The UFC’s return from the coronavirus pandemic goes down Saturday with UFC 249, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and features a deep preliminary card.
Headlining the action, which airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, is a welterweight rematch between two all-time fan favorites. [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (22-10 MMA, 9-9 UFC) and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] (36-14 MMA, 23-11 UFC) will run it back after “Showtime” stopped “Cowboy” by first-round TKO when they met at UFC on FOX 6 in January 2013.
It’s an important fight for both men, but it doesn’t represent all the prelim lineup has to offer. For more on the numbers, check below for 70 pre-event facts about the UFC 249 prelims.
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Featured ESPN prelim
Pettis returns to the UFC welterweight division after a one-fight stint at lightweight. He’s 1-1 when fighting in the weight class.
Pettis is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn victories in three weight classes.
Pettis is 4-8 in his past 12 UFC appearance dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
Pettis has earned 18 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his nine UFC wins.
Pettis’ five submission victories from a bottom position in UFC/WEC competition are tied with Diaz for most in combined company history.
Cerrone has fought on Spike, Versus, FUEL TV, pay-per-view, FOX, FS1, UFC Fight Pass, ESPN and ESPN+ during his UFC tenure.
Cerrone competes in his 35th UFC bout, the most appearances in company history.
Cerrone makes his 45th UFC/WEC appearance, the most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone’s 45 appearances in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone makes his 12th UFC welterweight appearance. He’s 6-5 when fighting in the weight class.
Cerrone’s 24 appearances since 2014 in UFC competition are most in the company.
Cerrone’s 23 victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Cerrone’s 29 victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are most in combined organization history.
Cerrone’s 17 victories in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Jim Miller (19).
Cerrone’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Cerrone’s 20 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC competition are the most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone’s 20 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are tied with Wanderlei Silva for second most in combined organizational history behind Mirko Cro Cop (21).
Cerrone’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13) and Miller (12).
Cerrone’s seven knockout victories stemming from kicks in UFC competition are most in company history. No one else has more than four.
Cerrone’s eight submission victories in UFC/WEC lightweight competition are tied for third most in combined divisional history behind Miller (nine) and Nate Diaz (nine).
Cerrone’s 20 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are most in company history.
Cerrone has landed 378 leg kicks in UFC competition, the fourth most in company history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (430), Thiago Alves (383) and Jon Jones (380).
Cerrone defends 90 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class and second highest in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (92 percent).
Cerrone’s 23 fight-night bonuses in UFC/WEC bouts are the most in combined organizational history.
Cerrone’s 18 fight-night bonuses in UFC bouts are most in company history.
Other ESPN prelims
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (58-13-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC), 42, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division and is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Oleinik is the only fighter in MMA history to earn victories in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Oleinik’s average fight time of 5:26 in UFC heavyweight fights is fourth shortest in divisional history behind Cyril Asker (3:24), Todd Duffee (3:26) and Shane Carwin (4:55).
Oleinik has earned 54 of his 58 career victories by stoppage. That includes all seven of his UFC wins.
Oleinik has earned 46 of his 58 career victories by submission.
Oleinik’s six submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (eight).
Oleinik has earned two of the three Ezekiel-choke submission victories in UFC history. He accomplished the feat at UFC 224 and UFC Fight Night 103. Remco Pardoel also won with the technique at UFC 2.
Oleinik attempts 2.76 submissions per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (23-8-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since March 17, 2018. The 784-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 18-year career.
Werdum is 9-3 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2012.
Werdum and Marcin Tybura combined for 282 significant strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 121, the second most in a UFC heavyweight bout Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) at UFC 241.
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was the first UFC strawweight champion. She lost the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in March 2015.
Esparza is 5-3 since losing the UFC strawweight title to Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.
Esparza’s six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10), Jessica Andrade (seven) and Angela Hill (seven).
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against nine of her 10 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Claudia Gadelha for most in divisional history.
Esparza has earned five of her six UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] (17-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has completed at least one takedown against seven of her eight UFC opponents.
Waterson’s two submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Rose Namajunas (three) and Cynthia Calvillo (three).
Waterson lands 52.9 percent of her significant strike attempts in UFC strawweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Suarez (65.8 percent) and Paige VanZant (53 percent).
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. Renan Barao and Magomed Mustafaev also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2018.
Souza returns to the UFC middleweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at light heavyweight.
Souza’s 14 victories in UFC/Strikeforce middleweight competition are tied for third most in combined divisional history behind Michael Bisping (16) and Luke Rockhold (15).
Souza’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC/Strikeforce middleweight competition are second most in combined divisional history behind Rockhold (13).
Souza’s seven fight-night bonuses fo UFC middleweight bouts are tie for third most in divisional history behind Anderson Silva (12) and Yoel Romero (eight).
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]’s (17-7-1 MMA, 10-3 UFC) has earned 15 of his 17 career victories by stoppage. That includes nine of his 10 UFC wins.
Luque’s nine stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC welterweight competition are most in the division during that span.
Luque’s nine stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (13) and Matt Hughes (12).
Luque is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn their first nine victories with the promotion by stoppage. Lauzon, Francis Ngannou, Vitor Belfort, Don Frye, Gabriel Gonzaga and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.
Luque and Bryan Barberena combined for 332 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 1, the third most for a three-round fight in UFC history behind Karol Rosa vs. Lara Procopio (336) at UFC on ESPN+ 15 and Diaz vs. Cerrone (334) at UFC 141.
Luque’s two D’Arce choke victories in UFC competition are tied with Dustin Poirier for second most in company history behind Tony Ferguson (three).
Luque is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC on FOX 17.
[autotag]Niko Price[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past five fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 19.
Price’s average fight time of 5:35 in UFC welterweight competition is second shortest among active fighters in the weight class behind Abdul Razak Alhassan (4:57).
Price has earned 13 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.
Price is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from an upkick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19. Jon Fitch also won with the technique.
Price has earned two of the three knockout victories in UFC history stemming from bottom position. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19 and UFC Fight Night 133.
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a Twister submission victory. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 7. Chan Sung Jung also won with the technique.
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 6.
Rosa has been awarded four fight-night bonuses in his six-fight UFC career.
Rosa’s submission of Sean Soriano at 4:43 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 59 marked the latest finish in a three-round UFC featherweight bout.
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]’s (17-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Jones (four) and Magomed Ankalaev (four).
[autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]’s (33-13 MMA, 10-8 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.
Alvey is 2-3 since he moved up to the UFC light-heavyweight division in February 2018.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
