The UFC returns to Las Vegas on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 222, which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+.
Heavyweight contenders clash in the main event, with Sergei Pavlovich (16-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Curtis Blaydes (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) for five rounds in a matchup with high championship implications in the weight class.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 222.
Sergei Pavlovich
Sergei Pavlovich
Pavlovich’s five-fight UFC winning streak in heavyweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
Pavlovich has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all 14 of those wins by knockout.
Pavlovich has earned all five of his UFC victories by first-round knockout.
Pavlovich’s five-fight UFC stoppage streak is the longest streak among active fighters in the company.
Pavlovich’s average fight time of 2:15 in UFC heavyweight competition is the shortest in company history.
Pavlovich lands 8.07 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history and second-highest in company history behind Casey O’Neill (8.77).
Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes is one of 12 heavyweights in UFC history to reach 12 octagon victories.
Blaydes’ 62 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed against Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11 is the single-fight record for a UFC heavyweight bout.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed are tied for the third-most in a single UFC fight behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (21 at UFC 160) and Sean Sherk (16 at UFC 73).
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon
Song Yadong
Song Yadong (19-7-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) is 6-2-1 since he dropped to the UFC bantamweight division.
Ricky Simon’s (20-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Aljamain Sterling (eight), Merab Dvalishvili (eight) and Jonathan Martinez (five).
Simon has landed 37 takedowns in UFC bantamweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Dvalishvili (61).
Brad Tavares vs. Bruno Silva
Brad Tavares.
Brad Tavares’ (19-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC) 14 victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Michael Bisping (16).
Tavares’ total fight time of 4:38:05 in UFC middleweight competition is second-most in divisional history behind Bisping (5:15:15).
Tavares’s 12 decision victories in UFC middleweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Tavares’s 12 decision victories in UFC competition are tied for second-most in company history behind Neil Magny (13).
Bobby Green vs. Jared Gordon
Bobby Green
Bobby Green (29-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) has landed 1,477 significant strikes in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has earned six of his seven UFC victories by decision.
Gordon lands 58.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Islam Makhachev (60.2 percent) and Justin Gaethje (60.2 percent).
Jeremiah Wells vs. Matthew Semelsberger
Matthew Semelsberger
Matthew Semelsberger (11-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn multiple knockouts of 20 seconds or less. Anthony Johnson also accomplished the feat.
Rani Yahya vs. Montel Jackson
Rani Yahya
Rani Yahya (28-10-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) has earned 21 of his 28 career victories by submission. He’s finished 13 of those wins in Round 1.
Yahya’s 12 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in combined divisional history behind Dominick Cruz (14), T.J. Dillashaw (13) and Sterling (13).
Yahya’s nine stoppage victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are second-most in combined divisional history behind Marlon Vera (10).
Yahya’s six submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Urijah Faber for most in divisional history.
Yahya is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a north-south choke submission in UFC competition. Jake Ellenberger, Jeff Monson, and Michel Prazeres have also accomplished the feat.
Montel Jackson (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has earned four of his six UFC victories by decision.
Jackson has landed at least one knockdown in five consecutive fights, the longest active streak among UFC fighters.
Jackson’s four knockdowns landed at UFC Fight Night 192 are the single-fight record for a UFC bantamweight bout.
Jackson absorbs 1.36 significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Chico Cams (1.31).
Jackson completes 68.8 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Karol Rosa vs. Norma Dumont
Norma Dumont
Norma Dumont (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is 3-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s featherweight division in November 2020.
Dumont’s three victories in UFC women’s featherweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Cris Cyborg (four).
Dumont has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Karine Silva
Priscila Cachoeira
Priscila Cachoeira’s (11-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) 40-second knockout at UFC Fight Night 168 is the fastest stoppage in UFC women’s flyweight history.
Cachoeira’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (four).
Cachoeira’s two fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s flyweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Molly McCann (three).
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 222.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.