MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle takes you through five key storylines going into what promises to be a memorable night in Brazil.
If you read the headlines, the world might seem to be burning down around us, but the UFC’s relentless machine marches on.
Just one week after a memorable UFC 248, the company returns to one of its favorite destinations, Brazil, for UFC on ESPN+ 28.
In the interim, life as we know it got turned upside down, as the world woke up to the fact that coronavirus is everywhere. That includes Brasilia, which issued a ban on large public gatherings, putting UFC on ESPN+ 28 behind closed doors.
You have to feel for those who bought tickets for the card but can’t go. For a Fight Night-level card just one week after a blockbuster pay-per-view, this event is a pretty solid offering.
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That starts right at the top, with the main event. [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag], a former interim lightweight title challenger who seemed right on the brink of big things, is looking to get back to that status. Opponent [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], himself, is knocking on that door. Put these two all-action competitors in the same cage and lock the door, and you’ve got the recipe for one hell of a fight.
UFC on ESPN+ 28 takes place Saturday at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The card streams on ESPN+.
Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions leading into UFC on ESPN+ 28.
Is Kevin Lee back on track?
Kevin Lee and Gregor Gillespie
Lee’s career is the case study in why the UFC should consider a 165-pound weight class.
A superbly talented competitor, Lee (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) is just a little too big for the lightweight class – as has been evidenced by his troubles making 155 pounds – and just a little bit too small for the elite welterweights – as evidenced by his loss to Rafael dos Anjos, the Brazilian’s only win in his past five fights, in Lee’s attempt to go 170.
If there’s ever change in the divisional structure, though, it’s not likely to happen during Lee’s prime. So he went back to 155 pounds, where he made an emphatic statement with a first-round knockout of Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244.
Now he’s back in the main event spotlight, with an interesting challenge in Oliveira (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC). Lee needs to prove two things this time out: First, fair or not, we still need to see him get through a string of weigh-ins without looking like death warmed over before we’re going to declare his issues with 155 over. Next, Lee has been submitted twice in his three losses over his past three fights, and this time out, he faces the guy who blew right past Royce Gracie’s UFC submission record and never looked back in Oliveira.
If Lee can ace this both of this week’s tests, then he might just be back in the elite mix after all.
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 28, which features a Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira lightweight main event.
The UFC travels to Brazil for the 37th time in company history on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 28. It’s the third stop in Brasilia, as the event takes place at Ginasio Nilson Nelson with a 12-fight lineup set to stream on ESPN+.
A pair of surging lightweight contenders match up in the main event. [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) will attempt to stay unbeaten since returning to 155 pounds when he meets red-hot [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC), who has won six consecutive fights – all by stoppage.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as a deep supporting cast, check below for 60 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 28.
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Main event
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Lee was successful in his return to the lightweight division when he knocked out Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244 in November.
Lee’s 11 victories since 2014 in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Tony Ferguson for second most in the division behind Beneil Dariush (12).
Lee has completed at least one takedown in 14 of his 16 UFC fights.
Lee’s 35 takedowns landed since 2014 in UFC lightweight competition are most in the division.
Lee’s 258 significant ground strikes landed in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (308).
Lee’s 96 significant ground strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 128 are the second most in a single UFC fight behind Neil Magny’s 100 landed at UFC Fight Night 85.
Charles Oliveira
Oliveira is 7-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division April 2017. He’s 9-3 (with one no contest) in the organization at 155 pounds.
Oliveira’s average fight time of 4:51 in UFC lightweight competition is the second shortest in divisional history behind Manny Gamburyan (4:45).
Oliveira’s six-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (12) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (11).
Oliveira’s six-fight UFC stoppage streak is the longest active streak in the company.
Oliveira’s 15 stoppage victories in UFC competition are second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (16).
Oliveira’s 13 submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira’s six submission victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Oliveira’s four guillotine-choke victories in UFC competition are tied with Nate Diaz for most in company history.
Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history with multiple submission victories via anaconda choke. Phil Davis also accomplished the feat.
Charles Oliveira
Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn submission victories with six different techniques. Frank Mir also accomplished the feat.
Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a calf-slicer submission victory. Brett Johns also accomplished the feat.
Oliveira has been awarded 15 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, the tied with Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon for second most in company history behind Cerrone (18).
Oliveira has been awarded nine “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the most in company history.
Oliveira is the only fighter in UFC history to be awarded five or more fight-night bonuses in two separate divisions.
Co-main event
Demian Maia
[autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] (28-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC), 42, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Maia competes in his 32nd UFC bout, tied with Jeremy Stephens for the third-most appearances in company history behind Cerrone (34) and Jim Miller (34).
Maia’s 22 victories in UFC competition are second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (23).
Maia’s 22 victories in UFC competition are the most of any Brazilian fighter in company history.
Maia’s total fight time of 6:32:06 in UFC competition is third most in company history behind Frankie Edgar (7:15:51) and Rafael Dos Anjos (6:43:11).
Maia is 13-5 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in July 2012.
Maia’s 11 submission victories in UFC competition are second most in company history behind Oliveira (13).
Maia’s nine submission victories via rear-naked choke in UFC competition are most in company history.
Maia’s 65 takedowns landed in UFC competition are sixth most in company history.
Maia’s 251 takedown attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Maia once went a combined 0-for-49 on takedown attempts over a three-fight UFC stretch. It’s the longest streak of failed attempts in UFC history without a takedown landed.
Maia was unsuccessful on all 21 of his takedown attempts against champ Tyron Woodley at UFC 214, the second worst title-fight output in UFC history behind Diego Sanchez’s 0-for-27 effort against B.J. Penn at UFC 107.
Maia completed just two of 22 takedown attempts in his unanimous-decision loss to Rory MacDonald at UFC 170. Those 22 takedown attempts were the most in a single UFC welterweight bout.
[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is 2-0 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019. He’s 3-0 when fighting at the weight class.
Burns’ three armbar victories in UFC competition are tied for third most in company history behind Royce Gracie (four) and Demetrious Johnson (four).
Remaining main card
Renato Moicano
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] (13-3-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) moves up to the UFC lightweight division after spending his previous eight promotional appearances at featherweight.
Moicano enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since August 2018.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned 16 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.
Walker is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back fist. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 2.
Walker is one of two fighters in UFC history to win a light heavyweight bout by knockout stemming from a flying knee. James Irvin also accomplished the feat.
Walker is one of five fighters in modern UFC history to win a light heavyweight bout by knockout in 15 seconds or less. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 2.
[autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is 1-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2018.
Krylov is 9-5 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in March 2014.
Krylov has earned all of his 25 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 20 of those wins in Round 1.
Krylov lands 56.1 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC light heavyweight competition, the second best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Jon Jones (57.9 percent).
Krylov’s 25-second knockout at UFC on FOX 10 marked the fastest finish stemming from a head kick in UFC history.
Francisco Trinaldo
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC), 41, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC lightweight division.
Trinaldo has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in November.
Trinaldo’s 12 UFC victories in Brazil are the most in company history.
Trinaldo is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two arm-triangle submission victories from half-guard.
[autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back fist. He accomplished the feat at UFC 129.
Makdessi defends 71.4 percent of opponent significant strike attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the second highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Nasrat Haqparast (74.1 percent).
Makdessi defends 86.8 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the third best among active fighters in the weight class behind Cerrone (90 percent) and Mairbek Taisumov (88.5 percent).
Preliminary card
Jussier Formiga
[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) competes in his 15th UFC flyweight bout, tied with Demetrious Johnson for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Joseph Benavidez (17).
Formiga’s nine victories in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Johnson (13) and Benavidez (13).
Formiga’s three submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).
Formiga defends 86.2 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Kai Kara-France (90.9 percent) and Ian McCall (90 percent).
[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) is 1-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September.
[autotag]Randa Markos[/autotag] (10-7-1 MMA, 6-6-1 UFC) competes in her 14th UFC strawweight bout, tied with Angela Hill for the most appearances in divisional history.
Markos is 3-3-1 in her past seven UFC appearance dating back to August 2017.
Markos’ six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10), Jessica Andrade (seven) and Hill (seven).
Markos has completed at least one takedown against 10 of her 13 UFC opponents.
Markos’ four split-decision results in UFC strawweight competition are most in divisional history.
Markos and Marina Rodriguez fought to the first draw in UFC strawweight history at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018.
Rani Yahya
[autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) has earned 20 of his 26 career victories by submission. He’s finished 13 of those wins in Round 1.
Yahya’s eight stoppage victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with T.J. Dillashaw, Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland for most in combined divisional history.
Yahya’s eight submission victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are most in combined divisional history.
Yahya is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a north-south choke submission in UFC competition. Jake Ellenberger, Jeff Monson and Michel Prazeres have also accomplished the feat.
Yahya’s 21 takedowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Merab Dvalishvili (39), Urijah Faber (26) and Dominick Cruz (23).
[autotag]Enrique Barzola[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC) drops to the UFC bantamweight division after spending his previous nine promotional appearances at featherweight.
Barzola has earned all six of his UFC victories by decision.
Barzola’s 36 takedowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Dennis Bermudez (46) and Darren Elkins (40).
Barzola is one five fighters in history to earned 10 or more takedowns in a UFC/WEC featherweight bout. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 129.
[autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 22, 2018. The 539-day layoff is the longest of her nearly four-year career.
[autotag]Veronica Macedo[/autotag] (6-3-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC), 24, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Macedo returns to the UFC women’s bantamweight division after going 1-2 in the flyweight division.
Macedo’s submission victory at 1:09 of Round 1 at UFC on ESPN+ 15 is the fastest finish in UFC women’s flyweight history.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
A crushing TKO loss in his last fight might’ve put things into perspective for Johnny Walker.
[autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] is looking to get back to his finishing ways.
Walker made a statement early in his UFC career by picking up three straight first-round knockouts over Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov.
But Walker (17-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) ran into a humbling experience last November at UFC 244 when he was stopped in the first round by Corey Anderson, putting a halt to his momentum. Now Walker will look to rebound against [autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 28, looking to recreate some of his magical moments in the octagon.
“It’s a very important fight for me,” Walker told MMA Junkie. “My goal is to resume my journey towards the top of the division. I’m much more focused and prepared this time. Regardless of what Nikita Krylov brings on fight night, I’ll be ready for him. If he wants to bang it out, which is his preference, that’s fine. In the end, I see my hand raised.
“I don’t care if I have to knock him out or submit him to do it. It’s going to happen in the first round. My errors won’t be repeated. Each day is a new learning experience. I’ll use that knowledge in my future fights. I’m striving for perfection.”
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Walker’s loss to Anderson was a wake-up call, and while Walker doesn’t want to make any excuses, he said he was carrying a little extra baggage going into the fight.
“That fight was a big learning experience for me,” Walker said. “My mistake was bringing personal problems into the octagon. It’s something I’ll never do again. There are some stresses during fight week – things that had been bothering me for months. I fought without any focus. I don’t want to take anything away from Corey Anderson, of course. He’s a great fighter. I’m confident I could have had a much better performance. I know I’ll keep climbing the rankings, so I expect we’ll run into each other again. Things will be very different.”
Walker made a major change ahead of his fight with Krylov, moving to the famed Tristar Gym in Montreal to working with coach Firas Zahabi and former UFC two-division champion Georges St-Pierre.
“We’ve been training with a lot of big guys with great wrestling,” Walker said. “My striking, jiu-jitsu and wrestling are all improved. I’m always looking to get better in all areas of martial arts. Anything I can already do, I want to be able to do even better. I’ll be very aggressive, and I’ll be inflicting a lot of damage. There will be no errors. My coaches are giving me a lot of attention. Plus, I have a coach helping me with the mental side.
“I want to keep climbing the rankings until I’m No. 1. I’m glad to be No. 11 in the (official UFC rankings). But I’m not about to stop. I’m going to make my country proud.”
Had he beaten Anderson, Walker could have found himself challenging UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones for the title. But despite the loss, the goal remains the same for the Brazilian.
And he’s willing to make the necessary changes to reach it.
“With another win, I might consider moving to Las Vegas, so I can have access to the UFC Performance Institute,” Walker said. “Everything I need is there. Plus, the cost of living isn’t too high. I will work very hard to hopefully get a title shot no later than next year. The entirety of my focus is on this. I know fighting careers are short. So I’m 100 percent dedicated and invested in becoming the best in the sport.”
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event in Brasilia, Brazil, featuring Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 28 event in Brasilia, Brazil.
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+ 28 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+ 28 takes place Saturday at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The card streams on ESPN+.
Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:
Some of the most significant in-fight moments and records in UFC history have occurred and been etched in stone over the past decade.
The past decade of UFC action has seen a lot unfold, and it is arguably the most important in the organization’s history from in terms of evolution.
Only within this era have statistics truly come to the forefront. After so many years of fights, the groundwork for what’s viewed as meaningful and the history attached has finally been laid out. The athletes and techniques have evolved, too, meaning new methods of causing damage and finishing fights are attempted and pulled off with a higher rate of frequency.
That evolution is apparent in the history books, because some of the most significant moments and records in UFC history have occurred over this past decade.
Let’s dig into the archives.
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EVENT FEATS
Sajik Arena in South Korea
The UFC held 363 events in 159 difference venues across 26 countries over the past decade.
“UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya” in October 2019 had the highest announced attendance in company history at 57,127.
“UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor” in November 2016 sold a largest live gate in company history at $17.7 million.
“UFC Fight Night 121: Werdum vs. Tybura” in November 2017 had the most total fight time of any event in company history at 3 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.
“UFC Fight Night 55:: Rockhold vs. Bisping” in November 2014 had the least total fight time of those events at 1 hour, 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
The UFC canceled four events over the decade: UFC 151 in September 2012; UFC 176 in August 2014; UFC Fight Night 97 in October 2016 and UFC 233 in January 2019.
Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold at UFC 199
“UFC Fight Night 55: Rockhold vs. Bisping” and “UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington” in May 2018 each featured 11 stoppage results, the most for any card in company history.
“UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez” in April 2013, “UFC Fight Night 45: Cerrone vs. Miller” in July 2014, “UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2,” in June 2016 and “UFC 218: Holloway vs. Aldo 2” in December 2017 each featured eight knockout results, the most of the decade.
“UFC on FUEL TV 10: Werdum vs. Nogueira” in June 2013 featured eight submission results, the most for any card in company history.
Seven events each featured 10 decision results, the most for any card in company history.
“UFC Fight Night 134: Shogun vs. Smith” in July 2018 and “UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards” each featured nine consecutive decision results, the longest streak on a card in company history.
“UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal” in November 2015 and “UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” in March 2018 each featured five split-decision results, the most for any card in company history.
Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238
“UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes” in June 2019 featured a total of 1,818 significant strikes landed, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta” in April 2018 featured seven fighters who landed 100 or more significant strikes, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Bisping 2” in June 2016 featured 15 knockdowns, a single-event record for the company.
“UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor” in July 2015 was the only event in company history to feature two knockouts stemming from flying knee strikes.
“UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till” in September 2018 was the only event in company history to feature two kneebar submission results.
“UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre” in November 2017 marked the only event in history to feature three title changes.
Johnny Walker will be preparing for his upcoming fight vs. Nikita Krylov at UFC Brasilia at Tristar Gym in Montreal.
After suffering his first UFC loss, [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] will be making some changes.
Walker (17-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is scheduled to take on [autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] (25-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) at UFC Brasilia on March 14, and will be preparing for the fight at the renowned Tristar Gym in Montreal, as he looks for another active year.
“I am doing my next camp at Tristar MMA under Firas Zahabi, so I am very excited to learn as much as possible there and get the ‘W,'” Walker told MMA Junkie. “Then, I want to ideally fight as much as possible – every month if the UFC lets me.”
After storming onto the UFC scene, picking up three straight first-round finishes – and three performance bonuses – Walker drew his sternest test to date in Corey Anderson at UFC 244 last month.
But in an unexpected outcome, Walker was the one taken out in the first round, and he was showered with criticism after the bout for his antics in and out of the cage.
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Don’t expect the wild dance moves and energy to change, though, as Walker insists that his fun character does not mean he underestimates his opponents.
“I am not disappointed, but I disagree,” Walker said of his critics. “I take everything very seriously. I am light-hearted, but I am not a guy who plays in the fights. I took Corey very seriously, as I took all my other fights.”
“Corey definitely keeps improving; all merit goes to him. He is becoming better and better as time goes by. That being said, I definitely underperformed. I had a lot of stress in my camp and in the week of the fight due to personal issues. Thankfully, it is all gone now, and I am ready to go back into focusing fully on my next opponent.”
Walker was quickly booked for his next fight in March, but he says if it were up to him, he would have fought even sooner.
“I love to fight, so I had actually asked to fight even earlier,” Walker said. “The UFC wanted me to fight in Brazil next, and I love fighting in my home country, so I took it as well.”
He takes on Krylov, who is coming off a split-decision loss to Glover Teixeira in September. Although ranked slightly below him, Walker expects an entertaining matchup against a guy who matches his incredible finish rate, having earned a stoppage in every single one of his wins.
“I am happy with the matchup,” Walker said. “Krylov is an exciting guy who has some nice fanbase, but I am not a guy to complain about matchups. I want to fight as much as possible against anyone and everyone. Nikita is a tough guy. He has a great chin and loves to strike. I am sure he has the style that I love to fight against. It’s going to be very fun.”
Johnny Walker will look to rebound from his first-round TKO loss to Corey Anderson.
A light heavyweight clash is in the works for the UFC’s March return to Brazil.
MMA Junkie today confirmed the promotion is targeting a fight between [autotag]Johnny Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] for March 14 on a Fight Night card at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted bout to MMA Junkie following an initial report by ESPN.
Walker burst into the spotlight in 2018 when he knocked out Khalil Rountree with brutal elbows in his UFC debut. Continuing to add to his highlight reel, Walker followed up that performance with quick TKO victories against Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov.
At UFC 244 in early November, Walker was upset by surging contender Corey Anderson. New Jersey’s Anderson finished Walker with punches just 127 seconds into the opening round. Walker still sits at No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings.
As for Krylov, the Ukrainian light heavyweight has dropped two out of his last three appearances. In September, Krylov dropped a split decision to former UFC title challenger Glover Teixeira in Vancouver. A victory over Ovince Saint Preux in April was preceded by a loss to Jan Blachowicz.
UFC Brasilia is expected to stream on ESPN+.
With the addition to the card, the UFC Brasilia lineup now includes:
