REMAINING MAIN CARD
donald-cerrone-ufc-on-fox-10Donald Cerrone’s (22-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC) nine UFC lightweight victories are tied for the eighth most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (13), Jim Miller (12), Melvin Guillard (11), Yves Edwards (10), B.J. Penn (10), Nate Diaz (10) and Joe Lauzon (10).
Cerrone is one of the UFC’s most consistent fight-night award winners; “Cowboy” has received a fight-night bonus in eight of his 12 UFC bouts.
Cerrone’s fight-night bonuses haven’t been exclusive to his UFC career, though. His 13 UFC/WEC fight-night bonuses (totaling $555,000) are the most in the combined history of the two promotions.
Cerrone’s seven submission victories in UFC/WEC lightweight competition are tied with Joe Lauzon and Kenny Florian for the second most in divisional history behind Nate Diaz (10).
Cerrone’s 10 knockout/submission victories in UFC/WEC lightweight competition are the second most in history behind Diaz (11).
Cerrone is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn two or more knockout victories stemming from a kick to the head.
Cerrone is one of the division’s most active strikers; he lands 4.87 strikes per minute of fighting, the third best output rate in lightweight history behind Evan Dunham (4.97) and T.J. Grant (6.83). His 50.2 percent significant strike accuracy is the fourth highest in lightweight history.
Cerrone usually won’t fight on the ground unless he wants it there. His 87.5 percent takedown defense rate ranks second in lightweight history behind Gleison Tibau (91.8 percent).
Cerrone’s landed 49 leg kicks landed against Vagner Rocha at UFC 131, the most ever in a three-round UFC fight.
Edson Barboza’s (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from leg kicks. He used the technique to stop Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 162 and Mike Lullo at UFC 123. Overall, Barboza’s earned three knockouts in UFC competition stemming from kicks, tying Vitor Belfort for the most finishes stemming from a kick technique in UFC history.
Of Barboza’s 320 significant strikes landed, 36.9 percent of them were landed to his opponents’ legs, the second largest proportion of leg strikes among active UFC fighters behind Lorenz Larkin (41 percent).
Barboza’s landed 91.9 percent of his 320 significant strikes while at distance, the third largest proportion of distance strikes in lightweight history. His seven knockdowns are tied for the third most in 155-pound history.
Barboza’s takedown defense rate of 82.9 percent is fifth highest among active lightweights.
brad-tavares-lorenz-larkin-ufc-fight-night-35Brad Tavares’ (11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak is the second longest active one in the middleweight division behind champion Chris Weidman (seven).
Tavares has earned all of the victories in his current winning-streak by decision. His last stoppage was a first-round knockout of Phil Baroni at UFC 125 in January 2011.
Tavares’ average fight time of 13:40 is the fourth longest in middleweight history (minimum of five UFC fights).
Tavares’ 3.35 significant strikes landed per minute is the fifth highest rate among active UFC middleweights.
Tavares lands 84.9 percent of his significant strikes from a distance, the second largest proportion among active middleweights behind Chris Camozzi (84.4 percent).
Tavares’ 80.8 percent takedown defense rate is the third best in middleweight history. The Hawaiian has stuffed 21 of 26 takedown attempts inside the octagon.
Tavares’ 116 significant strikes against Riki Fukuda at UFC on FUEL TV 8 are the fourth most ever landed by a middleweight in a single fight.
Yoel Romero’s (7-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the middleweight division behind Weidman (seven), Tavares (five) and Vitor Belfort (four).
Romero, 36, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.
Romero has earned all seven of his professional victories by knockout. That, of course, includes all three of his wins under the UFC banner.
Romero is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a flying knee strike. He accomplished the feat against Clifford Starks at UFC on FOX 7. That knockout, which came at 1:32 of Round 1, was the second fastest flying knee finish in UFC history.
Romero is the only fighter in UFC history to win back-to-back fights by third-round knockout. He accomplished the feat against Derek Brunson at UFC Fight Night 35 and Ronny Markes at UFC Fight Night 31.
Romero is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from elbow strikes to the body. He accomplished the feat against Brunson at UFC Fight Night 35. Matt Brown earned a similar finish of Jordan Mein at UFC on FOX 7. It was also just the third finish of its kind in UFC history; Cheick Kongo forced Paul Buentello to submit with elbows to the body at UFC on VERSUS 1.
PRELIMINARY CARD
khabib-nurmagomedov-ufc-165Khabib Nurmagomedov (21-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (20-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) will mark just the second non-title fight in UFC history in which both fighters are riding five-fight UFC winning streaks. The other time the rare matchmaking feat took place was when Francis Carmont took on Constantinos Philippou at UFC 165.
Nurmagomedov and dos Anjos’ five-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Myles Jury and T.J. Grant for the longest active streak in the lightweight division.
Nurmagomedov’s 21-fight MMA winning streak is the second longest winning streak among active UFC fighters behind bantamweight champion Renan Barao (22).
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.
Dos Anjos has earned four of the victories on his current five-fight winning streak by decision.
Dos Anjos’ nine UFC lightweight victories are tied for the eighth most in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (13), Jim Miller (12), Melvin Guillard (11), Yves Edwards (10), B.J. Penn (10), Nate Diaz (10) and Joe Lauzon (10).
Thiago Alves (19-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) returns from a layoff of more than two years due to injury for his first fight since March 3, 2012 – a span of 777 days. That layoff is the longest of Alves’ professional career, which dates back to his debut in June 2001.
Alves’ 11 UFC welterweight victories are tied with Johny Hendricks and Matt Brown for the fifth most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19), Matt Hughes (16), Josh Koscheck (14) and Jon Fitch (13).
Alves’ seven knockout victories in welterweight competition are the second most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (eight). Alves has scored 10 knockdowns in his UFC career, tied for the sixth most in UFC history.
Pat Healy (29-18 MMA, 0-3 UFC) is winless in four UFC appearances across two stints with the organization. His current three-fight winless drought is the longest of his 48-fight career.
Healy’s seven victories in the now-defunct Strikeforce lightweight division are the third most in history behind former champions Gilbert Melendez (11) and Josh Thomson (10).
Healy’s 28 completed takedowns under the Strikeforce banner are the most in the promotion’s existence.
Healy’s 12 submission attempts in Strikeforce competition were the third most in organizational history.
jorge-masvidal-ufc-fight-night-31Jorge Masvidal (25-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is one of just two fighters in UFC history to finish a bout by submission at 4:59 of Round 2, which he did against Michael Chiesa at UFC on FOX 8. Chan Sung Jung also did it against Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24.
Masvidal has landed a greater number of significant strikes than his opponent in six of his past seven fights that have gone the distance. His 356 significant strikes landed during his Strikeforce career ranked third most in lightweight history.
Masvidal’s 76.8 percent striking defense rate is the third best of any fighter in Strikeforce history.
Masvidal’s 83.3 percent takedown defense rate is the third best in Strikeforce history.
Jordan Mein (27-9 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned 22 of his 27 professional victories by knockout (15) or submission (seven).
Mein will compete for the first time since a knockout loss to Matt Brown at UFC on FOX 7 this past April. His 364-day layoff is his longest in nearly eight years as a professional.
Mein is the only fighter to have ever knocked down Brown in UFC competition.
Hernani Perpetuo (17-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) enters the fight on a career-high MMA undefeated streak of nine. He hasn’t suffered a loss since August 2010.
Ray Borg (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut just 616 days after his first professional MMA fight.
Mirsad Bektic (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.
Opponents Derrick Lewis (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Jack May (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have fought to a decision a total of just three times in 18 combined professional fights.
Lewis has earned eight of his nine career wins by knockout.
May has earned six of his seven career wins by knockout, all in the first round.