Fight Facts: UFC on ABC 2

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Fight Facts is a breakdown of all of the interesting information and Octagon oddities on every card, with some puns, references and portmanteaus to keep things fun. These deep stat dives delve into the numbers, providing historical context and telling the stories behind those numbers.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC FIGHTS: 6,064
TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC EVENTS: 558

The Ultimate Fighting Championship staged its second show on the ABC network with a card relatively light on firepower. The makeshift headliner and whole event raised more questions than it provided answers, as 13 fights of varying intrigue went down through the day. UFC on ABC 2 featured a takedown record in the marquee matchup, an heir to the finishing throne among women and the most active fighter in company history reaching new heights.

Italian Wrestling Program: In his one-sided win over Kevin Holland, Marvin Vettori landed a stunning 11 takedowns across the 25-minute affair. In doing so, Vettori set the all-time UFC middleweight record for takedowns landed, passing Aaron Simpson and Bartosz Fabinski’s 10-takedown efforts against Mario Miranda in 2011 and Garreth McLellan in 2015, respectively.

Holland Headliner: Headlining both UFC on ESPN 21 and UFC on ABC 2, Holland tied the promotion’s record for the quickest turnaround for marquee matchups of one fighter. Michael Bisping did this first at UFC 217 and then UFC Fight Night 122 in 2017, while Deiveson Figueiredo matched this feat at UFCs 255 and 256 in 2020. All three needed just three-week turnarounds to serve as the main event in their respective matches.

Almighty Win Streak: With a three-round unanimous verdict over Sodiq Yusuff, Arnold Allen improved his UFC record to 8-0. In doing so, “Almighty” has amassed a win streak that is currently longer than any in the division, including champ Alexander Volkanovski’s seven straight.

A Pickleball Date Ahead: With an unorthodox rear-naked choke sans-hooks, Julian Marquez put Sam Alvey to sleep in the second frame. All of the career triumphs for “The Cuban Missile Crisis” have come inside the distance.

That’s What Dern Do: In the very first round, Mackenzie Dern hit an armbar on Nina Nunes to record the win. The tapout was Dern’s fourth, tying her with Gillian Robertson for the most submissions in women’s divisional history.

Sub It and Forget It: Each of Dern’s four submissions came in the opening frame, giving her sole possession of the top spot for the most first-round subs among all female fighters in UFC history.

Don’t Mess with the Jedi Master, Son: Dern is now tied with Jessica Andrade for the third-most first-round finishes across all UFC women’s divisions. Ronda Rousey holds five, while Amanda Nunes lords above them with nine.

Miller’s Crossing: Jim Miller’s appearance marked the 37th time he has competed inside the Octagon, when he faced Joe Solecki. Although he recaptured the top spot by himself with this outing, he dropped a decision to the relative newcomer.

Last Call on Miller Time: The defeat was Miller’s 15th under the UFC banner, and he alone holds the second-most defeats in promotional history. Jeremy Stephens is in possession of the most, with 17.

Making Mountains Out of Molemen: After well over four years away from the sport, Jarjis Danho returned and leveled Yorgan De Castro in just over three minutes. The heavyweight known as “Man Mountain” still maintains a 100% knockout rate following his win.

Back When the World Was New: Danho’s appearance in the Octagon was his first since September 2016, and it also marked his first UFC win. When he last competed, 17 of the 25 other competitors at UFC on ABC 2 were not yet on the roster, while his opponent and four others had yet to even turn pro.

Shore Leave: Jack Shore is now a perfect 14-0 as a pro after taking a split decision over Hunter Azure. It was just the second time that the Welshman had ever gone the distance.

Iffy Scores There: A contentious decision over Jordan Griffin, marked the first time in his career that Luis Saldana won by decision. Each of the newcomer’s past 14 victories had come inside the distance, with nine by knockout and the other five by submission.

Never Say Never Again: Coming into UFC on ABC 2, Yusuff (12 fights), Azure (10 fights) and William Knight (10 fights) had never lost on the scorecards; De Castro had never been finished (eight fights) and Palatnikov had never been submitted (eight fights).

Pop on Pop Violence: A first for UFC walkout music, fighters entered with opposing artists of Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Marquez selected “Party in the U.S.A.” by Cyrus, while Alvey countered with “Shake It Off” from Swift’s catalogue. Cyrus reigned supreme in the music battle when Alvey succumbed to a rear-naked choke.

RIP Earl Simmons: Only one fighter walked out to a DMX track at this event: Daniel Rodriguez. He selected “What’s My Name?” by the recently deceased rapper, and prevailed by decision over Mike Perry.