The UFC makes its sixth trip to North Carolina on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 24. Its the promotion’s debut in Raleigh, and is set to stream on ESPN+ from PNC Arena.
In the main event, heavyweight contenders clash. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will attempt to extended his two-fight winning streak against former UFC champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who looks to rebound from a loss in his most recent outing.
The matchup tops the 12-fight card, which also features one more former UFC titleholder as well as former title challenger.
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Main event
Blaydes absorbs 1.9 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Blaydes’ 45 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes completes 60 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).
Blaydes’ takedown rate of 7.05 per 15 minutes of fighting is highest in UFC history.
Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Cain Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Dos Santos competes in his 13th UFC headliner. He’s 8-4 in his previous main event bouts.
Dos Santos’ total fight time of 3:44:34 in UFC heavyweight competition is second most in company history behind Andrei Arlovski (4:33:42).
Dos Santos’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Arlovski (17) and Frank Mir (16).
Dos Santos’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Velasquez and Derrick Lewis for most in divisional history.
Dos Santos’ 14 knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos has landed 1,068 significant strikes in UFC heavyweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos and Ben Rothwell combined for 234 significant strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 86, the third most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) at UFC 241 and Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura (282) at UFC Fight Night 121.
Dos Santos’ 157 significant strikes landed against Rothwell are second most in a UFC heavyweight fight behind Miocic (181) at UFC 241.
Dos Santos’ 92 significant body strikes landed against Rothwell are the UFC heavyweight record for a single fight.
Dos Santos defends 80.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the fourth-best rate in divisional history behind Alexander Volkov (82.8 percent), Marcin Tybura (81.5 percent) and Arlovski (80.6 percent).
Co-main event
[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) is the only Brazilian lightweight champion in UFC history.
Dos Anjos is 4-3 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in June 2017.
Dos Anjos’ average fight time of 19:39 in UFC welterweight competition is the longest in divisional history.
Dos Anjos’ 18 UFC wins are tied for seventh most in company history. Donald Cerrone holds the all-time record with 23.
Dos Anjos lands 54.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (56.8 percent).
Dos Anjos became just the second fighter in history to challenge for a UFC title and win a 50-45 decision on all three judges’ scorecards when he beat Anthony Pettis at UFC 185. Randy Couture also accomplished the feat against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68.
Dos Anjos’ 66-second victory over Cerrone at UFC on FOX 17 is the fastest stoppage in UFC lightweight title fight history.
[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is 2-0 since he moved up to the welterweight division in December 2018.
Chiesa’s five submission victories via rear-naked choke in UFC competition are tied for third most in company history behind Demian Maia (nine) and Kenny Florian (seven).
Chiesa has completed at least one takedown against 12 of his 13 UFC opponents.
Remaining main card
[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 123.
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC strawweight bout, tied with Randa Markos for the most appearances in divisional history.
Hill is 4-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s two knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Rose Namajunas (three).
Hill has landed 100 or more significant strikes in five separate UFC strawweight fights, the second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (seven).
[autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is 1-2 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in July 2018. He went 12-1 at heavyweight.
Preliminary card
[autotag]Bevon Lewis[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a six-fight winning streak.
[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]’s (15-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied with Zabit Magomedsharipov and Alexander Volkanovski for the longest active streak in the division.
Allen is one of four featherweights in UFC history to open his career with six straight wins. Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor and Yair Rodriguez also accomplished the feat.
Allen absorbs 1.78 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Rani Yahya (1.05) and Mirsad Bektic (1.7).
[autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag] (30-10-2 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) returns to the featherweight division for the first time since May 2015. He went 4-2 during his first stint in the weight class.
Lentz’s 68 takedowns landed in UFC competition are tied for fourth most in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (90), Gleison Tibau (84) and Demetrious Johnson (74).
Lentz’s 20 guillotine choke attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Lentz and Charles Oliveira are one of three pairs of fighters in UFC history to have a trilogy in which all three fights were not for a title. Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz and Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Jan. 27, 2018. It’s the third time in her career she’s had a layoff of at least 23 months.
Kish has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career on a six-fight winning streak.
[autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC), 25, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Pudilova’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Pudilova is 0-2 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in February.
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) submission victory at 1:40 of Round 1 at UFC 232 is the second fastest D’Arce choke finish in UFC history. Only Chas Skelly’s 19-second win at UFC Fight Night 94 was faster.
[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), 39, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
McMann returns to competition for the first time since Feb. 24, 2018. The 700-day layoff is the longest of her nearly nine-year career.
McMann competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (12) and Raquel Pennington (12).
McMann’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
McMann’s 2017 victory over Gina Mazany at 1:14 of Round 1 marked the second fastest submission in UFC women’s bantamweight history behind Ronda Rousey’s 14-second finish of Cat Zingano at UFC 184.
[autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) enters the event on the first winning streak of her UFC career.
Lansberg lands 57.7 of her significant strikes in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Lansberg has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 15-fight winning streak.
Johns has earned one of two calf-slicer submissions in UFC history. Charles Oliveira also accomplished the feat.
Johns’ 30-second submission of Joe Soto at the TUF 26 Finale was second fastest in UFC/WEC combined bantamweight history behind Patrick Williams’ 23-second finish at UFC 188.
Johns’ 11 takedowns landed at UFC Fight Night 99 are tied for the single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
