“Fight Facts” is a fun and intriguing exploration of the stats and oddities of every card. It’s not just about the numbers, though. It’s about the stories behind them, the historical context, and the interesting information they reveal.
The UFC has seen a whopping 7,476 fights across 675 events. That’s a lot of punches thrown, kicks landed, and submissions locked in.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship recently put on a show at the Apex. It was a great way to kick off the year, with several fights that got fans excited for the upcoming pay-per-view in Toronto. The event was marked by excellent performances and memorable results, thanks to some smart matchmaking.
One of the highlights was UFC Fight Night 234. It featured a knockout that will be remembered for a long time, a gritty submission by a veteran that would make even the most jaded fan smile, and a serious lack of head movement.
Fighter Magomed Ankalaev made good on his rematch with Johnny Walker. He decimated him in the second round, marking his sixth knockout. This puts the Dagestan native in fourth place for the most knockouts in UFC light heavyweight history.
Ankalaev hasn’t tasted defeat in 12 straight fights. This includes a draw and a no contest. His unbeaten streak is second only to Jon Jones’ 18-fight run at 205 pounds from 2010 to 2020.
Veteran Jim Miller tapped out Gabriel Benitez with a face crank in the co-headlining attraction. This win improved his record for the most wins in company history to 26. The closest active fighter is fellow UFC Fight Night 234 competitor Andrei Arlovski with 23, followed by Charles Oliveira with 22.
Miller’s finish was his 18th as a member of the UFC roster. This puts him closer to top fighter Charles Oliveira’s 20. He now sits in second place for the most submission victories in UFC history, with 12 of his wins coming this way.
Miller also claimed a “Performance of the Night” check with his submission win. This makes 15 in his storied career, passing Anderson Silva and tying former foe Joe Lauzon for the fourth-most in the promotion’s history.
In his 43rd appearance as a UFC competitor, Miller added to his record. Arlovski kept pace with him in the no. 2 spot with his 41st outing in the Octagon earlier that night.
Brunno Ferreira got back in the win column by knocking out Phil Hawes in the waning seconds of the first round. All 11 of Ferreira’s career wins have been inside the distance, with nine coming in the opening frame.
Despite losing a decision to Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Andrei Arlovski heard the final bell for the 19th time as a member of the UFC roster. Only Roy Nelson and Marcin Tybura have reached 10 full-length matches in the division’s history, with 10 apiece.
Arlovski completed his 41st fight with the UFC. He debuted at UFC 28 in 2000. UFC Fight Night 234 competitor Joshua Van was born about 11 months after that bout.
For only the second time in his career, Preston Parsons needed all 15 minutes to get his hand raised. He took home a decision over Matthew Semelsberger. His first win in the UFC also went the distance, with the remaining nine victories before his Octagon tenure coming via submission.
Marcus McGhee put Gaston Bolanos away with a spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches to win his fifth straight fight. All nine of McGhee’s pro victories have been inside the distance.
McGhee is now one of 17 fighters in promotional history to pull off a spinning wheel kick finish. He and Cory Sandhagen are the only two bantamweights to achieve this feat.
Taking a competitive decision over Taylor Lapilus, Farid Basharat improved his flawless record to 12-0 as a pro. He set a personal high in the Octagon by landing five takedowns, and he has performed at least two in all four of his fights with major promotions.
Debuting Jean Silva knocked out Westin Wilson in the first round with a nonstop barrage of punches. Silva has earned 11 of his 12 pro wins inside the distance, with nine in Round 1.
In 63 seconds, Nikolas Motta clubbed Tom Nolan to earn his first win since 2022. About 72% of his wins have come via strikes, and he’s never pulled off a submission.
Joshua Van boosted his finish rate to 80% by busting up Felipe Bunes late into the second round. The first eight outings for the fighter born in Myanmar had ended within two rounds, win or lose, before his first and second UFC bouts heard the final bell.
Coming into UFC Fight Night 234, Miller had never landed 20 leg kicks in a UFC fight (42 fights), Bolanos (10 fights) and Bunes (19 fights) had never been knocked out and Nolan had never been defeated (six fights).
For nearly half of his UFC appearances, Miller has walked out to “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, accounting for 21 fights to date. He now celebrates 14 wins with the track, putting his win percentage at .667.
In his last four fights, Hawes selected the theme song for pro wrestler The Rock as his entrance music, going with “Electrifying” by Jim Johnston each time. He has won once while remaining the lone fighter to pick this tune.