The UFC begins its 2021 campaign on Saturday with the UFC on ABC 1, marking the return of the promotion to network television.
The title of the ABC book, which follows the forerunners of ESPN +, is a heavy featherweight clash between former longtime champion Max Holloway (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC), who seems to be losing a fight. in two fights and hot Calvin Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
For more details on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check out 45 pre-UFC event facts on ABC 1 below.
Max Holloway Vs. Calvin Kattar
Max Holloway
Holloway competes in his 22nd UFC featherweight bout, the most appearances in the division’s history.
Holloway’s total fight time of 4 hours and 57 minutes in the UFC featherweight competition is the most important in the division’s history.
Holloway’s 16 wins in the UFC featherweight competition are the most important in the division’s history.
Holloway’s 10 wins in the UFC featherweight competition are the biggest in the division’s history.
Holloway’s eight wins in the UFC featherweight competition are the most important in the division’s history.
Holloway’s six wins in the third round of the UFC competition are tied to Randy Couture and Yoel Romero for most of the company’s history.
Holloway’s eight knockouts in the UFC featherweight competition are tied for third place in the division’s history, behind Jeremy Stephens (11) and Josh Emmett (10).
Holloway is one of two fighters in UFC history who completed 23 octagonal appearances without suffering a blow. BJ Penn also performed feat.
Holloway has won 100 or more significant strikes in 11 separate UFC fights, most of the company’s history. No other fighter has more than eight such shows.
Holloway is the only fighter in history to have fired 2,000 or more significant strikes in the UFC competition. Its 2,173 landings are the most in the company’s history.
Holloway scored 2,358 total strikes in the UFC competition and is second in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (2,591).
Holloway has launched 290 significant strikes against Brian Ortega in UFC 231, the UFC’s single-fight record.
Holloway scored 134 significant strikeouts in the 4th round at UFC 231, the UFC record with a single round.
Holloway and Ortega combined for 400 significant strikes landed at UFC 231, the UFC’s single-fight record.
Holloway’s seven fighting bonuses for UFC weightlifting are ranked third in the division’s history behind Cub Swanson (eight) and Chan Sung Jung (eight).
Calvin Kattar
Kattar is competing in his third UFC headliner. He is 1-1 at previous major events.
Kattar won all four UFC victories by elimination.
Carlos Condit Vs. Matt Brown
Carlos Condit
Carlos Condit (30-13 MMA, 7-9 UFC) is 3-8 in his last 11 UFC appearances, dating back to November 2012.
Condit has been eliminated at least once in 18 of the 22 UFC / WEC appearances. He gave up a total of 65 eliminations in that stretch.
The seven Condit fight bonuses for UFC welterweight fights are tied for second place in the division’s history behind Lytle (10).
Matt Brown
Matt Brown (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC) competes in the 27th UFC welterweight fight, the most appearances in the division’s history.
Brown’s 15 wins in the UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth in the division’s history, behind Georges St-Pierre (19), Neil Magny (17) and Matt Hughes (16).
Brown’s 13 stopping wins in the UFC welterweight competition are the biggest in the division’s history.
Brown’s 11 wins in the UFC competition are tied for second place in the company’s history, behind Vitor Belfort (12).
Brown’s 11 victories in the welterweight competition are the biggest in the division’s history.
Brown’s 24 attempts to submit to the UFC welterweight competition are second in the history of the division behind Lytle (31).
Brown’s eight stoppage losses in the UFC competition are tied for second place in the company’s history, behind Tim Boetsch (nine).
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Li Jingliang
Santiago Ponzinibbio
Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since November 17, 2018. The 791-day layoff is the longest in his career of almost 13 years.
Ponzinibbio’s seventh welterweight UFC fight is the third longest active series in the division, behind Kamaru Usman (12) and Leon Edwards (eight).
Ponzinibbio scored 21 of his 27 career wins by stopping. He finished 16 of them in round 1.
Ponzinibbio’s four wins in the first round of the UFC welterweight competition are tied for third place in the division’s history, behind Anthony Johnson (five) and Vicente Luque (five).
Joaquin Buckley Vs. Alessio Di Chirico
Joaquin Buckley (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) scored all nine career-high stoppage wins.
Buckley is one of four fighters in UFC history to win a knockout result from a blow to the head, which made the UFC on ESPN + 37 Renan Barao, Uriah Hall and Magomed Mustafaev also achieved this. .
Alessio Di Chirico’s three-fight loss (12-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) is the longest of his career. He did not get a victory in July 2018.
Phil Hawes Vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Phil Hawes (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) scored all nine career victories by stopping.
Hawes’ 18-second knockout at UFC 254 marked the second fastest middleweight debut in UFC history, behind Mark Weir’s 10-second victory at UFC 38.
Omari Akhmedov Vs. Tom Breese
Omari Akhmedov (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) is 3-1-1 since returning to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He is 4-1-1 in the overall weight class under the banner UFC.
Tom Breese (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is 2-1 since moving to the UFC Middleweight Division in May 2018.
Breese scored 11 of his 12 career wins by stopping. All four of his UFC finishes are by elimination.
Sarah Moras Vs. Vanessa Melo
Vanessa Melo’s three-fight loss (10-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) is the longest of her career. He has not won a victory since January 2019.
Melo suffered seven of his eight career losses by decision. This includes all three UFC defeats.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.