UFC 177 pre-fight facts: Cejudo becomes UFC’s third Olympic gold medalist

On Saturday at UFC 177, Renan Barao will become the first fighter in eight months to challenge for a UFC title despite coming off a loss.

Barao rematched reigning 135-pound titleholder T.J. Dillashaw and looks to avenge his loss in May.

Dillashaw (10-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) battered Barao (32-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) for more than four rounds before scoring a fifth-round TKO at UFC 173. The rematch takes place a little more than three months later, and the Brazilian is coming for redemption.

The contest headlines a card that, outside of the main event, features no fighters listed in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA Power Rankings. It all takes place Saturday at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento., and airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

To go behind the numbers of the main event and the rest of the lineup, here are 55 pre-fight facts about UFC 177.

Main event

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

Dillashaw’s knockout of Barao at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 to win the belt at UFC 173 marked the third latest knockout ever in a UFC title fight and the sixth latest stoppage overall.

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

Dillashaw is one of four contestants from “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series to win a UFC championship. He is the lone fighter to accomplish the feat who did not win the show’s tournament.

Dillashaw’s six victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for the fourth most in divisional history behind Barao (seven), Faber (seven) and Takeya Mizugaki (seven).

Dillashaw has recorded four stoppage wins in the UFC bantamweight division, tied for the second most in divisional history behind Faber (five).

Dillashaw’s three knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are the most of any fighter in divisional history. His four knockdowns landed are tied for the second most in the weight class behind Michael McDonald (five).

Dillashaw’s output of 5.23 strikes landed per minute is the highest rate in UFC bantamweight history. His 47.8 percent significant strike accuracy ranks second in divisional history behind Alex Caceres (53.2 percent).

Dillashaw’s +2.9 strike differential rate is the second largest margin for any fighter in UFC bantamweight history behind Johnny Bedford (+3.47).

Dillashaw’s 76 significant ground strikes landed against Walel Watson at UFC on FUEL TV 1 stand as the most ever in a single UFC bout.

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

Barao will become the 13th fighter in UFC history to challenge for a championship belt after a loss.

Barao is the sixth fighter in UFC history to be granted an immediate championship rematch after losing the belt. He is just the third to do so after losing his belt from a knockout or submission finish.

Barao enters the event on the heels of his first professional loss since April 2005.

Barao’s seven victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Faber and Mizugaki for the divisional lead. His nine wins when including WEC competition are tied for the second most in the combined history of the two organizations behind Scott Jorgensen (10).

Barao has recorded four stoppage wins in the UFC bantamweight division, tied for the second most in divisional history behind Faber (five). His six stoppage wins when including WEC competition are tied with Faber and Brian Bowles for the most in the combined history of the two organizations.

Barao’s defensive wrestling inside the UFC octagon has been nothing short of perfect. He’s stuffed 20 of 20 takedown attempts for a defensive rate of 100 percent. He is the first and only fighter in UFC history to defend the first 20 takedowns attempted against him/her under the UFC banner.

Barao’s submission of McDonald at the 3:57 mark of Round 4 at UFC on FUEL TV 7 marks the fifth latest submission in UFC history.

Barao is one of just three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick. He stopped Eddie Wineland with the technique at UFC 165. Barao is the only one of the three to finish a fight by landing a technique to the head.

Barao has been awarded four fight-night bonuses during his UFC career and is tied the second most fight-night bonuses in bantamweight history behind Brad Pickett (five).

Co-main event

Danny Castillo (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will compete in his 19th UFC/WEC lightweight bout and tie Nate Diaz for the fifth most lightweight appearances in the combined history of the two organizations behind Donald Cerrone (24), Gleison Tibau (21), Melvin Guillard (20) and Yves Edwards (20).

Castillo has recorded five knockout victories in UFC/WEC competition and is tied with Edwards and Anthony Njokuani for the third most knockout finishes by any lightweight in the combined history of the two organizations behind Guillard (seven) and B.J. Penn (six).

Castillo has landed 43 takedowns in UFC/WEC lightweight competition, the fourth most in the combined history of the two organizations.

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

Ferguson has earned four of his five UFC victories by first-round stoppage.

Ferguson became the 12th fighter in UFC history to earn a D’Arce/brabo choke submission win when he tapped out Mike Rio at UFC 166. The finish at the 1:52 mark of Round 1 was the quickest of its kind in UFC history.

Ferguson lands 99.4 percent of his significant strikes on the feet, the largest standing strike proportion in UFC lightweight history.

Remaining main card

Bethe Correia’s (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) two victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for the third most in divisional history behind champion Ronda Rousey (four) and Alexis Davis (three).

Correia has earned seven of her eight career victories by decision. Both of her wins under the UFC banner are by decision.

Shayna Baszler (15-8 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has earned 14 of her 15 career victories by submission.

Baszler will compete in her first professional bout since Jan. 5, 2013. Her 602-day layoff from competition is the second longest layoff of her career.

Baszler’s only professional losses in the past five years have come to former UFC title challengers Davis and Sara McMann.

Ramsey Nijem (9-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has earned three of his five UFC victories by decision.

Nijem absorbs just 1.21 significant strikes per minute of fighting, the lowest rate of any lightweight in UFC history with a minimum of five fights.

Nijem’s +2.17 strike differential rate is the second largest margin for any fighter in lightweight UFC history behind T.J. Grant (+2.19)

Nijem lands an average of 5.61 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in his lightweight bouts, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (7.09).

Nijem has completed 57.9 percent of his takedowns in UFC lightweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history among fighters minimum of five UFC bouts and 20 attempts. He has taken down his opponent at least once in all seven of his UFC lightweight bouts.

Nijem has suffered all four of his professional losses by knockout or submission. Three of those stoppages have come in the first round.

Carlos Diego Ferreira (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned three his past four victories by decision after a five-fight submission streak earlier in his career.

Ferreira’s 38-second submission at Colton Smith at UFC Fight Night 44 stands as the fastest finish by a debuting UFC lightweight.

Yancy Medeiros (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) appears on a pay-per-view main card bout despite going winless in his first three UFC appearances.

Medeiros is 0-2 with one no-contest in his past three fights after opening his career with a nine-fight winning streak. He has not recorded a professional victory since June 2010.

Medeiros, 26, is the youngest of the 20 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.

Preliminary card

Derek Brunson (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) owns just two victories in his past five professional bouts.

Brunson’s 48-second submission of Brian Houston at UFC Fight Night 31 stands as the fourth fastest submission in UFC middleweight history.

Lorenz Larkin (14-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) enters the event on the first two-fight losing streak of his professional career. He has lost three of his past four bouts overall.

Larkin has earned his past four victories by decision after a run of seven-straight finishes.

Larkin has never had a professional fight end in a submission – win or lose.

Scott Jorgensen (15-9 MMA, 4-5 UFC) will compete in the 20th bout under the UFC/WEC banner.

Jorgensen is 1-2 since dropping to the UFC flyweight division in December 2013.

Jorgensen has earned just two victories in his past seven UFC appearances.

Jorgensen holds the record for most wins in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition with 10.

Henry Cejudo (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will become the third Olympic gold medalist to enter the octagon, joining Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. He accomplished the feat in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 games.

Cejudo joins the UFC roster just 546 days after his first professional fight.

Anthony Hamilton (12-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) returns to the octagon just 63 days (June 28) after his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 44, where he suffered a first-round submission loss to Alexey Oleinik.

Hamilton, 34, is the oldest of the 20 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.

Ruan Potts (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has earned all eight of his career victories by knockout (four) or submission (four). Six of those stoppages were recorded in the opening round.

Joe Soto (15-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his promotion debut with 14 stoppage victories out of 15 overall wins. He has fought to a decision, win or lose, just once in his professional career.

For more on UFC 177, 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.