UFC 173 post-fight facts: T.J. Dillashaw halts Team Alpha Male’s title skid

Four of the UFC’s past five main events have seen the underdog emerge victorious.

That trend continued in Saturday’s UFC 173 pay-per-view event, where longtime 135-pound titleholder Renan Barao (32-2 MMA, MMA, 7-1 UFC) lost his bantamweight championship to T.J. Dillashaw (10-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a shocking defeat.

Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena was the scene of Dillashaw’s triumph as the 28-year-old outclassed his Brazilian counterpart in one of the greatest striking performances ever in a UFC championship fight.

Dillashaw’s title-winning effort capped off a night of tremendous victories. For the numbers behind some of those performances, here are 45 post-fight facts about UFC 173.

GENERAL

Barao, Barao and Mitch Clarke earned $50,000 UFC 173 fight-night bonuses. Dillashaw earned two fight-night bonuses for a total of $100,000.

UFC 173 drew an announced attendance of 11,036 for a live gate of $1.7 million.

Betting favorites went 7-5 on the card.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:34:28.

MAIN CARD

Dillashaw is the first Team Alpha Male fighter to win a UFC championship. The Sacramento-based camp was previously winless in six UFC title bouts with Chad Mendes going 0-1, Urijah Faber going 0-3 and Joseph Benavidez going 0-2.

Dillashaw became the fourth fighter in history to win a UFC championship after being introduced to the organization through “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show. Of those four champions, Dillashaw is the first who did not win the reality show.

Dillashaw has stopped his opponent by knockout or submission in four of his six UFC victories.

Dillashaw’s knockout of Barao at 2:25 of Round 5 marked the third latest knockout ever in a UFC title fight and the sixth latest stoppage overall.

Dillashaw’s 140 significant strikes landed were the fourth most ever in a UFC championship fight. Welterweight kingpin Johny Hendricks holds the record with 158, landed against Robbie Lawler at UFC 171.

Dillashaw’s 427 significant strikes landed in his UFC career are the second most in bantamweight history behind Takeya Mizugaki (511).

Dillashaw has committed to 11 submission attempts in his UFC career, the second most in bantamweight history behind Alex Caceres (12).

Barao suffered the first knockout loss of his 35-fight career.

Barao successfully defended all three of Dillashaw’s takedown attempts and has defended all 20 opponent attempts throughout his UFC career. He is the first fighter in UFC history to successfully defend the first 20 takedown attempts thrown his way inside the octagon.

Daniel Cormier (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) improved to 3-0 in his career against former UFC/Strikeforce/PRIDE champions.

Cormier earned his first submission victory since Nov. 5, 2010 – a span of 1,296 days (more than three years) and 10 fights.

Cormier’s submission victory at 3:53 of Round 3 marked the second latest submission ever in a three-round UFC light heavyweight fight. Forrest Griffin holds the record with his finish of Mauricio Rua at 4:45 of Round 3 at UFC 76.

Cormier has finished his opponent in both of his light heavyweight bouts.

Dan Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) suffered his first submission loss since March 1, 2008 – a span of 2,275 days (more than six years) and 13 fights.

Henderson fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances. His most recent MMA victory over someone other than Mauricio Rua came when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko in July 2011.

Robbie Lawler (23-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) improved to 4-1 since making his return to the UFC for a second stint in February 2013.

Lawler has earned 19 of his 23 professional victories by knockout.

Jake Ellenberger (29-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) suffered just the second knockout loss of his 37-fight career.

Ellenberger is on the first two-fight losing streak of his professional career.

Takeya Mizugaki’s (20-7-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak is the second longest active streak in the bantamweight division behind Raphael Assuncao (six).

Mizugaki’s nine victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Barao and Dominick Cruz for the second most in divisional history behind Scott Jorgensen (10).

Mizugaki has earned six of his seven UFC victories by decision. He has defeated his opponent by going the distance in 14 of his 20 professional victories overall.

Mizugaki’s total fight time of 3:24:20 in his UFC/WEC career is the longest of any bantamweight fighter in the combined history of the two promotions.

Mizugaki’s 695 significant strikes landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are the second most in divisional history behind Jorgensen (703). His 1,159 total strikes are the most in bantamweight history.

Francisco Rivera (10-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his 14-fight career.

James Krause (21-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by stoppage.

Jamie Varner (21-10-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) fell to 2-4 since returning to the UFC in May 2012. “C-4” is currently on the first three-fight losing skid of his 34-fight career.

PRELIMINARY CARD

“The Ultimate Fighter” reality show winners went 3-0 on the preliminary card. Cast members from the series went 5-1 overall.

Michael Chiesa (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) earned his first decision victory since Oct. 30, 2010 – a span of 1,302 days (more than three years) and nine fights.

Tony Ferguson (15-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has finished his opponent by knockout or submission in 13 of his 15 career victories.

Katsunori Kikuno (22-6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his 30-fight career.

Chris Holdsworth (6-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his six-fight career.

Holdsworth fought to a decision for the first time in any of his amateur, professional or “TUF” reality show bouts.

Mitch Clarke (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) earned a submission victory for the first time since Sept. 10, 2010 – a span of 1,352 days (nearly four years) and five fights. Clarke has earned seven of his 11 career wins by submission.

Clarke became the 12th fighter in UFC history to earn a victory via D’Arce/brabo choke submission. Overall, the finished was the 13th of its kind in UFC history.

Al Iaquinta (8-3-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by submission.

Vinc Pichel (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision.

Anthony Njokuani (16-8 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has suffered all four of his UFC defeats by decision.

Njokuani has alternated losses and wins throughout his seven-fight UFC career.

Sam Sicilia (13-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) earned just the second decision victory of his career and first since his MMA debut on Sept. 15, 2007 – a span of 2,443 days (nearly seven years) and 16 fights.

For full coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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

* * * *

Check out John Morgan’s instant reaction to UFC 173:

view original article >>