimum of a five-fight UFC winning streak.
Philippou's 88.9 percent takedown defense percentage rates tops in UFC middleweight history while Carmont's 85.7 percent rate ranks second in divisional history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's (20-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) 20-fight MMA winning streak is tied with Teixeira and Barao for the longest among active UFC fighters.
Nurmagomedov's 21 completed takedowns against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160 are the most ever in a single UFC bout. Sean Sherk, who completed 16 takedowns against Hermes Franca in a five-round title fight at UFC 73 in July 2007, held the previous record.
Pat Healy (29-16 MMA, 0-1 UFC) returns to competition after a failed UFC 159 post-fight drug test that led to a three-month suspension.
Healy's 28 completed takedowns under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner were the most in the promotion's existence.
Healy's seven victories in the Strikeforce lightweight division were the third most in history behind former champions Gilbert Melendez (11) and Josh Thomson (10).
Healy's 12 submission attempts in Strikeforce competition were the third most in organizational history.
PRELIMINARY CARD
In the 14 events the UFC has held in Canada, Canadian fighters are 44-35 when facing opponents from other countries. Six of the eight preliminary-card bouts pit a Canadian fighter against a foreign opponent.
Undefeated lightweight Myles Jury (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has finished his opponent by knockout or submission in all but one of his professional victories, with 10 coming in the first round.
Ivan Menjivar's (25-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC) average fight time of 5:31 is the shortest in UFC bantamweight history.
Dustin Kimura (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is the only fighter currently signed to the UFC bantamweight division with an undefeated MMA record.
John Makdessi's (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) 76.2 percent significant strike defense rate is third best in UFC history behind Chad Mendes (81.2 percent) and Jon Madsen (81.4 percent).
Polish heavyweight Daniel Omielanczuk (15-3-1, 0-0 UFC) makes his octagon debut on an 11-fight winning streak.
Roland Delorme's (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) nine takedowns landed in UFC competition are tied for the sixth most in bantamweight history.
Alex Caceres (8-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to competition after a failed UFC on FUEL TV 8 post-fight drug test that led to a six-month suspension.
Caceres has suffered just one loss in five fights since dropping to the UFC bantamweight division.
Caceres' 11 submission attempts in UFC bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history. His 2.48 submission attempts per 15 minutes of fighting rates third best in history.
Caceres' 57.1 percent significant strike accuracy rates highest in UFC bantamweight history. His 3.91 strikes landed per minute are the fourth most in 135-pound history while his 1.66 strikes absorbed per minute are second least in history.
