UFC 205 preliminary-card pre-fight facts: Khabib Nurmagomedov looks to extend epic winning streak

UFC 205 is hands down the most stacked event in UFC history – so much so that the preliminary card for Saturday’s event, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, is worthy of its own pre-fight facts showcase.

The UFC 205 prelims feature two former champions and two former title challengers. Featherweight contenders and two longtime UFC staples are in the featured slot as ex-lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (20-5-1 MMA, 14-5-1 UFC) takes on Jeremy Stephens (25-12 MMA, 12-11 UFC).

Check below for 45 pre-fight facts about the UFC 205 preliminary card.

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Featured FS1 prelims

Frankie Edgar

Edgar is 5-2 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in February 2013.

Edgar’s total fight time of 6:02:49 in UFC competition is the most in company history. He is the only fighter to log more than six of hours of UFC fight time.

Edgar has earned three of his five UFC featherweight victories by stoppage.

Edgar’s 61 takedowns landed in UFC competition are tied with Clay Guida for third most in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (87) and Gleison Tibau (84).

Edgar is the only fighter in UFC/WEC history to take down Jose Aldo more than once in a fight.

Edgar’s 1,266 significant strikes landed in UFC competition are second most in company history behind Michael Bisping (1,533)

Edgar has landed 60 or more significant strikes against his opponent in 12 of his past 13 UFC contests.

Edgar’s 259 total strikes landed against Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night 57 are the most ever in a UFC/WEC featherweight contest.

Edgar’s submission of Swanson at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 stands as the second-latest stoppage in a UFC bout. Flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson holds the record with his fifth-round finish (4:59) of Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186.

Edgar is one of two fighters in UFC history to defeat a single opponent on three separate occasions inside the octagon. He did so against B.J. Penn. Tito Ortiz, who defeated Ken Shamrock three times, is the other to accomplish the feat.

Edgar is the only fighter in UFC history to suffer three knockdowns in a single round and not lose the fight. The feat occurred in his UFC 125 draw with Gray Maynard.

Edgar has suffered all five of his career losses by decision.

Jeremy Stephens

Stephens is 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in May 2013.

Stephens is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn 11 victories and suffer 11 defeats inside the octagon. Ortiz, Guida and Frank Mir are the others.

Stephens is one of three fighters in UFC featherweight history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a head kick. He accomplished the feat against Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night 32.

Other FS1 prelims

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s (23-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) 23-fight MMA winning streak is the longest among active UFC fighters.

Nurmagomedov’s six-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is the third longest active streak in the division behind Tony Ferguson (nine) and Francisco Trinaldo (seven).

Nurmagomedov’s seven-fight UFC winning streak in UFC competition is tied with Trinaldo for the fifth longest active streak in the company Jon Jones (13), D. Johnson (10), Ferguson (nine) and Max Holloway (nine)

Nurmagomedov’s 21 takedowns landed against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160 are a single-fight UFC record.

Nurmagomedov takedown rate of 6.71 per 15 minutes of fighting is second highest in UFC history behind Patrick Cummins (6.87).

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson (17-10 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Johnson’s nine knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Melvin Guillard (13).

Rashad Evans (19-5-1 MMA, 14-5-1 UFC) drops to the UFC middleweight division for the first time in his career. He competed previously in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.

Evans leaves the light-heavyweight division with a total fight time of 4:02:43, the most in divisional history.

Rashad Evans

Evans enters the event on the first two-fight losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since November 2013.

Evans competes in a non-main or co-main-event bout for just the third time in 21 UFC appearances.

Evans’ 13 victories UFC light-heavyweight competition are tied with Chuck Liddell for third most in divisional history behind Jon Jones (15) and Ryan Bader (14).

Evans’ 50 takedowns landed in UFC light-heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Evans’ four split-decision victories in UFC competition are tied with John Howard for second most in company history behind Tibau (five).

Tim Kennedy

Tim Kennedy (18-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 27, 2014. The 777-day layoff is his longest since 2003.

Kennedy has earned 14 of his 18 career victories by stoppage.

Rafael Natal (22-6-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) has earned seven of his nine UFC victories by decision.

Natal’s 36 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are most in divisional history.

Tim Boetsch (19-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) is 3-6 in his past nine UFC appearances.

UFC Fight Pass prelims

Jim Miller

Jim Miller (27-8 MMA, 16-7 UFC) competes in his 25th UFC lightweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Tibau (26)

Miller’s 16 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Tibau for the most in divisional history.

Miller’s nine stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (12).

Miller’s six submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Lauzon (seven) and Nate Diaz (seven).

Miller’s 35 submission attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.

Thiago Alves

Thiago Alves (21-10 MMA, 13-7 UFC) drops to the UFC lightweight division for the first time in his career. He’s previously competed with the promotion only at welterweight and heavier.

Alves’ 11 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Alves has landed 249 total leg kicks in his UFC career, the second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (278).

Alves’ 52 leg kicks landed against Seth Baczynski at UFC on FOX 11 are the second most landed in a three-round UFC fight. Benson Henderson, who landed 53 kicks against Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 59, holds the single-fight record.

Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all of his career stoppage victories by knockout.

Vicente Luque’s (10-5-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak in welterweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Stephen Thompson (seven) and Demian Maia (six).

Luque has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins.

Luque is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat against Hayder Hassan at UFC on FOX 17.

For more on UFC 205, check out 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.