Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 26 event in Auckland, New Zealand.
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 on ESPN+ 26 went with as their backing tracks in Auckland, New Zealand.
MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through five key storylines as the UFC heads to the hottest of 2020 MMA hotspots: New Zealand.
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New Zealand is the hippest of MMA hotspots these days. Auckland’s world-class gym, City Kickboxing, has captured two UFC championships in the past year, with Israel Adesanya taking the middleweight belt and Alexander Volkanovski following up by claiming the featherweight crown.
Which makes this the perfect time for the UFC to visit the island nation for the first time since 2017.
UFC Auckland isn’t the deepest card in company history, but it has its fair share of intrigue. That certainly applies to the main event, a bout between [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] and City Kickboxing’s own [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag], a matchup from which a legit lightweight contender should emerge.
The co-main, too, has high consequences, as the bout between Australian [autotag]Jimmy Crute[/autotag] and [autotag]Michał Oleksiejczuk[/autotag] should mark the winner as one to watch in the suddenly hot light heavyweight ranks.
UFC on ESPN+ 26 takes place Saturday (Sunday locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The event streams on ESPN+.
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Felder (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has not lost a lightweight fight since 2016.
That’s an easy fact to forget, because in his highest-profile fight since, Felder lost to Mike Perry a UFC 226 on a split decision and got his arm broken in the process.
But that fight was at welterweight, and otherwise, “The Irish Dragon” has been flawless, with five wins at 155 pounds. That includes three finishes, two post-fight bonuses, and last time out, he avenged a loss to Edson Barboza.
Now, Felder has accepted Hooker’s challenge and will face him on the latter’s home turf. The Roufusport product is 34. He’s coming up on a now-or-never point on whether he’s going to break into the highest ranks of the sport’s deepest division. If Felder can win under these circumstances, then he almost has to be given one of 155’s big dogs next.
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See the best stats and figures about UFC Auckland, which features a Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker lightweight main event.
The UFC hosts an event in New Zealand for just the third time in company history on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 26, which takes place at Spark Arena in Auckland and features a 13-fight lineup that streams entirely on ESPN+.
A key lightweight matchup with some bad blood is featured in the main event. [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) and [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] (19-8 MMA, 9-4 UFC) get an opportunity to headline a card for the first time when they jockey for position in the title picture of arguably the sport’s deepest weight class.
There’s a lot on the line atop the card, but there’s more to it, too. Check below for 40 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 26.
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Felder competes in his first UFC main event.
Felder is 7-2 in his past nine UFC appearances dating back to January 2016.
Felder’s three UFC knockouts stemming from elbow strikes are tied with Curtis Blaydes for most in company history.
Felder is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a spinning backfist. He accomplished the feat at UFC 182.
Hooker is 6-1 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Hooker has earned 17 of his 19 career victories by stoppage. That includes eight of his nine UFC wins.
Hooker has earned UFC knockouts stemming from a punch, kick, knee and elbows.
Hooker lands 6.16 significant strikes per minute in UFC lightweight competition, the fourth best rate in divisional history behind Justin Gaethje (8.57), TJ Grant (6.83) and Dustin Poirier (6.51).
[autotag]Jim Crute[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Crute’s victory at the 4:51 mark of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 142 is the second latest finish in a three-round UFC light heavyweight fight behind Paul Craig over Magomed Ankalaev at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127.
[autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]’s (14-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) three knockdowns landed at UFC on ESPN+ 7 are tied for second most in a UFC light heavyweight bout behind Rountree’s four knockdowns landed at UFC 236.
Oleksiejczuk’s three knockdowns landed in 44 seconds are the most in the least amount of octagon time in a single UFC fight.
[autotag]Karolina Kowalkiewicz[/autotag]’s (12-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since April 2018.
Kowalkiewicz is 2-5 in her past seven fights dating back to when she challenged for the UFC strawweight title in November 2016.
Kowalkiewicz has earned all five of her UFC victories by decision. She hasn’t earned a stoppage since May 2014.
Kowalkiewicz defends 83.7 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC strawweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is 8-0 (with one no contest) since returning from a nearly five-year layoff in July 2015.
Xiaonan’s four-fight UFC winning streak in strawweight competition is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suarez (five).
Xiaonan landed 150 significant strikes against Syuri Kondo at UFC Fight Night 141, the single-fight record for a three-round UFC strawweight fight.
Xiaonan has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Ben Sosoli[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has had his past two fights result in a no contest.
[autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past eight fights. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 3 in February 2019.
De Lima is 2-1 when competing in UFC heavyweight bouts.
De Lima has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 13 of those wins in Round 1.
[autotag]Magomed Mustafaev[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned all 14 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all three of his UFC wins by knockout.
Mustafaev is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. Renan Barao and Uriah Hall also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Zubaira Tukhugov[/autotag] (18-4-1 MMA, 3-1-1 UFC) completes 56.5 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Diego Brandao (68 percent).
[autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is 4-1 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017.
Matthews defends 71.6 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (73 percent) and Luigi Fioravanti (71.9 percent)
[autotag]Emil Meek[/autotag] (9-4-1 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since July 22, 2018. The 580-day layoff is the longest of his nearly nine-year career.
Meek enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2016.
Meek has been taken down 17 times in his three UFC appearances.
[autotag]Tyson Nam[/autotag] (18-10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), 36, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
[autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is the only Thai-born fighter in history to earn a UFC victory.
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (11-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) competes in her 14th UFC strawweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Hill makes her sixth UFC appearance in a 10-month stretch, the most in modern company history within that timeframe.
Hill is 5-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (nine) and Jessica Andrade (seven).
Hill’s two knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Jedrzejczyk for second most in divisional history behind Rose Namajunas (three).
[autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting her career 8-0. She hasn’t earned a victory since September 2017.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
Hannah Goldy is out, and look who it is accepting a short-notice fight yet again.
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] will answer the short-notice call yet again.
Hill will replace [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] and take on [autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 26. MMA Junkie confirmed the matchup after Hill’s manager posted the news on social media.
UFC on ESPN+ 26 takes place Feb. 22 (Sunday, Feb. 23 locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The card streams on ESPN+.
Hill (11-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) secured consecutive wins for the first time in her UFC career with back-to-back finishes of Ariane Carnelossi and Hannah Cifers, with the latter coming less than two weeks ago in Raleigh, N.C. It will be the sixth time Hill competes within the last 12 months.
The first Thai-born fighter to compete for the UFC, Lookboonmee (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) impressed in her UFC debut as she defeated Alexandra Albu at UFC on ESPN+ 20 in Singapore.
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The latest UFC on ESPN+ 26 lineup now includes:
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UFC Auckland has added Loma Lookboonmee vs. Hannah Goldy and Maki Pitolo vs. Takashi Sato.
Two fights have been added to the UFC’s return to New Zealand.
A women’s strawweight bout between [autotag]Loma Lookboonmee[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), as well as a welterweight matchup between [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and [autotag]Takashi Sato[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), have been added to UFC on ESPN+ 26.
MMA Junkie confirmed the bookings with two persons with knowledge of the matchups following an initial report by the New Zealand Herald. The persons asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has not yet made an official announcement.
UFC on ESPN+ 26 takes place Feb. 22 (Feb. 23 locally) at Spark Arena in Auckland. The card streams on ESPN+.
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Lookboonmee and Goldy will both be competing in their sophomore UFC appearances when they square off in Auckland. Lookboonmee’s first promotional outing was successful. At UFC on ESPN+ 20 in October, she defeated Aleksandra Albu by split decision. Goldy will look to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Miranda Granger at UFC on ESPN 5 in August.
Pitolo and Sato each are coming off losses. After punching his ticket to the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series, Pitolo dropped his debut to Callan Potter at UFC 234 in February. The defeat marked one of the biggest betting upsets of the year. Sato was successful in his UFC debut, an April knockout of Ben Saunders. In his second outing, Sato lost by third-round submission to Belal Muhammad at UFC 242 in September.
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With the additions, the latest UFC on ESPN+ 26 lineup includes:
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