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:
