The UFC returns to pay-per-view with UFC 252 on Saturday. The five-fight lineup follows prelims on ESPN and ESPN + and goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A pivotal moment in the history of the sport will explode in the main event as UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and former two-division title winner Daniel Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11- 2 UFC) will clash for the third and final time. The winner will not only have the belt and bragging rights to win the trilogy, but they will also carry the distinction of greatest heavyweight in UFC history, according to UFC President Dana White.
Miocic and Cormier both bring extraordinary and decorated resumes to the octagon. For more on the numbers behind their fights, as well as the rest of the map, check below for 60 facts before the event about UFC 252.
* * * *
Main event
Miocic becomes the first in history to serve the same opponent in three consecutive UFC fights.
Miocic is one of four heavyweight champions in UFC history to have multiple governments.
Miocic’s five UFC heavyweight title wins are tied with Tim Sylvia for second most in division history behind Randy Couture (six).
Miocic’s three consecutive UFC heavyweight title defenses during his first reign were the most of any champion in division history.
Miocic’s 13 wins in UFC Heavyweight Championship are tied for the fifth most in division history behind Andrei Arlovski (18), Frank Mir (16), Junior Dos Santos (15) and Derrick Lewis (15).
Miocic’s nine knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the fourth most in division history behind Lewis (11), Dos Santos (10) and Cain Velasquez (10).
Miocic’s stoppage victory at UFC 241 despite a -58 significant strike deficit is the second biggest comeback in a UFC title fight behind Anderson Silva’s win over Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 (-60).
Miocic and Cormier combined for 304 major strikes landed at UFC 241, the record with one fight for a UFC heavyweight fight.
Miocic’s nine fight night bonuses for UFC heavyweight champions are the most in division history.
Cormier is one of four simultaneous champions of two divisions in UFC history. Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo also completed the feat.
Cormier is one of seven champions of two divisions in UFC history. McGregor, Nunes, Cejudo, Georges St-Pierre, BJ Penn and Randy Couture also followed the feat.
Cormier is one of three fighters in UFC history to successfully record title defenses in two weight classes. Cejudo and Nunes also won the feat.
Cormier is one of five fighters in UFC history to win a belt at a loss. He completed the performance against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187.
Cormier is one of two fighters in UFC history to win two title fights after a loss if not a match. Couture also took the feat.
Cormier competes in the 17th heavyweight camp of his career. He is 15-1 overall in the weight class.
Cormier landed 62.9 percent of his major strike effort in UFC heavyweight competition, the third-best rate in division history behind Alistair Overeem (74 percent) and Anthony Hamilton (65.6 percent).
Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson combined for 260 major strikes at UFC 192, a record for one fight for a UFC light heavyweight.
Cormier’s 140 major strikes landed against Gustafsson are second most in a UFC light-heavyweight build behind Cyrille Diabate’s 146 at UFC on VERSUS 3.
Cormier is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout that stems from the cruising position. He did the performance at UFC 220.
Cormier is 9-0 in his career when he lands at least two takedowns in a fight.
Cormier has spent just 12 seconds in the bottom position in UFC heavyweight competition, the worst in the division history for anyone with at least five fights.
Co-main event
Sean O’Malley’s (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) UFC four-stroke line at bantamweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (seven) Aljamain Sterling (five) and Marlon Vera (five ).
Marlon Vera’s (15-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) UFC winning streak in five fights at bantamweight is tied with Sterling for the second longest active streak in the division behind Yan (seven).
Vera has earned eight of his nine UFC victories by stopping.
Vera’s seven stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Urijah Faber for second most in division history behind TJ Dillashaw (eight).
Vera’s four straight wins in UFC bantamweight competition have tied for third most in division history behind Faber (six) and Rani Yahya (five).
Featured bout
Junior Dos Santos (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He has not won since March 2019.
Dos Santos’ total fight time of 3:50:40 in UFC heavyweight competition is the second most in corporate history behind Arlovski (4:48:42).
Dos Santos ’15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for third most in division history behind Arlovski (17) and Mir (16).
Dos Santos’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition tied with Velasquez for second most in division history behind Lewis (11).
The 14 knockdowns of Dos Santos landing in UFC heavyweight competition are the most in division history.
Dos Santos has landed 1,075 major strikes in UFC heavyweight competition, the most in division history.
Dos Santos and Ben Rothwell combined for 234 major strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 86, the third most in one UFC heavyweight fight behind Miocic vs. Cormier (304) at UFC 241 and Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura (282) at UFC Fight Tonight 121.
Dos Santos’ 157 major strikes landed against Rothwell are second most in a UFC heavyweight fight behind Cormier (181) at UFC 241.
Dos Santos ’92 major body attacks against Rothwell are the UFC heavyweight record for single fights.
Dos Santos defends 81.8 percent of all attempts at inclusion of opponent in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-best rate in division history behind Tybura (82.1 percent).
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stopping. He has completed all these victories by knockout.
Rozenstruik’s nine-second knockout at the UFC on ESPN + 12 is the second fastest in UFC heavyweight history behind Todd Duffee’s seven-second finish at UFC 102.
Rozenstruik’s knockout of Alistair Overeem at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 at UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third final stop in UFC history behind the victory of Demetrious Johnson (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and the victory of Yair Rodriguez (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.
Remaining main map
Daniel Pineda (26-13 MMA, 3-4 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since March 2014. He went 8-2 with two no matches between stints with the promotion.
Pineda has already earned 26 of his career gains by stopping. He has completed 18 of those wins by submission.
John Dodson (21-11 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is 4-4 since returning to the UFC bantamweight division in April 2016. He is 5-4 in the weight class overall.
Dodson has earned all six of his UFC stoppage wins by knockout.
Dodson has fought to three split decision results in UFC bantamweight competition, tied for second most in division history behind Kyung Ho Kang (four).
Merab Dvalishvili (11-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has earned eight of his 11 career victories by decision. That includes all four of his UFC wins.
The 39 takedowns of Dvalishvili landed in the UFC bantamweight competition are mostly in division history.
Dvalishvili is one of two fighters in history to land 10 or more takedowns in three separate UFC attacks. Demetrious Johnson also took the feat.
Dvalishvili outlanded Terrion Ware by 183 total strikes at UFC Fight Night 136, the biggest difference in a single UFC / WEC bantamweight fight.
Preliminary map
Jim Miller (32-14 MMA, 21-13 UFC) competes in his 36th UFC fight, the most appearances in corporate history. His 34th lightweight also sets a division record.
Miller’s total fight time of 5:21:47 in UFC lightweight competition is the most in division history.
Miller’s 21 wins in UFC competition are third most in the company history behind Donald Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).
Miller’s 19 wins in UFC lightweight competition are the most in division history.
Miller’s 12 wins in UFC lightweight competition are the second most in division history behind Joe Lauzon (13).
Miller’s 10 wins in UFC competition are tied with Royce Gracie for third most in history behind Charles Oliveira (14) and Maia (11).
Miller’s nine consecutive wins in UFC lightweight competition are the most in division history.
Miller’s 43 submissions attempts in UFC competition are the most in corporate history.
Miller’s 11 fight night bonuses for UFC lightweight bouts are tied with Nate Diaz for third most in division history behind Cerrone (15) and Lauzon (15).
Vinc Pichel (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is 3-1 since returning from a career-long dismissal that lasted from May 2014 to June 2017.
Pichel lands 60.6 percent of his takedown attempt in UFC lightweight competition, the second-highest rate among active fighters in the division behind Islam Makhachev (68 percent).
Felice Herrig (14-8 MMA, 5-3 UFC) returns for competition for the first time since October 6, 2018. The dismissal of 679 days (almost two years) is the longest of her more than 11-year career.
Ashley Yoder (7-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) got the first score card 30-24 in a UFC women’s fight at UFC on ESPN + 12.
UFC research analyst and producer of live statistics Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
.
