UFC 167 preview: 55 pre-fight facts for ‘St-Pierre vs. Hendricks’ in Las Vegas

The UFC returns to its home base of Las Vegas for one of the biggest shows in company history on Saturday night as “UFC 167: St-Pierre vs. Hendricks” takes place at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The event, which airs on pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET), is the 20^th anniversary show for the world’s premier MMA, which launched in 1993. Twenty years later, the UFC is a global entity, so who better to headline the 20th anniversary show than the company’s most successful international star, Georges St-Pierre?

St-Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) has been a part of two previous milestone shows, UFC 100 and UFC 129, and now he’ll have the chance to be a part of history again when he puts his welterweight title on the line for a ninth time when he meets top contender Johny Hendricks.

While a St-Pierre victory would seem like a perfect way to cap off the historic show, the well-rounded Hendricks (15-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is more than capable of ushering in a new era.

For such a meaningful show, UFC matchmakers have stacked the deck with important names and fighters with a wealth of experience inside the octagon.

More UFC experience means more statistical data to work with, and in turn, that results in 55 pre-fight facts for UFC 167.

MAIN EVENT

St-Pierre can take sole possession of the record for most victories in UFC history. “Rush” is currently tied with Matt Hughes with 18.

St-Pierre needs just 40 seconds of octagon time to pass B.J. Penn for the most total fight time in UFC history. The French-Canadian has logged five hours, three minutes and 12 seconds in the UFC cage.

St-Pierre’s 84 takedowns landed are the most of any fighter in UFC history.

St-Pierre owns or is on the verge of owning several other welterweight and overall UFC records, all of which can be viewed on his complete UFC career stat sheet.

Hendricks’ 10 UFC victories are tied with Thiago Alves for the third most among active UFC welterweights.

Hendricks has won a post-fight bonus in four of his past six UFC bouts for a total of $250,000.

Hendricks is one of four fighters in UFC history to record three knockout victories in less than one minute each (Vitor Belfort, Anthony Johnson, Mike Swick).

Hendricks’ 12-second knockout of Jon Fitch at UFC 141 is the second fastest in welterweight history.

Hendricks is the owner of a 6-0 knockdown ratio in his UFC career. His six knockdowns landed in his UFC career are tied for the sixth most in welterweight history. Hendricks has never been knocked down.

Hendricks’ 51.32 significant strike accuracy rate ranks sixth in welterweight history.

Hendricks lands 37.8 percent of his significant strikes in the clinch, the third largest proportion among active welterweight fighters.

Hendricks’ 36 completed takedowns in the octagon are the sixth most in welterweight history. He’s landed 27 of his 36 UFC takedowns (75 percent) while in the clinch.

Hendricks averages 5.47 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting, the highest average in welterweight history. His 57.1 percent takedown accuracy is the seventh best in 170-pound history.

Hendricks’ 12 takedowns landed against Carlos Condit at UFC 158 are tied for the fourth most ever landed in a single UFC fight.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Rashad Evans’ (18-3-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC) 12 UFC light-heavyweight victories are the third most in divisional history behind Jon Jones (13) and Chuck Liddell (13).

Evans’ 13 UFC victories are tied with Diego Sanchez for the second most by a winner of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Michael Bisping leads the category with 14.

Evans’ average fight time of 13:52 is the third highest in UFC light-heavyweight history.

Evans’ total fight time of 3:41:50 is the second most in light-heavyweight history. He will surpass record-holder Tito Ortiz with 4:49 of fight time.

Evans’ 49 completed takedowns are the most in UFC light-heavyweight history. His 45.8 percent takedown accuracy ranks fourth in divisional history.

Evans is the only competitor in UFC history to earn four split decision victories.

Chael Sonnen (28-13-1 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has been finished by knockout or submission in 12 of his 13 professional defeats. His lone decision loss came in 2004.

Sonnen is one of just seven fighters in history to lose four of more UFC fights by submission.

Sonnen’s 35 takedowns landed as a UFC middleweight are the most in divisional history. His 56.5 percent takedown accuracy as a middleweight is the fourth best rate in the division’s history.

Sonnen’s 1,300 total strikes landed in his middleweight career ranked second in the division’s history.

Sonnen’s 67.7 percent significant strike defense rate at middleweight is the second highest in 185-pound history.

REMAINING MAIN CARD

Rory MacDonald’s (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak is the fourth longest in the UFC welterweight division behind Matt Brown (six), Hendricks (six) and St-Pierre (10).

MacDonald’s 50.73 percent significant strike accuracy ranks seventh in welterweight history. His 67.2 percent significant strike defense rate ranks fourth in 170-pound history.

MacDonald’s 4.13 strikes landed per minute rank fourth in welterweight history. His 2.07 strike differential rate ranks second in divisional history behind St-Pierre (2.53).

MacDonald’s 85.7 percent takedown defense rate ranks third in welterweight history.

Robbie Lawler’s (21-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC) past 13 victories have come by knockout or submission. “Ruthless” has not won a fight by decision since a Nov. 21, 2003 win over Chris Lytle at UFC 45.

Lawler enters the event on his first two-fight winning streak since 2006-2007.

Josh Koscheck’s (17-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) 22nd UFC welterweight fight will tie him with Hughes for the most in UFC history. His 23rd overall UFC fight will tie him with Liddell for fourth most ever.

Koscheck enters the event on the first two-fight losing streak of his career.

Koscheck’s total fight time of 3:36:16 is the third most in UFC welterweight history.

Koscheck’s 37 takedowns landed are the fifth most in welterweight history.

Tim Elliott (10-3-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) outlanded Louis Gaudinot, 270 to 4,1 in total strikes in their UFC 164 contest. The +229 total strike differential is the fourth largest margin ever in a UFC fight and second largest margin ever in a three-round bout. Sonnen owns the record with a +256 differential against Anderson Silva at UFC 117.

Elliott’s 270 total strikes landed against Gaudinot at UFC 164 were the fourth-most ever in a single UFC fight.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Evan Dunham’s (14-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) 677 significant strikes landed are the third most in lightweight history behind Frankie Edgar (767) and Sam Stout (911).

Dunham’s 79.7 percent takedown defense rate ranks sixth in lightweight history.

Donald Cerrone (20-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and/or his opponent have received a post-fight bonus in six of his 10 UFC bouts.
Cerrone’s 5.06 strikes landed per minute is the third best output rate in lightweight history behind Dunham (5.12) and T.J. Grant (6.83). It’s also fifth overall in UFC history. His 50.70 percent significant strike accuracy is the fourth best in 155-pound history.

Cerrone’s 49 landed leg kicks against Vagner Rocha at UFC 131 are a three-round UFC record.

Cerrone’s 85 percent takedown defense rate ranks third in lightweight history.

Ed Herman (21-9 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is one of two fighters to hold a victory over No. 1 light-heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira.

Herman has completed 29 takedowns in his UFC career, the second most in UFC middleweight history behind Sonnen (35). Herman’s 52.7 percent takedown accuracy ranks sixth in 185-pound history.

Herman’s 52.21 percent significant strike accuracy ranks fourth in middleweight history.

Thales Leites (21-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) enters the event on a four-fight winning streak, his longest since 2007-2008.

Leites and Herman are tied for the fourth most submission attempts in middleweight history with 13.

Rick Story’s (15-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) total fight time of 2:32:59 ranks ninth all-time in UFC welterweight history.

Story’s 33 takedowns landed in his UFC career are the eighth most in welterweight history.

Story’s 13 submission attempts in UFC welterweight competition are tied for the eighth most in 170-pound history.

Story’s 518 significant strikes landed in his UFC career are the seventh most in welterweight history. Story’s 68 percent significant strike defense rate ranks third in divisional history.

Brian Ebersole (50-15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has never been knocked out in his 67-fight career.

Erik Perez (13-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is the only fighter in UFC bantamweight history to record three-straight first-round knockout or submission finishes.

Perez’s 17-second knockout of Ken Stone at UFC 150 stands as fastest in UFC/WEC bantamweight history.

Sergio Pettis (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), brother of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, makes his UFC debut against two-fight veteran of the organization Will Campuzano.

Pettis, 20, will enter the cage as the youngest active fighter on the UFC roster.

Campuzano (13-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) returns to the organization on a six-fight winning streak after going winless in his first stint back in 2011.

For more on UFC 167, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Johny Hendricks)