Tag: Ketlen Vieira

Ketlen Vieira takes solace in first career loss: ‘I needed to mature’

Ketlen Vieira suffered her first career loss in her most recent outing, but she views it as a learning experience.

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] suffered her first career loss in her most recent outing, but she views it as a learning experience.

Vieira (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was bounced out of the ranks of the unbeaten when she was stopped by Irene Aldana this past December at UFC 245.

But despite the loss, Vieira thinks she gained a lot of valuable lessons. She deemed her approach against the boxing-based Aldana as overzealous, which ultimately cost her.

“I came into the UFC without much experience,” Vieira told MMA Junkie. “Although I beat very tough opponents, I still needed to improve and mature. Last year was tough for me. I didn’t fight for a while due to a surgery I had. But that was not a factor in my first loss. I allowed emotions to take over. In all my UFC wins, I always listened to my corner. Andre Pederneiras has very sage advice. His strategy was to strike a little and then take the fight down to the mat. But I let emotions get the best of me.

“As I kept landing strikes, I could see that Irene was hurt. I became overconfident. In the end, it was a good thing. I needed to mature. All champions go through losses. I like to say that I’m like an arrow. The more you pull me back, the farther I’ll go. My one loss is mostly a positive thing. Today I’m a different fighter. I’m more complete. I’m ready for anything.”

Since the loss to Aldana, Vieira has had four straight fight cancellations. She finally draws Sijara Eubanks at UFC 253 on Saturday and has used the time away to make advancements in her game.

“I have a lot of faith,” Vieira said. “I always look at the positive side of things. Of course, it’s been difficult to get by financially. God says that we will never be left in need. The fight cancelations never discouraged me – just the opposite. It was more time for me to train and get even better. The UFC has the best fighters in the world, so we must be very well prepared to step into the cage. I like to always show improvements with each fight. Even in my loss, I was able to show improvements.”

UFC 253 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

UFC shifts Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya to Aug. 8 event

Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya is still happening, just at a different event than originally expected.

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] is still happening, just at a different event than originally expected.

Originally booked for Aug. 1, the women’s bantamweight fight will now take place on Aug. 8 instead.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the change to MMA Junkie on Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. My MMA News was first to report the news.

After a 4-0 start to her UFC tenure, which included wins over former bantamweight title challengers Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, Vieira (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered her first career loss to Irene Aldana in her last outing at UFC 245.

Former Invicta FC bantamweight champ Kunitskaya (12-5-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) challenged then UFC featherweight champ Cris Cyborg in her promotional debut in March 2018 but was stopped in the first round. She has split her first four UFC appearances and is coming off a third-round stoppage loss to Aspen Ladd last December.

With the addition, the Aug. 8 lineup includes:

  • Derrick Lewis vs. Aleksei Oleinik
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Chris Weidman
  • Julia Avila vs. Nicco Montano
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Sergey Pavlovich
  • Andrew Sanchez vs. Wellington Turman
  • Miranda Granger vs. Nadia Kassem
  • Peter Barrett vs. Steve Garcia
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Alex Munoz
  • Tim Means vs. Laureano Staropoli
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Ketlen Vieira

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UFC adds Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya to Aug. 1 event

A bantamweight matchup between Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya is headed to the UFC’s Aug. 1 event.

A bantamweight matchup is headed to the UFC’s Aug. 1 event.

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) will face [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC). The event does not yet have an official name designation or location.

A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

After a 4-0 start to her UFC tenure which included wins over former bantamweight title challengers Sara McMann and Cat Zingano, Vieira suffered her first career loss to Irene Aldana in her last outing at UFC 245.

Former Invicta FC bantamweight champ Kunitskaya challenged then UFC featherweight champ Cris Cyborg in her promotional debut in March 2018, but was stopped in the first round. She has split her first four UFC appearances and is coming off a third-round stoppage loss to Aspen Ladd last December.

With the addition, the current Aug. 1 lineup includes:

  • Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana
  • Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Markus Perez vs. Eric Spicely
  • Yana Kunitskaya vs. Ketlen Vieira

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Jose Aldo among seven Brazilians out of UFC 250 because of visa issues during pandemic

The UFC 250 fight card has all but fallen apart because of circumstances surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic.

The UFC 250 fight card has all but fallen apart.

With U.S. consulates closed throughout Brazil, seven Brazilian fighters – including headliner [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] – won’t be permitted to compete at the May 9 event because they can’t apply for a U.S. work visa. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the news Wednesday to MMA Junkie after an initial report from MMA Fighting.

UFC 250 originally was scheduled to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but is among two months worth of events that UFC president Dana White plans on holding at a secret U.S. location during the coronavirus pandemic. The location, which will start hosting events April 18 with UFC 249, is on tribal land at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif., according to reports, and is therefore exempt from a statewide stay-at-home order.

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Former featherweight champion Aldo was scheduled to challenge Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title, but that fight is no more. Combate reported Wednesday night that former 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz, who hasn’t competed since December 2016, will step in to face Cejudo. Cruz seemingly confirmed that on social media, although no official announcement has been made.

In addition to Aldo, the other Brazilian fighters now ruled out of UFC 250 are [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag], [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag], [autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag], [autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag], [autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag], and [autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag]. Rua and Nogueira were set to square off.

Two Brazilian fighters unaffected are women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and Fabricio Werdum, who both live and train in the U.S.

It’s unknown if the opponents opposite the removed Brazilian fighters will remain on the card.

The latest UFC 250 lineup now includes:

  • Champion Henry Cejudo vs. TBA – for bantamweight title
  • Champion Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Aleksei Oleinik vs. Fabricio Werdum
  • Blagoy Ivanov vs. opponent TBA
  • Marion Reneau vs. opponent TBA
  • Pannie Kianzad vs. opponent TBA
  • Serghei Spivac vs. opponent TBA

UFC 245 salaries: Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington top list of disclosed paydays

A total of 12 fighters made north of six figures Saturday at UFC 245, and that number increases when post-fight bonuses are factored in.

Main event combatants [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] each pocketed $500,000 for their respective efforts at UFC 245.

MMA Junkie recently obtained the list of the disclosed paydays for Saturday night’s card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversaw the event.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovksi[/autotag], who won the belt in the evening’s co-main event, earned $250,000 for his performance. Former champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], who lost the belt, took home a $350,000.

UFC women’s double champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] pocketed $450,000 for her bantamweight title defense against [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. Dutch challenger de Randamie earned $100,000.

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Former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] was the fourth highest-paid athlete on the card. Despite losing to [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] in his drop to bantamweight, Aldo earned $400,000.

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $4,096,000.

The full list of disclosed UFC 245 paydays included:

  • Kamaru Usman: $500,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Colby Covington: $500,000
  • Alexander Volkanovski: $250,000 (no win bonus)
    def. Max Holloway: $350,000
  • Amanda Nunes: $450,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus)
    def. Germaine de Randamie: $100,000
  • Marlon Moraes: $220,000 (includes $110,000 win bonus)
    def. Jose Aldo: $400,000
  • [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $122,000 (includes $66,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: $250,0000
  • [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $90,000
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $33,000
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $110,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $50,000
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $160,000 (includes $80,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: $35,000
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: $18,000
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $25,000
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $45,000
  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: $20,000

The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, including the official UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay. They also do not include any other “locker room” or special discretionary bonuses the UFC sometimes pays. They also do not include pay-per-view cuts that some top-level fighters receive.

For example, UFC officials handed out additional $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses to Yan and Aldana for “Performance of the Night,” and Usman and Covington for “Fight of the Night.”

In other words, the above figures are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not reflect entire compensation packages for the event.

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UFC 245 post-event facts: Max Holloway makes history, even in defeat

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 245, which saw Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington in the main event.

The UFC’s final numbered event of the year took place Saturday at UFC 245 went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Three championship bouts were featured on the card, but it was Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) who closed the show in dramatic fashion when he stopped Colby Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by fifth-round TKO to defend his welterweight title for the first time in the main event.

It was a memorable finish to close a memorable card, and for more on the numbers, check below for 60 post-event facts to come out of UFC 245.

* * * *

General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $369,500.

Usman, Covington, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 2-0 on the card.

UFC 245 drew an announced attendance of 16,811 for a live gate of $4,041,119.14.

Betting favorites went 8-5 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 22-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:49:00.

Main card

Usman extended his winning streak to 15 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman became the fourth fighter in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12) and Tony Ferguson (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Covington suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) became the fourth undisputed featherweight champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski became the first Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Arnold Allen and Zabit Magomedsharipov for the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski extended his winning streak to 18 consecutive fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has earned five of his eight UFC victories by decision.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.

Holloway landed 100+ significant strikes for the 10th time in UFC competition, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway became the third fighter in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]’ (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) five consecutive UFC title defenses are most among current champions.

Nunes’ seven victories in women’s UFC title fights are most in company history.

Nunes’ 12 victories in UFC competition are most for any female in company history.

Nunes’ 11 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ 10-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.

Nunes’ nine-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in September 2017.

De Randamie suffered her first decision loss since June 24, 2011 – a span of 3,115 days and nine fights.

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) improved to 18-2 in his past 20 fights dating back to December 2011.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut.

Aldo fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Yan’s (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) suffered just the fourth knockout loss of his career.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Usman (11), Leon Edwards (eight) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (seven).

Neal has earned 10 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five UFC wins.

Neal became the first welterweight since Usman to start 5-0 in the UFC.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) fell to 2-5 in his past seven fights dating back to December 2017.

Perry suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Aldana’s (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) five victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Nunes (11), Raquel Pennington (eight) and Ronda Rousey (six).

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had her 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (seven).

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May.

Heinisch has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]’s (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).

Brown has earned 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes 13 of his 15 wins under the UFC banner.

Brown’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

[autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] (22-13-2 MMA, 8-10 UFC) fell to 5-7 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in August 2014; it includes one win in an outside promotion.

Saunders’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.

Saunders is 1-6 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to May 2017.

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (7-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned five of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to December 2016.

Teymur suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) improved to 1-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September.

Moreno snapped his three-fight winless skid in UFC competition for his first octagon victory since April 2017.

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned six of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

Piechota suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Second highest event payout in program history

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 245 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $369,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 245 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $369,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 245 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 245 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $30,000
def. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $40,000

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,249,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,883,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 245 with Billie Eilish and a ‘Game of Thrones’ appearance

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 245 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 245 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14

UFC 245 prelims pre-event facts: Matt Brown still holds records after two-year break

The best facts and figures about the UFC 245 prelims, where Geoff Neal meets Mike Perry in the featured bout.

The UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year is the deepest of all. UFC 245 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and in addition to three title fights on the main card, the prelims, which air on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, have a lot to offer.

The featured bout is an anticipated pairing in the welterweight division, with [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) looking to continue his unbeaten start inside the octagon against fan favorite [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind that matchup, as well as the others, check below for 30 pre-event facts on the UFC 245 prelims.

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Featured ESPN2 prelim

Neal is the first welterweight to start 4-0 in the UFC since current champion Kamaru Usman.

Perry has earned his past two victories by decision after beginning his career with 11 stoppages.

Perry has alternated wins and losses over his past five UFC appearances. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 14.

Perry is 2-4 in his past six fights dating back to December 2017.

Other ESPN2 prelims

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Mar. 3, 2018. The 651-day layoff is the longest of her more than five-year career.

Vieira’s four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is tied with Germaine de Randamie for the second longest active streak in the division behind Amanda Nunes (eight).

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) defends 93.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate of any female and fourth overall in company history

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) is 2-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 3-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

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[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (21-16 MMA, 14-10 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Nov. 11, 2017. The 763-day layoff is the longest of his more than 14-year career.

Brown competes in his 25th UFC welterweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (26).

Brown is 2-5 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to July 2014.

Brown’s 14 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19), Matt Hughes (16) and Thiago Alves (15).

Brown has earned 19 of his 21 career victories by stoppage. That includes 12 of his 14 wins under the UFC banner.

Brown’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Hughes for most in divisional history.

Brown’s 10 knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown’s 24 submission attempts in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (31).

[autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] (22-12-2 MMA, 8-9 UFC) is 5-6 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in August 2014; it includes one win outside the promotion.

Saunders’ three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.

Saunders’ three knockout victories stemming from knee strikes in UFC competition are tied with Anderson Silva and Michael Bisping for second most in company history behind T. Alves (four).

Saunders earned the first omoplata submission finish in UFC history when he defeated Chris Heatherly at UFC Fight Night 49. Adam Wieczorek earned the second finish with the technique at UFC on FOX 29.

Saunders omoplata finish was just the second in the combined history of the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and PRIDE. It’s one of three overall, along with Wieczorek and Shane Del Rosario, who also accomplished the feat.

Featured ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelim

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (6-0-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 20, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Hooper returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 14, 2018. The 365-day layoff is the longest of his more than two-year career.

Other ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (15-5-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC) is on a three-fight winless skid in UFC competition. He hasn’t earned an octagon victory since April 2017.

[autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]’s (20-7 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Henry Cejudo (four).

Kara-France has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC) competes in her fifth UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (six).

Eye is 3-1 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.

Eye’s six losses in UFC competition are tied for second most for any female in company history behind Angela Hill (seven).

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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