The final event of the inaugural season of the UFC’s “Fight Island” is being held on Saturday with the UFC on ESPN 14, which airs on ESPN and airs on ESPN + from the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
A high-risk showdown between the middleweight contenders takes center stage in the main event. Former champion Robert Whittaker (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) returns for the first time since losing the belt to Israel Adesanya in October when he meets Darren Till (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC). , who is looking to go 2-0 since moving to 185 pounds.
For more information on the numbers behind the first 15-fight lineup in modern UFC history (and the second overall alongside UFC 2 in 1993), see below 55 pre-event data on the UFC on ESPN 14.
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Main event
Whittaker is the only New Zealand-born fighter in history to win a UFC championship.
Whittaker is 8-1 since moving to the UFC middleweight division in November 2014.
Whittaker and Yoel Romero combined for 239 significant hits landed at UFC 225, the single-fight record for a five-fight UFC middleweight fight.
Whittaker’s seven bonuses on the night of the fight for the UFC middleweight bouts are tied for third in division history behind Anderson Silva (11) and Romero (eight).
Till was successful in his middleweight debut when he beat Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 in November.
He has even surpassed his opponent in all but one of his UFC victories.
Until he’s one of five fighters in UFC history to score zero significant hits in a championship fight, as he did against Tyron Woodley at UFC 228. His 9:19 in cage time is the most of any fighter. in the group. The previous high was 3:54.
Main event
Mauricio Rua (26-11-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) competes in his 21st UFC light heavyweight fight, the second-most appearance in divisional history behind Jon Jones (22).
Rua’s 22 wins in the UFC / PRIDE light heavyweight competition are the most important in combined divisional history.
Rua’s 18 stoppage wins in the UFC / PRIDE / WEC / Strikeforce competition are fourth in combined organizational history behind Mirko Filipovic (21), Wanderlei Silva (20) and Donald Cerrone (20).
Rua’s 17 knockout wins in the UFC / PRIDE light heavyweight competition are the most important in combined divisional history.
Rua’s eight knockout wins in the modern UFC light heavyweight competition are the second-most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (nine).
Rua is the only light heavyweight in UFC history to earn his first six organization wins by knockout.
Rua’s 14 takedowns landed in the UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Liddell for most in divisional history.
Rua’s eight bonuses on fight night for the UFC light heavyweight bouts are tied with Jones for most in divisional history.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (23-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC), 44, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Nogueira, 44, is the oldest of 30 wrestlers scheduled to compete in the event.
Remaining Master Card
Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is 9-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second season in February 2012.
Werdum and Marcin Tybura combined for 282 significant hits landed at UFC Fight Night 121, the second most in a UFC Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) heavyweight bout at UFC 241.
Alexander Gustafsson (18-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) climbs into the UFC heavyweight division for the first time. He made his previous appearances of 16 octagons at light heavyweight.
Gustafsson is one of eight fighters in UFC history to go at least 0-3 in championship fights. Joseph Benavidez Dan Henderson, Chad Mendes, Kenny Florian, Urijah Faber, Pedro Rizzo and Chael Sonnen have also come up short in three title fights.
Carla Esparza (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) was the first UFC strawweight champion. She lost the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in March 2015.
Esparza is 6-3 since losing the UFC strawweight title to Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.
Esparza competes in his 12th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the fourth-most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (15), Randa Markos (14) and Jedrzejczyk (13).
Esparza’s seven wins in the UFC strawweight competition are tied for second in division history behind Jedrzejczyk (10).
Esparza has earned six of his seven UFC victories by decision.
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against 10 of his 11 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 34 takedowns landed in the UFC strawweight competition are tied with Claudia Gadelha for most in divisional history.
Marina Rodríguez (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) The unbeaten streak of four UFC strawweight fights is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suárez (five), Yan Xiaonan ( five) and Zhang Weili (five).
Rodríguez is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight multiple draws.
Paul Craig (12-4-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) has had all 12 career wins by arrest.
Craig’s victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight.
Gadzhimurad Antigulov (20-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has had 19 of his 20 career career wins by arrest. He had 17 of those wins in Round 1.
Alex Oliveira (20-8-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is 8-5 (without a competition) for his multiple stints in the UFC welterweight competition.
Oliveira vs. Yancy Medeiros at UFC 218 is the only fight in UFC history that features two kills for each fighter.
Peter Sobotta (17-6-1 MMA, 4-5 UFC) has been 4-2 since returning to the UFC for a second season in May 2014.
Khamzat Chimaev (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 10-day period. He won in the UFC on ESPN 13 on July 15.
Chimaev can set the fastest time record between UFC victories with an 11-day victory.
Chimaev has had all seven career wins by arrest. He has finished four of those wins in Round 1.
Rhys McKee (10-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 24, is the youngest of 30 wrestlers scheduled to compete in the event.
Preliminary card
Francisco Trinaldo (25-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) 12 The UFC victories in Brazil are the most important in the history of the company.
Trinaldo is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two half-guard arm triangle submission wins.
Trinaldo’s nine decision wins in the UFC lightweight competition are the second in the division’s history behind Gleison Tibau (11).
Nicolas Dalby (18-3-1 MMA, 2-2-1 UFC) was successful on his return to the UFC for a second period when he won in the UFC on ESPN + 18 in September.
Jesse Ronson (21-10 MMA, 0-3 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since July 2014. He was 8-5 between periods with promotion.
Jake Collier (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since November 11, 2017. The 987-day layoff is the longest in his nearly 10-year career.
Collier advances to the UFC heavyweight division after spending his previous appearances in the Octagon at light and middleweight.
Collier can become the eleventh fighter in UFC history to win in three weight classes.
Collier has alternated wins and losses in his last seven fights. He won his most recent fight at UFC Fight Night 120 in November 2017.
Collier is one of five fighters in UFC history to win a knockout resulting from a spinning kick to the body. He accomplished the feat in UFC Fight Night 88.
Tanner Boser (18-6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 28-day period. He won in the UFC on ESPN 12 on June 27.
Bethe Correia (11-4-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) competes in her eleventh UFC women’s bantamweight fight, tied for the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Raquel Pennington (13) and Amanda Nunes. (12).
Correia and Marion Reneau fought to the first draw in UFC women’s history at UFC Fight Night 106.
Nathaniel Wood (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has had 14 of his 16 career career wins by arrest. That includes his three UFC victories.
Wood’s three submission wins in the UFC bantamweight competition are tied for fifth place in division history behind Urijah Faber (six), Rani Yahya (five), Aljamain Sterling (four) and Marlon Vera (four ).
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
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