UFC Fight Night 41 pre-fight facts: Munoz looks to rebound from main event shutout

It has been nearly four years since the octagon last set up in Germany, but on Saturday night the UFC finally returns to the European country with UFC Fight Night 41 from Berlin’s 02 World Arena.

The last event in Germany saw a middleweight contenders matchup in the main event and this fight card will be no different, as Mark Munoz (13-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) looks to avoid the first losing streak of his career against former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi (34-4-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who is eager to rebound from his first UFC defeat.

Munoz vs. Mousasi won’t be the only 185-pound matchup of significance on the card, though. The entire event streams on UFC Fight Pass, however, three of the four main card contests are set to take place in the middleweight division.

To dig into the numbers behind those matchups as well as several others on the card, check out 35 pre-fight facts about UFC Fight Night 41.

MAIN EVENT

Munoz, 36, is the oldest of the 20 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Munoz will compete in the fourth main event of his UFC career. To date, he is 1-2 in those contests.

Munoz has alternated wins and losses over his past four UFC bouts. He was defeated in his most recent contest.

Munoz became the fifth fighter in UFC history to record zero strikes landed in a main-event fight when he suffered a knockout loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC Fight Night 30. The 36-year-old was 0-3 in total strikes.

Munoz has connected with 51 percent of his significant strike attempts, the fourth highest striking accuracy among active middleweights (minimum of five fights and 350 significant strike attempts).

Munoz lands 44.9 percent of his significant strikes on the ground, the third largest proportion in UFC middleweight history. Chael Sonnen leads the category at 52.3 percent (minimum of 350 significant ground strikes attempted).

Munoz landed 52 significant ground strikes against Tim Boestch at UFC 162, which is the third most ever landed in a UFC middleweight contest. His 160 significant ground strikes landed in his UFC career are the third most in 185-pound history.

Munoz averages 9.34 takedown attempts per 15 minutes of fighting, the highest average among active middleweights and fourth highest in middleweight history (minimum of five UFC fights). His 66 takedown attempts at middleweight are the fourth most in divisional history.

Mousasi will compete in the third main event of his UFC career. All of his bouts with the organization have been event headliners, where is 1-1 to date.

Mousasi has earned 29 of his 34 professional victories by knockout or submission, with 26 of those stoppages coming in the first round. “The Dreamcatcher” has never been finished with strikes in his MMA career.

Mousasi’s knockout of Renato Sobral at the 1:00 mark of Round 1 under the Strikeforce banner was the second fastest finish in a Strikeforce championship fight, bested only by Ronda Rousey’s 54-second armbar of Sarah Kaufman.

Mousasi has landed 15 of his 25 takedown attempts over his past 16 bouts, that’s good for a 60 percent takedown accuracy.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Francis Carmont’s (22-8 MMA, 6-1 UFC) 80 percent takedown defense rate is the highest among active UFC middleweights and third highest in middleweight history (minimum of five UFC fights and 20 opponent takedown attempts).

Carmont’s absorbs just 1.3 significant strikes per minute of fighting, the third lowest rate in middleweight history and eighth lowest rate of any fighter in UFC history with at least five bouts.

C.B. Dollaway (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) 26 takedowns landed in UFC competition are the fifth most in middleweight history behind Chael Sonnen (35), Ed Herman (30), Yushin Okami (27) and Nate Marquardt (27).

Dollaway lands 3.97 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting, the third highest rate among active middleweights and fourth highest in middleweight history (minimum of five fights).

Dollaway is an accurate takedown artist. He’s connected with 53.1 percent of his attempts, the second highest takedown accuracy among active middleweights and fifth highest in divisional history (minimum of five fights and 20 attempt). Oppositely, Dollaway’s opponents have had few opportunities to take him down, and they’ve largely proven unsuccessful. He’s stuffed 12 of 14 opponent attempts for a takedown defense of 85.7 percent, over 26 percentage points higher than the UFC average of 59 percent.

Dollaway’s Peruvian necktie submission victory over Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 14 is the only submission of its kind in UFC history.

REMAINING MAIN CARD

Luke Barnatt’s (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the middleweight division behind champ Chris Weidman (seven), Vitor Belfort (four) and Yoel Romero (four).

Barnatt’s 113 significant strikes landed at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale are the fourth most ever landed by a debuting UFC fighter. Jessamyn Duke’s 123 significant strikes at the TUF 18 Finale lead the category. Barnatt and TUF 17 Finale opponent Collin Hart combined for 208 significant strikes landed, a UFC middleweight record.

Tom Niinimaki (21-5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters the event on a career-high 12-fight winning streak.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Magnus Cedenblad’s (11-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) submission of Jared Hamman at 0:57 of Round 1 at UFC 164 stands as the sixth fastest submission in UFC middleweight history.

Yuri Alcantara (29-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) improved to 2-1 with one no-contest since dropping to the UFC bantamweight division.

Alcantara has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.

Vaughan Lee (14-9-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses through his six-fight UFC career. The 31-year-old was victorious in his most recent fight, outpointing Nam Phan en route to a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 36.

Lee’s 142 significant strikes vs. Phan stand as the third most ever landed in a UFC/WEC bantamweight fight.

Lee has landed 46.2 percent of his strike attempts, the fourth highest accuracy in UFC/WEC bantamweight history. Oppositely, Lee avoids 72 percent of his opponents’ strike attempts, the fifth highest defense rate in UFC/WEC bantamweight history (minimum of five fights and 350 significant strike attempts).

Lee’s takedown defense rate of 72.7 percent is the fifth highest in UFC/WEC bantamweight history (minimum of 5 fights and 20 opponent attempts).

Peter Sobotta (13-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since November 2010 after a three-fight losing streak caused him to be cut from the organization. Since his UFC release, Sobotta is 5-0-1 in MMA competition.

Sobotta has earned all five of the victories since his UFC release by first-round rear-naked choke submission in 7:50 of total fight time.

Maximo Blanco (9-6-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) enters the event with just one victory in his past five UFC/Strikeforce appearances. He is currently on the second two-fight losing streak of his career.

Andy Ogle (9-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) enters the event on the first two-fight losing streak of his MMA career. Overall, “The Little Axe” has dropped three of his past four fights.

Ruslan Magomedov (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who makes his debut at the event, holds career victories over former UFC heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia and Ricco Rodriguez.

Viktor Pesta (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 20 fighters schedule to compete on the card.

For more on UFC Fight Night 41, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.