UFC 171 pre-fight facts: Carlos Condit approaches Matt Hughes’ finishing record

The UFC takes another loaded event to the state of Texas on Saturday when UFC 171 takes place at Dallas’ American Airlines Arena.

The organization’s third pay-per-view event of the year is a monumental one as a new UFC welterweight champion will be crowned for the first time since April 2008.

For the past six years only Georges St-Pierre has held the undisputed belt. But now that “Rush” has given up his throne to take a hiatus from the sport, a new king will emerge at UFC 171.

Fighting for the vacant championship will be two of the biggest power punchers in divisional history with Johny Hendricks (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) taking on Robbie Lawler (22-9 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in the headlining contest.

The two 170-pound contenders have 26 knockouts in 37 combined career victories, and each is the owner of a lengthy highlight reel inside the UFC octagon.

If for some reason the main event doesn’t scratch your itch, that’s no worry. Between the PPV portion of the event (10 p.m. ET) and the FOX Sports 2 (8 p.m. ET) and UFC Fight Pass (6 p.m. ET) preliminary card, UFC 171 has riveting matchups from top to bottom, and provides a little something for everyone.

To dig into some of the statistics behind the main event plus the other 12 fights scheduled for the card, here are 70 pre-fight facts going into UFC 171.

MAIN EVENT

Hendricks has alternated knockout and decision wins in his past seven UFC victories. His most recent win inside the octagon was by decision, meaning if the trend continues, his next victory will come by knockout.

Hendricks’ 10 victories in the UFC welterweight division are tied for the third most among active fighters and also tied for the seventh most in divisional history behind St-Pierre (19), Matt Hughes (16), Josh Koscheck (14), Jon Fitch (13), Matt Brown (11) and Thiago Alves (11).

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). He accomplished the feat against Amir Sadollah (UFC 101), Jon Fitch (UFC 141) and Martin Kampmann (UFC 154).

Hendricks’ 12-second knockout of Fitch at UFC 141 is the second fastest in UFC welterweight history behind Duane Ludwig, who stopped Jonathan Goutlet in six seconds at UFC Fight Night 3.

Hendricks’ six knockdowns landed in his UFC career are tied with Lawler and Marcus Davis for the sixth most in welterweight history behind Alves (10), St-Pierre (eight), Jake Ellenberger (eight), Johnson (eight) and Brown (seven). Hendricks has never been knocked down in his MMA career.

Hendricks lands 37 percent of his significant strikes in the clinch, the second largest margin in welterweight history behind Swick (40.9 percent).

Hendricks’ 38 completed takedowns in the octagon are the most among active welterweight fighters and the fifth most in divisional history. He’s landed 29 of his 38 UFC takedowns (76 percent) while in the clinch.

Hendricks averages 4.61 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting, the second highest average in UFC welterweight history behind Karo Parisyan (5.27). His 56.7 percent takedown accuracy ranks second among active welterweights behind Rory MacDonald (57.6 percent).

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

Hendricks has won a fight-night bonus in five of his past seven UFC bouts for a total of $300,000.

Lawler is 3-0 since making his return to the UFC this past year. He has not suffered a UFC defeat since October 2004. His current three-fight winning streak is his longest since 2006-2007.

Lawler enters the bout off his first decision victory since November 2003. “Ruthless” has earned 19 of his 22 professional victories by stoppage with all but one coming by knockout.

Lawler’s knockdown ratio in UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce and EliteXC competition is 13-1.

Lawler doesn’t often attempt to bring a fight to the ground, but when he does, he’s rather successful. His 82.4 percent takedown accuracy (14 of 17) through his UFC career is more than double the current promotional average of 41 percent.

Lawler has spent only five minutes and 33 seconds of UFC cage time being controlled on the ground, the fifth smallest amount in welterweight history (min. five fights).

CO-MAIN EVENT

Carlos Condit (29-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is one of just nine fighters in UFC history to win an interim championship belt. Of those nine fighters, Condit is one of four who failed to capture the undisputed championship.

Condit has been taken down at least once in 13 of his 14 UFC/WEC appearances. “The Natural Born Killer” has given up a total of 25 takedowns in his past three bouts. His 35.6 percent takedown defense rate is the fourth lowest among active UFC fighters (min. five fights and 20 opponent attempts).

Condit has earned 27 of his 29 professional victories by knockout (14) or submission (13). He has never suffered a knockout loss in his 36-fight career.

Condit has recorded nine knockout or submission victories in his UFC/WEC career, tied with Brown for second most of any welterweight in the combined modern history of the two promotions behind Hughes (11).

Condit is just one of 10 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a flying knee. He used the technique to stop Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132.

Condit’s 68 leg kicks landed in his decision victory over Nick Diaz at UFC 143 stand as a single-fight UFC record.

Condit is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to land 100-plus significant strikes in two separate UFC bouts. He accomplished the feat against Diaz at UFC 143 and again against Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 27.

Condit’s knockout of Kampmann at 0:54 of Round 4 at UFC Fight Night 27 stands as the earliest stoppage ever in a UFC bout with extended/championship rounds.

Condit has earned fight-night bonuses in six of his past seven UFC fights for a total of $390,000. His nine fight-night bonuses under the Zuffa banner are the second most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (10).

Condit’s average fight time of 14:48 is the third longest in UFC welterweight history.

Tyron Woodley (12-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by first-round knockout. “The Chosen One” stopped Jay Hieron at UFC 156 and Koscheck at UFC 167. Woodley’s 36-second finish of Heiron was the fifth fastest knockout by a debuting UFC welterweight.

Woodley has yet to attempt a single takedown attempt in three UFC appearances.

Woodley’s takedown defense in his past 11 bouts is 94.1 percent. He shook off all 18 of Jake Shields’ takedown attempts in their bout at UFC 161 this past year.

Woodley’s eight wins under the Strikeforce banner are tied for fourth most in the now-defunct promotion’s history.
During his time in Strikeforce, Woodley landed 202 significant strikes, and 40.1 percent of them came in the clinch, the largest clinch strike proportion amongst Strikeforce fighters. Through three UFC fights, Woodley’s landed 43.3 percent of his strikes from the clinch.

REMAINING MAIN CARD

Diego Sanchez (24-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC) has earned his past five UFC victories by decision. “The Dream” has not finished an opponent since Luigi Fioravanti at The Ultimate Fight 7 Finale in June 2008.

Sanchez has recorded 13 victories inside the UFC’s octagon; however, just one of those wins came against a fighter who is actively competing in the organization’s lightweight division. Five of those fighters are still members of the UFC roster.

Sanchez’s 13 UFC victories are the second most for any winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show behind Michael Bisping, who owns 14.

Sanchez’s total fight time of 4:07:57 over his 19-fight UFC career is the fifth most in modern UFC history. The 32-year-old has spent more time in the octagon than any non-champion in the organization’s existence.

Sanchez is one of two fighters in UFC history (Alves) to earn two victories by flying-knee knockout. He used the technique on his way to stoppages of Joe Riggs at UFC Fight Night 7 and Fioravanti at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale.

Sanchez has attempted a higher number of significant strikes than his opponent in 12 of his 13 UFC wins.

Sanchez’s 133 takedown attempts are tied with Clay Guida for the second most in UFC history behind Demian Maia, who has attempted 139 takedowns inside the octagon. .

Myles Jury’s (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak is tied with champion Anthony Pettis for the fourth longest active streak in the lightweight division behind Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rafael dos Anjos and T.J. Grant (five).

Jury has earned all but two of his career victories by knockout (six) or submission (five). All of those stoppages have come inside the first round.

Jake Shields (29-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has earned three of his four UFC victories by split decision.

Shields’ average fight time of 15:59 in 170-pound bouts is the longest in UFC welterweight history. His overall career UFC fight time average of 15:50 is the fifth longest overall in company history behind Jose Aldo (20:20), Benson Henderson (19:25), Frankie Edgar (18:05) and Demetrious Johnson (17:52).

Shields has completed just one of 30 takedown attempts over his past two UFC fights. He averages 10.3 takedown attempts per 15 minutes of fighting as a welterweight, the third highest UFC rate in divisional history behind Maia (13.9 attempts). Shields has attempted six or more takedowns in each of his previous five fights that went to a decision.

Shields has landed 37.1 percent of his significant strikes to the body, the third largest proportion in UFC welterweight history (min. 350 significant strike attempts). Forrest Petz leads the category (39.7 percent).

Shields’ 280 total strikes landed against Dan Henderson in their 2010 Strikeforce bout is the single-fight record for the now-defunct organization. For comparison’s sake, Chael Sonnen’s 320 total strikes landed against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 stand as the single-fight UFC record.

Hector Lombard (33-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC), 36, is the oldest of the 26 fighters slated to compete on the card. Opponent Shields, 35, is just one year his junior.

Lombard has alternated losses and wins throughout his four-fight UFC career.

Lombard and Shields have never suffered a submission loss in a combined 78 professional fights.

Nikita Krylov (16-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) drops to the light-heavyweight division after spending the first 19 bouts of his career, including his first two UFC appearances, as a heavyweight.

Krylov has earned all 16 of his professional victories by submission (10) or knockout (six). All of those stoppages have come inside the first round. Krylov’s longest victory to date came at the 4:27 mark of Round 1.

Krylov’s head-kick finish of Walt Harris at 0:25 of Round 1 at UFC on FOX 10 marked the sixth fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history. It was also the fastest head-kick finish in UFC history, topping Gerard Gordeau’s 26-second win at UFC 1.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Rick Story (16-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has earned six of his nine UFC victories by decision.

Story has alternated losses and wins over his past six UFC bouts.

Story’s 35 takedowns landed in his UFC career are the third most among active welterweights and the seventh most in divisional history.

Story’s 589 significant strikes landed in his UFC career are the most among active welterweight fighters and fifth most in welterweight history. Defensively, his 67.4 percent significant-strike-defense rate ranks first among active 170-pound fighters and third in divisional history.

Jessica Andrade (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) landed a UFC women’s bantamweight record 206 significant strikes (215 total strikes) against Rosi Sexton at UFC Fight Night 30. Her 206 significant strikes landed in the bout are the second most ever in a single UFC fight behind Nate Diaz, who landed 238 against Donald Cerrone at UFC 141.

Andrade and Sexton combined for 294 significant strikes landed, breaking the previous divisional record of 152 set by Jessica Eye and Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166.

Dennis Bermudez’s (12-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Cub Swanson and Chad Mendes for the second longest active streak in the featherweight division behind champion Jose Aldo (six).

Bermudez is 5-0 since losing to Diego Brandao in the 145-pound tournament final of “TUF 14.”

Bermudez’s 20 completed takedowns in his UFC career are the second most in featherweight history.

Bermudez’ 275 significant strikes landed are fifth most in UFC featherweight history. His output rate of 5.04 strikes landed per minute ranks third in divisional history.

Jimy Hettes (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned all but one of his professional victories by submission. “The Kid” has just one decision win in his career and has yet to finish a fight by knockout.

Hettes’ 21 completed takedowns in his UFC career are the most in featherweight history, just one ahead of Bermudez. His 11 takedowns landed against Nam Phan at UFC 141 stand as the single-fight UFC/WEC featherweight record.

Hettes’ 221 total strikes landed against Phan at UFC 141 are the second most ever in UFC/WEC featherweight history behind Dennis Siver, who landed 222 total strikes against Phan at UFC on FOX 5.

Alex Garcia (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all but one of his professional victories by knockout (five) or submission (five). Nine of those stoppages, including his 43-second knockout of Ben Wall at UFC Fight Night 33 in his octagon debut, have come in the first round.

Will Campuzano (13-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC) will compete for the second time since returning to the UFC this past year, this time as a flyweight. The 27-year-old is 1-5 in six career UFC/WEC appearances.

Justin Scoggins (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.

Robert McDaniel (21-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned 20 of his 21 professional victories by submission (16) or knockout (four). Fourteen of “Bubba’s” stoppages have come inside the first round.

Daniel Pineda (18-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has earned all 18 of his professional victories by submission (12) or knockout (six). Twelve of those stoppages have come inside the first round. Moreover, two of Pineda’s three UFC victories have come in less than two minutes while the other came in just over two minutes.

Pineda’s three submission victories under the UFC banner are tied with Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira for the most in featherweight history. “The Pit” is owner of the third, fourth and sixth fastest submission wins in UFC’s 145-pound history, accomplishing the feats at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale, UFC on FX 1 and UFC on FX 2, respectively.

Pineda’s average UFC fight time of 6:05 is the shortest in UFC featherweight history and sixth shortest overall among active UFC fighters behind Erick Silva (4:24), Travis Browne (5:40), Gabriel Gonzaga (5:41), Frank Mir (5:52) and Kyle Noke (6:03).

For the latest on UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

FightMetric research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.