The UFC will placed on one other numbered occasion in Las Vegas on Saturday with UFC 313, which fits down at T-Cell Area (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) and contains a gentle heavyweight title struggle in the primary occasion.
After placing collectively a Fighter of the Yr worthy marketing campaign in 2024 and making historical past, Alex Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) kicks off his 2025 schedule when he places the belt up for grabs towards streaking contender Magomed Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC), who will get his second likelihood at gold contained in the octagon.
For extra on the numbers behind Pereira vs. Ankalaev, in addition to the remainder of the cardboard, verify under for MMA Junkie’s pre-event details about UFC 313.
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Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira
Pereira is certainly one of 9 fighters in historical past to win titles in two weight courses. Randy Couture, B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Amanda Nunes and Jon Jones achieved the feat.
Pereira’s 11 MMA fights earlier than turning into a two-division champion are the fewest in firm historical past.
Pereira’s seven UFC fights to turn out to be a two-division champion are the fewest in firm historical past.
Pereira’s eight MMA fights earlier than turning into UFC champion is the second-fewest in fashionable historical past behind Brock Lesnar’s 4.
Pereira is certainly one of seven fighters to report three UFC title defenses in a calendar yr (2024). Frank Shamrock (1998), Tito Ortiz (2001), Matt Hughes (2002), Chuck Liddell (2006), Demetrious Johnson (2013) and Kamaru Usman (2021) have additionally achieved the feat.
Pereira holds the report for shortest time between three UFC title defenses at 175 days. Ronda Rousey is in second place at 189 days.
Pereira’s three consecutive UFC title defenses are tied for second-most amongst present champions behind Islam Makhachev (4).
Pereira’s 4 victories in UFC gentle heavyweight championship fights are tied for third-most in divisional historical past behind Jones (14) and Liddell (5).
Pereira is 5-0 since he moved as much as the sunshine heavyweight division in July 2023.
Pereira’s five-fight UFC successful streak at gentle heavyweight is the second-longest energetic streak within the division behind Carlos Ulberg (seven).
Pereira lands 67.2 p.c of his important strike makes an attempt in UFC gentle heavyweight competitors, the best fee in divisional historical past.
Pereira lands 63.1 p.c of his important strike makes an attempt in UFC competitors, the second-highest fee amongst energetic fighters within the firm behind Anthony Hernandez (63.4 p.c).
Magomed Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev
Ankalaev’s 13-fight UFC unbeaten streak is tied for fifth-longest in firm historical past behind Jones (20), Anderson Silva (16), Kamaru Usman (15) and Makhachev (15).
Ankalaev’s 13-fight UFC unbeaten streak at gentle heavyweight is the second-longest in divisional historical past behind Jones (18).
Ankalaev’s 13-fight UFC unbeaten streak at gentle heavyweight is the longest energetic streak within the division.
Ankalaev’s nine-fight UFC successful streak at gentle heavyweight is the second-longest in divisional historical past behind Jones (13).
Ankalaev’s six knockout victories in UFC gentle heavyweight competitors are tied for fourth-most in divisional historical past behind Chuck Liddell (10), Mauricio Rua (eight) and Khalil Rountree (seven).
Ankalaev defends 87 p.c of all opponent takedown makes an attempt in UFC gentle heavyweight competitors, the best fee amongst energetic fighters within the weight class.
Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is the one fighter MMA historical past to win titles in UFC and WSOF.
Gaethje is the one fighter in UFC historical past to land 100 or extra important strikes in every of his first three promotional appearances.
Gaethje lands 59.2 p.c of great strike makes an attempt in UFC light-weight competitors, the second-best fee in divisional historical past behind Makhachev (59.5 p.c).
Gaethje is the one fighter in UFC historical past to win no less than one fight-night bonus in every of his first seven octagon appearances.
Gaethje has been awarded 13 fight-night bonuses in 13 UFC appearances.
Gaethje’s 13 UFC fight-night bonuses since 2017 are most of any fighter within the firm.
Rafael Fiziev
Rafael Fiziev
Rafael Fiziev (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) enters the occasion on the primary dropping skid of his profession. He hasn’t earned a victory since July 2022.
Fiziev is certainly one of 14 fighters in UFC historical past to earn a knockout stemming from a wheel kick. He achieved the feat at UFC on ESPN 31.
Fiziev defends 90.2 p.c of opponent takedown makes an attempt in UFC light-weight competitors, the third-best fee amongst energetic fighters within the weight class behind Ludovit Klein (95.2 p.c) and Makhachev (90.9 p.c).
Jalin Turner vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Ignacio Bahamondes
Ignacio Bahamondes (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is certainly one of 14 fighters in UFC historical past to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning wheel kick. He achieved the feat at UFC on ESPN 29.
Bahamondes lands 7.12 important strikes per minute in UFC light-weight competitors, the third-highest fee amongst energetic fighters within the weight class behind Esteban Ribovics (8.07) and Terrance McKinney (7.17).
Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Amanda Lemos
Amanda Lemos’ (14-4-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) 5 stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competitors are tied for second-most in divisional historical past behind Jessica Andrade (six).
Lemos’ three knockout victories in UFC strawweight competitors are second-most in divisional historical past behind Andrade (4).
Lemos has landed six knockdowns in UFC strawweight competitors, essentially the most in divisional historical past.
Iasmin Lucindo’s (17-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) three-fight UFC successful streak at strawweight is tied for the third-longest energetic streak within the division behind Zhang Weili (5) and Virna Jandiroba (4).
King Inexperienced vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Bobby Inexperienced
King Green (32-16-1 MMA, 13-11-1 UFC) turns into the sixth fighter in UFC historical past to make 26 or extra light-weight appearances.
Inexperienced has landed 1,860 important strikes in UFC light-weight competitors, essentially the most in divisional historical past.
Inexperienced has landed 2,087 whole strikes in UFC light-weight competitors, essentially the most in divisional historical past.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev
Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes (18-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) turns into the ninth fighter in UFC historical past to make 20 or extra heavyweight appearances.
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competitors are tied with Paul Felder for many in firm historical past.
Blaydes’ 62 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competitors are most in divisional historical past.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed towards Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11 is the single-fight report for a UFC heavyweight bout.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed at UFC on ESPN 11 are tied for the third-most in a single UFC struggle behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (21 at UFC 160) and Sean Sherk (16 at UFC 73).
Joshua Van vs. Rei Tsuruya
Joshua Van
Joshua Van (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has earned 4 of his 5 UFC victories by choice.
Van lands 8.88 important strikes per minute in UFC competitors, the best fee in firm historical past.
Van landed 173 important strikes at UFC 310, the second highest whole in a UFC flyweight struggle. Jeff Molina holds the report with 189 important strikes landed at UFC 261.
Van, 23, takes on 22-year-old Rei Tsuruya (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) within the first matchup in UFC historical past between athletes each born within the 2000s.
Brunno Ferreira vs. Armen Petrosyan
Brunno Ferreira
Brunno Ferreira’s (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) common struggle time of 5:42 in UFC middleweight competitors is second-shortest amongst energetic fighters within the weight class behind Michal Oleksiejczuk (4:59).
Ferreira is certainly one of eight fighters in UFC historical past to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning again elbow. He achieved the feat at UFC on ESPN 57.
Alex Morono vs. Carlos Leal
Alex Morono
Alex Morono (24-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) has landed 1,278 important strikes in UFC welterweight competitors, the third-most in divisional historical past behind Neil Magny (1,428) and Kamaru Usman (1,334).
Chris Gutierrez vs. John Castaneda
Chris Gutierrez
Chris Gutierrez (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) is certainly one of 10 fighters in UFC historical past to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning backfist. He achieved the feat at UFC on ESPN 33.
Gutierrez is the one fighter in UFC historical past to earn knockouts by knee, spinning backfist and leg kicks.
Gutierrez lands 59.2 p.c of his important strike makes an attempt in UFC bantamweight competitors, the second-best fee in divisional historical past behind Sean O’Malley (61.5 p.c).
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 313.
UFC analysis analyst and stay statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Observe him on X @MJCflipdascript.
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