Urijah Faber weighing in at UFC on ESPN 8 was unexpected, to say the least – and now there’s an explanation.
When [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] fights at UFC on ESPN 8, it could be against none other than UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag].
According to a report from ESPN, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (14-4-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC), who trains under Faber (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) at Team Alpha Male, is experiencing a visa issue that could preclude him from competing against Vera on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8.
No details were given as to what the visa issue is or why it’s coming up now, just one day before the scheduled fight.
To the surprise of many, Faber weighed in Friday morning to official serve as an alternate. He came in at 153 pounds, while Vera was 145.5. Both men usually compete at bantamweight. Yadong also tipped the scale at 145.5.
Faber, who last competed in December and lost to Petr Yan at UFC 245, has expressed his interest to continue fighting after breaking his previous retirement to return last July.
The matchup between Vera (17-5-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) and Yadong was on-and-off leading up to fight week. After it was initially reported, Vera implied on Twitter that the fight wasn’t happening. Shortly thereafter, an Instagram post by Yadong indicated it was.
At Thursday’s media day, both fighters explained their side of the story. Yadong said it was a visa issue but that everything was straightened out.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 fight between Claudia Gadelha and Angela Hill, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.
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Claudia Gadelha and Angela Hill will tangle in a women’s strawweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 8 – also known as ESPN Fight Night 172 – at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.
Gadelha (17-4) is the considerable favorite in this one, as she looks to collect herself and get back on track. Across the past four bouts she is just 2-2, all unanimous decisions. She did post a win over Randa Markos at UFC 239. It was the ninth time in her past 10 bouts that went the distance. She is 7-0 in her professional career winning via submission, including 1-0 at the UFC level. She has never won or lost via KO/TKO at the UFC level.
Hill (12-7) is a 35-year-old veteran who has won just five of her 12 fights at the UFC level. However, after a slow start since arriving at the top level of mixed martial arts, she has steadied the ship by going 3-0 across her past three outings. That including a unanimous decision win over Loma Lookboonmee Feb. 22, 2020. Seven of Hill’s 10 fights at the UFC level have gone to the judges and their cards. She has never won by submission during her professional career while losing twice in that fashion.
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GADELHA (-189) is a strong favorite to make quick work of Hill (+155) and end her winning streak. While Gadelha might be 2-2 across the past two fights, she is the more seasoned fighter, and she has the better body of work, too. Hill will look to keep things upright, but if Gadelha gets her to the canvas it will be over. Gadelha dominates with a 3.34 to 0.50 takedown- average advantage, 47.14 to 37.50 takedown-accuracy percentage and, more importantly, a 0.81 to 0.17 submission average.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Gadelha (-189) to win returns a $5.29 profit. A $10 bet on Hill (+155) to win fetches a $15.50 profit.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 fight between Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.
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Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris square off in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 8 – also known as ESPN Fight Night 172 – at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.
Overeem (45-18) heads into this one with a three-inch reach advantage over his counterpart, while holding a distinct advantage in the significant strikes categories. He has a 3.54 to 2.96 advantage in significant strikes landed per minute, while dominating with a 62.38 significant strike-accuracy percentage to just 38.16 for Harris (13-7). Overeem isn’t a one-trick pony, however, as he also has a 1.39 to 0.35 takedown-average advantage and he has a 53.57 to 33.33 lead in the takedown-accuracy percentage department.
Overeem is looking to bounce back after a KO/TKO loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik with four seconds left Dec. 7, 2019. Overeem suffered an ugly cut to the lip as a result. He is 2-3 across the past five outings with each decided by KO/TKO. Nine of his past 10 bouts have finished inside the distance, including nine via KO/TKO (5-4). Keep in mind when betting method of victory, he hasn’t won or lost via submission in 17 career bouts at the UFC level, and he has been submitted just once in 63 career professional bouts overall.
Harris needed just 12 seconds to polish off Aleksei Oleinik by KO/TKO July 20, 2019. Harris is 3-0 with a No Contest over the past four outings with an overturned result Dec. 29, 2018 against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 232. Like Overeem, Harris sees plenty of fights finish early. Seven of his past eight have finished inside the distance. And, like Overeem, work on the canvas isn’t a big part of what Harris does. In 20 career professional bouts he has never won via submission, and lost just once in that fashion.
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OVEREEM (+130) is the slight underdog in this one, but he is worth a look for a small-unit bet. Both he and Harris (-154) do not go the distance, and will go toe-to-toe throwing hands. Perhaps if this fight were taking place in front of fans, the American Harris could feed off the crowd. But it will be in an empty arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. This is a coin-flip main event, so go with the better value – OVEREEM.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Overeem (+130) to win returns a $13 profit. A $10 bet on Harris (-154) to win fetches a $6.50 profit.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Check out the results from the official UFC on ESPN 8 fighter weigh-ins.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s early and official UFC on ESPN 8 fighter weigh-ins, which kick off at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT).
The early weigh-ins take place at the UFC host hotel in Jacksonville, Fla. UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Among those weighing in are Alistair Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) and Walt Harris (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC), who meet in the heavyweight main event.
Titan FC champion Irwin Rivera will answer the call on less than 48 hours’ notice.
Despite losing his original opponent, it appears [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] will still fight at UFC on ESPN 8.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie late Thursday night that Titan FC bantamweight champion [autotag]Irwin Rivera[/autotag] will meet Chikadze in a featherweight bout on less than 48 hours’ notice. Earlier Thursday, Mike Davis withdrew from the bout because of a medical issue not related to coronavirus, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
News of Rivera (9-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) serving as a replacement was first reported by Adjara Sport, and Rivera followed up with an announcement on Twitter.
Rivera, who trains out of Hard Knocks 365, lives in Delray Beach, Fla., about 300 miles south of Jacksonville where UFC on ESPN 8 will take place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. With the fight coming together on such short notice, it’s unclear if Rivera already has been tested for COVID-19 or if his testing will wait until Friday. Rivera had not responded to a request for confirmation as of early Friday morning, just 8 hours from official weigh-ins.
Rivera’s UFC debut will be his first fight in 2020 after going 3-0 last year, all finishes, which included claiming and defending the Titan FC 135-pound title.
Chikadze (9-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) enters the bout on a four-fight winning streak, which includes back-to-back wins in the UFC over Jamall Emmers and Brandon Davis.
With the change, the UFC on ESPN 8 lineup now includes:
Alistair Overeem didn’t disappoint in his UFC debut as “The Demolition Man” demolished former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.
[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] entered the UFC with a ton of momentum and he didn’t disappoint.
Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC)Â faced former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] at UFC 141, and the “Demolition Man,” who had finished 10 of his last 11, showed no mercy.
After stuffing Lesnar’s first takedown attempt, Overeem cornered Lesnar and threw several big knees to the body in the clinch that had Lesnar wincing in pain. Shortly after, he went right back to the body again and connected with a huge liver kick that winded Lesnar as the former champion dropped him to the canvas. A few powerful punches later, including one vicious body shot, and the fight was stopped, as Overeem picked up his highest-profile UFC win to date.
Overeem went on to have several ups and downs in his UFC career, including a failed attempt to capture the UFC heavyweight title. More recently, after racking up two straight first-round finishes over Sergei Pavlovich and Aleksei Oleinik, Overeem was stopped by Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his last outing in a fight that he appeared to have dominated.
Now “The Reem” will look to rebound once again when he takes on Walt Harris in the UFC on ESPN 8 headliner this Saturday.
But before he faces Harris, relive Overeem’s memorable finish of Lesnar in the video above.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Longtime lightweight contender Edson Barboza explains his decision to drop down to 145 pounds for his Dan Ige bout at UFC on ESPN 8.
[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] is hoping to hit the reset button with the latest change in his fighting career.
The longtime UFC lightweight contender makes the drop to 145 pounds for the first time in his 11-year career Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8. Barboza (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) takes on Dan Ige, who’s ranked No. 15 in the UFC’s official featherweight rankings, on the main card of the event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
Barboza said he’s feeling great as Friday’s weigh-ins near and feels no different than his cuts down to 155 pounds.
The Brazilian striker said the decision was to move down a weight class was based on wanting something new for his career and said he was having issues getting high-profile opponents at lightweight.
“I dropped because I’ve worked for the UFC for almost 10 years and I really need a new challenge for my career and for myself,” Barboza said Thursday during a UFC on ESPN 8 virtual media day. “I made a choice together with my team, and I think that’s the best choice drop from 155 to 145 for new challenges – a new challenge, and fight some new guys.
“I don’t fight the other guys at 155 because they say no to fight me at 155. I’m always hoping to fight everybody at 155 in the top 10, but it’s hard to fight the people at 155 because I’ve fought most of those guys. At 145, it’s new (and) I’ve fought nobody at 145, so I’m very excited. I feel it’s a new beginning for me.”
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Despite bing 1-4 in his past five lightweight bouts, Barboza thinks he can get a quick path to the featherweight belt if all goes well. With Ige being in the UFC rankings and Barboza carrying a notable name, the 34-year-old doesn’t see featherweight gold too far away.
“First of all, I’m so happy with the UFC always giving me big challenges to fight the best in the world,” Barboza said. “Dan is a top 15 (opponent), man, and he’s one of the best. I feel if I beat him, definitely with my history in the UFC – I have more than 22 fights in the UFC, this will be my 23rd – if I beat him, I definitely deserve a top-five (opponent), and I have three more fights in my contract. So I hope if I win after a top five, I get a chance for the title shot.”
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 8, Eryk Anders talks about the emotions he expects to experience when Walt Harris returns after a family tragedy.
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] says he owes a lot to teammate [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag].
In fact, Anders (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) credits Harris (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) with his entry into MMA. The first time Anders ever sparred in an MMA gym, Harris was his opponent. From the start, Anders recognized what kind of guy Harris was. They’ve become great friends over the years and remain training partners to this day.
“I showed up and he was my first experience with MMA,” Anders told MMA Junkie during a virtual media day Thursday. “Needless to say, a five-minute round, probably four minutes and 57 seconds of it, I sweat the whole time in the corner, getting beat up on the post. He’s a gentle giant, man. He really is. He’s got a giant heart. In the nicest way possible, he beat me up.
“I just fell in love with the sport then and there. There was a whole new skill set I had to learn. I just felt it would be a lot funner to be not on the giving end, but the receiving side of these things. I don’t think if I have that experience, I have an MMA career.”
At UFC on ESPN 8, the two Alabama-based fighters will share the same card for the first time under the UFC banner. However, it won’t be the first time they’ve fought on the same show. At an Alabama regional event, Strike Hard Productions 20 in December 2012, Anders and Harris shared a card together.
UFC on ESPN 8 marks the first time Harris has fought since his 19-year-old stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard was found murdered this past October. Anders isn’t sure what the emotion will be like in the locker room on fight night, but said MMA has been a saving grace for Harris.
“It’s kind of hard to ignore the elephant in the room,” Anders said. “Everybody knows what happened. Everybody knows. … When he’s in the gym, he’s one of the guys, man. We make fun of him. He talks trash. There’s a lot of camaraderie that goes into this. We all kind of took that hit. His daughter has babysat my children before. I think it’s a little personal for everybody in the gym.
“The camaraderie and being around the fellas and coaches in training kind of helps get your mind off those things. There’s no telling what the emotions are going to be like on fight night, but I think everybody is focused and dialed in on the things they need to be focused and dialed in on. I think it would be very ignorant for me to say on fight night the emotions might not be a little bit different.”
Image via Iridium Sports Agency
By beating his UFC on ESPN 8 opponent Krzysztof Jotko (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), Anders thinks he’ll take one step closer to a potential UFC card in Alabama. If the fighters’ success can outlast the COVID-19 pandemic and fans are once again able to attend events, Anders sees UFC Alabama as a big seller.
“I think if we both go out there and get finishes in devastating fashion as we are both accustomed to doing, I think if the UFC comes to Birmingham or wherever in Alabama, it’s going to be a sellout event,” Anders said.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
With recent frustrations behind her, Claudia Gadelha predicts Angela Hill is in for a nightmare fight Saturday at UFC on ESPN 8.
The past few months have been frustrating for [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag].
At UFC on ESPN 8, Gadelha (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) expects to create a problem for her UFC on ESPN 8 opponent instead of experiencing one.
“After that nightmare that happened in January with Alexa Grasso where she didn’t make weight, I was frustrated,” Gadelha told MMA Junkie during Thursday’s UFC on ESPN 8 virtual media day. “I spent three months in New Jersey through the winter, training so much for that fight, and she didn’t make weight. It was like ‘(Expletive), what am I going to do now?'”
A strawweight, Gadelha was booked for fights in December, January and early May. All three fights were canceled for various reasons. On short notice, Hill stepped up to the plate.
“(The UFC) talked to Angela Hill. She said she needed a couple more weeks to get ready because she wasn’t really training,” Gadelha said. “I was like, ‘Well, at this point, I’ll fight anybody. If she steps in, let’s go.'”
When Hill fights Saturday, it’ll be her seventh fight in 14 months. Fighting frequently has become a big part of Hill’s image. However, Gadelha recognizes Hill’s activity level isn’t something everyone can emulate.
“I feel like my health is way more important, (especially) now with this (pandemic),” Gadelha said. “Of course fighting is my life. It’s my career. It’s what makes me a better person and a better athlete. My health is way more important. As long as I’m healthy, making weight every other month, I would be cool with that. But I don’t think it’s healthy for me to drop 15 pounds every other month.”
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As for the matchup at UFC on ESPN 8, Gadelha is expecting an appealing scrap for viewers – and trouble for Hill. Both fighters have found success recently, with Gadelha winning three out five and Hill winning three straight.
“I feel like Angela is going to come after (me),” Gadelha said. “She’s very confident because she won her last couple of fights. I’m a different breed. I’ve been fighting for so long. I have a lot of experience. If she comes forward, she’ll find a nightmare.”
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
The best facts and figures about UFC on ESPN 8, which features an Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris main event.
The final event in the UFC’s three-card stretch upon resuming operations from the coronavirus pandemic goes down Saturday with UFC on ESPN 8, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and airs on ESPN.
The 11-fight lineup is topped by a heavyweight matchup. After several failed bookings, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) will finally fight [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) in a matchup of contenders looking to take a step toward a championship fight.
The card has plenty more to offer too, though. For more on the numbers, check below for 55 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 8.
* * * *
Main event
Alistair Overeem
Overeem, 39, is the oldest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Overeem is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 or more heavyweight wins.
Overeem has earned 40 of his 45 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 10 UFC wins.
Overeem lands 73.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Overeem has been on the losing end of the fifth and sixth largest statistical comeback finishes in UFC heavyweight history. He out-landed Antonio Silva by 30 significant strikes before being knocked out at UFC 156, and he out-landed Travis Browne by 27 significant strikes before his demise at UFC Fight Night 26
Overeem’s 14 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.
Overeem’s 12 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.
Walt Harris
Harris is 6-4 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in April 2016.
Harris has earned all 13 of his career victories by knockout.
Harris’ 12-second knockout of Aleksei Oleinik at UFC on ESPN 4 is the third fastest in UFC heavyweight history. Todd Duffee holds the record with a seven-second finish at UFC 102.
Harris defends 61.6 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Co-main event
Claudia Gadelha
[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history. Joanna Jedrzejczyk holds the record with 10.
Gadelha has alternated wins and losses over her past five fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 239 in July.
Gadelha’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Carla Esparza (34).
Gadelha has been awarded three fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts, tied for the third most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six), Rose Namajunas (four) and Jedrzejczyk (four).
Angela Hill
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) competes in her 15th UFC strawweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Hill is the only female fighter to earn two UFC victories in 2020.
Hill is 6-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Andrade and Esparza for second most in divisional history behind Jedrzejczyk (10).
Hill’s two knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Namajunas (three).
Remaining main card
Edson Barboza
[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) drops to the featherweight division for the first time after making his previous 22 UFC appearances at lightweight.
Barboza is 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to December 2017.
Barboza’s seven knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Melvin Guillard for most in divisional history.
Barboza’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Guillard (13) and Donald Cerrone (11).
Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history with knockout finishes stemming from a head kick, body punch, body kick, leg kicks and flying knee.
Barboza’s five knockout victories stemming from kicks and knees in UFC competition are the second most in company history behind Cerrone (seven).
Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from leg kicks. He used them to stop Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 162 and Mike Lullo at UFC 123.
[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is the fourth longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).
[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has earned seven of his eight UFC victories by decision.
Jotko defends 86 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Israel Adesanya (86.5 percent).
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (14-3-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC), 22, is the youngest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Marlon Vera
[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]’s (15-5-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (six).
Vera’s five-fight UFC stoppage streak is the second longest active streak in the company behind Charles Oliveira (seven).
Vera has earned eight of his nine UFC victories by stoppage.
Vera’s seven stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Urijah Faber for second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (eight).
Preliminary card
Matt Brown
[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) competes in his 26th UFC welterweight bout, tied with Thiago Alves for the most appearances in divisional history.
Brown’s 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).
Brown’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Brown’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).
Brown’s 11 knockout victories in welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Brown lands 54.3 of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (56.8 percent).
Brown’s 24 submission attempts in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (31).
[autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19.
[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is the only fighter in UFC history to earn a victory and suffer a loss by anaconda choke submission.
Darren Elkins
[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) competes in his 20th UFC featherweight bout, tied with Max Holloway for the appearances in divisional history.
Elkins’ three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2018.
Elkins’ total fight time of 4:09:04 in UFC featherweight competition is second most in divisional history behind Holloway (4:32:00).
Elkins has landed 1,770 total strikes in UFC featherweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Holloway (1,902).
Elkins’ 13 UFC featherweight victories are second most in divisional history behind Holloway (16).
Elkins’ 40 takedowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Dennis Bermudez (46).
Elkins’ 21 submission attempts in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.
[autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] (8-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Feb. 17, 2019. The 454-day layoff is the longest of her neatly seven-year career.
Casey moves up to the women’s flyweight division after spending her previous 10 UFC appearances at strawweight.
Casey is 1-3 in her past four fights since January 2017.
Casey’s six losses in UFC competition are tied for most among female fighters in company history.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
