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Rival bantamweights Rob Font and Cody Stamann offer different takes on their non-booking at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington D.C.
Rival bantamweights Rob Font and Cody Stamann offer different takes on their non-booking at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington D.C.
Cody Stamann talks UFC on ESPN 7 to media in Washington D.C.
Cody Stamann talks UFC on ESPN 7 to media in Washington D.C.
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 7, which features a Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik heavyweight main event.
The UFC returns to Washington D.C. for the first time in more than eight years on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 7. The card is set to air on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
In the headliner, two heavyweights on winning streaks will attempt to take another step up the divisional pecking order when perennial contender [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who stepped in on short notice as a replacement for Walt Harris.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the 12-fight card, check below for 50 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 7.
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Overeem, 39, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Overeem’s two-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Rozenstruik (three), Francis Ngannou (three) and Augusto Sakai (three).
Overeem is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 or more heavyweight wins.
Overeem has earned 40 of his 45 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 10 UFC wins.
Overeem lands 73.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Overeem has been on the losing end of the fifth and sixth largest statistical comeback finishes in UFC heavyweight history. He out-landed Antonio Silva by 30 significant strikes before being knocked out at UFC 156, and he out-landed Travis Browne by 27 significant strikes before his demise at UFC Fight Night 26
Overeem’s 13 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.
Overeem’s 11 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.
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Rozenstruik makes his second UFC appearance in a 35-day stretch. He defeated Andrei Arlovski at UFC 244 on Nov. 2.
Rozenstruik’s three-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied with Ngannou and Sakai for the longest active streak in the division.
Rozenstruik has earned eight of his nine career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Rozenstruik’s three-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is tied with Ngannou, Amanda Nunes, Maycee Barber, Jared Cannonier and Justin Gaethje for the longest active streak in the company.
Rozenstruik’s nine-second knockout at UFC on ESPN+ 12 is the second fastest in UFC heavyweight history behind Todd Duffee’s seven-second finish at UFC 102.
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[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]’s (13-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) three-fight UFC unbeaten streak at strawweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suarez (five), Yan Xiaonan (four) and Zhang Weili (four).
Rodriguez fought to the first draw in UFC strawweight history against Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018.
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[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]’s (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five wins since 2017 in strawweight competition are tied for most in the division.
Calvillo’s three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Rose Namajunas for most in divisional history.
Calvillo has completed at least one takedown in five of her six UFC appearances.
Calvillo’s nine submission attempts in UFC strawweight competition are most in divisional history.
Calvillo attempts 2.02 submission attempts per 15 minutes in UFC strawweight competition, the most in divisional history.
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[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) returns to competition after announcing his retirement from MMA following a victory at UFC on ESPN+ 3 in February.
Struve competes in his 23rd UFC heavyweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (31) and Frank Mir (27).
Struve’s 13 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Arlovski (17), Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).
Struve’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Arlovski and Gabriel Gonzaga for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13).
Struve’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Mir (eight).
Struve’s 21 submission attempts in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Mir for most in divisional history.
Struve’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC heavyweight fights are second most in divisional history behind Stipe Miocic (nine).
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[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]’s (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2016.
Rothwell is 0-2 since he returned from a nearly three-year layoff in March.
[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]’s (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) two knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Nunes (six), Ronda Rousey (three) and Germaine de Randamie (three).
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[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is 2-0 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.
Kunitskaya’s two-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Nunes (eight), de Randamie (four) and Ketlen Vieira (four).
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC), 22, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
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[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 15, 2018. The 357-day layoff is the longest of his more than eight-year career.
Font has alternated wins and losses in his past five fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on FOX 31 in December 2018.
Font’s five stoppages victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (eight), Urijah Faber (seven), Marlon Vera (seven) and Pedro Munhoz (six).
Font’s four knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (seven) and Eddie Wineland (five).
[autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]’s (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) victory at the 5:00 mark of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 128 is the latest stoppage in a three-round UFC fight.
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[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (23-14 MMA, 15-11 UFC) competes in his 26th UFC welterweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Alves’ 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are the third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).
Alves’ nine stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Hughes (12) and Matt Brown (12).
Alves’ eight knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Brown (10).
Alves’ 13 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Alves’ four knockout victories stemming from knee strikes in UFC competition are most in company history.
Alves has landed 380 leg kicks in UFC competition, the second most in company history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (430).
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[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (28-11-1 MMA, 10-8 UFC) is 8-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.
[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] (23-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is 17-1 in his past 18 fights dating back to March 2015.
Muradov enters the event on a 12-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since December 2016.
[autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 5-6 UFC) has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision. He hasn’t earned a stoppage victory since June 2012.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 7 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside:
Cody Stamann admits that Song Yadong is nasty, but is looking to beat the (expletive) out of him at UFC DC.
[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] could break into the top tier of bantamweight contenders as he looks to make a statement on Dec. 7.
Stamann (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 7, and while he admits that he’s in for a tough challenge, he’s confident that he has the game plan to beat him.
“I don’t know about excited, that kid is nasty,” Stamann told MMA Junkie. “He’s a nasty little (expletive) for sure but same thing, I got to beat his (expletive) and cut the paycheck. I don’t really see it any different than anything else. I just got to stylistically prepare for what he does well, and I do that really well. I’m good at game planning and scheming and figuring out ways to beat people and things are starting to come together.”
Stamann recently suffered his first setback in almost four years, in a submission loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 228, but was able to rebound with a unanimous decision over Alejandro Perez in his last outing in March.
Yadong (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC) on the other hand, is off to a 4-0 start in the UFC, notching three performance bonuses in the process. In his last outing, he scored a first round knockout over Perez at UFC 239, the same opponent Stamann last fought.
“I see a lot of guys that rise and fizzle out,” Stamann said. “I’m not saying that he’s that guy, he’s got a lot of really great people around him, he’s a really good athlete but it doesn’t make a difference. Dec. 7, I’m going to beat the (expletive) out of him. That’s all there is to it.”
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And with the recent additions of former champions and future hall of famers Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo to the division, Stamann is excited for the possibility to one day throw down with these legends.
“You got Aldo and Edgar coming down to (1)35 and those are two more legends to add to the already stacked division so it’s insane, and those are fights that I want,” Stamann said. “I’m excited about it, I think a lot of guys are probably shitting their pants because oh no all these really good guys are moving into bantamweight. I’m pumped about it because I do think I can beat those guys, and I think I’m going to peak at just the right time as an athlete to kind of get those legends like Edgar and Jose Aldo, right at the ends of their careers.”
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