Check out the latest breaking UFC NEWS
The UFC hosts its ninth numbered event of the year on Saturday with UFC 242, which takes place at The Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, with a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
A lightweight championship unification bout is the centerpiece of the card. Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) will return to the octagon after 11 months in attempt to defend gold against interim champ Dustin Poirier (25-5 MMA, 17-4 UFC), who looks to become undisputed titleholder at 155 pounds.
For more on the numbers behind the event, check below for 60 pre-event facts about UFC 242.
* * * *
Main event
Nurmagomedov is one of two Russian-born champions in UFC history. Former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski was the first.
Nurmagomedov’s 27-fight winning streak is the longest among active UFC fighters.
Nurmagomedov’s 10-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12).
Nurmagomedov’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is the second longest active streak in the company behind Ferguson (12).
Nurmagomedov is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn 11 consecutive octagon victories to start a career with the organization. Anderson Silva and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.
Nurmagomedov’s 21 takedowns landed against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160 are a single-fight UFC record.
Nurmagomedov has landed 50 takedowns in UFC lightweight competition, the third most ind divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (84) and Clay Guida (51).
Nurmagomedov’s 88 significant ground strikes landed against Michael Johnson at UFC 205 are tied for fourth most in a single UFC fight.
Poirier won a UFC title in his 22nd octagon appearance, the second most of any champion in company history behind Michael Bisping (26).
Poirier is 9-1 (with one no-contest) since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in April 2015.
Poirier’s 17 victories since 2011 in UFC competition are tied with Max Holloway for second most in the company behind Donald Cerrone (23).
Poirier’s 11 stoppage victories since 2011 in UFC competition are tied for third most in the company behind Cerrone (16) and Charles Oliveira (12).
Poirier’s six-fight unbeaten streak in UFC lightweight competition is tied for third longest among active fighters in the weight class behind Ferguson (12) and Nurmagomedov (10).
Poirier’s six knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Melvin Guillard (seven) and Edson Barboza (seven).
Poirier lands 7.11 significant strikes per minute in UFC lightweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Justin Gaethje (8.50).
Poirier and Max Holloway combined for 359 significant strikes landed at UFC 236, the second most for a single fight in UFC history behind Holloway vs. Brian Ortega at UFC 231 (400).
Poirier is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn two or more submission victories by D’Arce choke. Ferguson and Vicente Luque also accomplished the feat.
Poirier has received a fight-night bonus in each of his past five UFC wins.
Poirier is one of 10 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 fight-night bonuses.
Co-main event
Edson Barboza (20-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC) competes in his 22nd UFC lightweight bout, the fifth most appearances in divisional history behind Jim Miller (32), Tibau (28), Joe Lauzon (26) and Ross Pearson (23).
Barboza’s 14 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Miller (19), Donald Cerrone (17), and Tibau (16).
Barboza is 1-3 in his past four UFC appearances dating back to December 2017.
Barboza’s seven knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Guillard for most in divisional history.
Barboza’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Guillard (13) and Cerrone (11).
Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history with knockout finishes stemming from a head kick, body punch, body kick, leg kicks and flying knee.
Barboza’s five knockout victories stemming from kicks and knees in UFC competition are the second most in company history behind Cerrone (seven).
Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from leg kicks. He used them to stop Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 162 and Mike Lullo at UFC 123.
Paul Felder (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has the most knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC history (three).
Felder is one of six fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a spinning backfist. He accomplished the feat at UFC 182.
Remaining main card
Islam Makhachev (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) absorbs 0.83 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the best rate in company history.
Makhachev complete 70.8 percent of all takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate in divisional history and fourth highest overall in company history.
Curtis Blaydes’ (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) absorbs 2.03 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Francis Ngannou (1.97).
Blaydes’ 40 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes completes 57.1 percent of all his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second highest rate among in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).
Blaydes’ takedown rate of 6.79 per 15 minutes of fighting is highest in UFC heavyweight history and second highest overall in company history behind Gregor Gillespie (7.44).
Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.
Shamil Abdurakhimov’s (20-4 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) three-fight UFC winning streak in heavyweight competition is tied with Francis Ngannou and Maurice Greene for the longest active streak in the division.
Abdurakhimov defends 60.2 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Walt Harris (61.6 percent).
Mairbek Taisumov (27-5 MMA, 7-1 UFC) fights for the first time in 2019. He hasn’t competed more than once in a calendar year since 2015.
Taisumov’s six-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Ferguson (11) and Nurmagomedov (10).
Taisumov has earned 24 of his 27 career victories by stoppage. That includes five of his seven wins under the UFC banner.
Taisumov is the only lightweight in UFC history to earn five consecutive knockout victories.
Taisumov’s five-fight UFC knockout streak (which ended with his previous fight) is tied for second longest in UFC history behind Chuck Liddell (seven).
Preliminary card
Joanne Calderwood (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) competes in her fifth UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Roxanne Modafferi and Gillian Robertson for the most appearances in divisional history.
Calderwood’s three victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Robertson (four) and Valentina Shevchenko (four).
Calderwood’s 68 leg kicks landed at UFC 238 are the single-fight record for a three-round UFC fight.
Andrea Lee’s (11-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Robertson (four) and Shevchenko (four).
Lee has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.
Sarah Moras’ (5-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since September 2017.
Moras is 1-4 in her past five fights dating back to July 2015.
Zubaira Tukhugov (18-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since May 14, 2016. The 1,211-day layoff is the longest of his more than nine-year career.
Teemu Packalen (8-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since March 18, 2017. The 903-day layoff is the longest of his nearly seven-year career.
Belal Muhammad (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has earned 11 of his 15 career victories by decision. That includes five of his six UFC wins.
Nordine Taleb (15-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC), 38, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Muslim Salikhov (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned 13 of his 14 career victories by stoppage.
Omari Akhmedov (17-4-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) is 1-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 2-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.
Zak Cummings (23-6 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is 2-0 since he moved up to the middleweight division in December.
Don Madge (8-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all eight of his career victories by stoppage.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
News | MMA Junkie
MMA Life