UFC on FOX 9 preview: 60 pre-fight facts for ‘Johnson vs. Benavidez II’

The UFC returns to network television for the ninth time when “UFC on FOX 9: Johnson vs. Benavidez II” takes place Saturday at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.

After an originally scheduled headliner of lightweight champion Anthony Pettis vs. Josh Thomson was scrapped, the organization rescheduled a flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) and Joseph Benavidez (19-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) to take its place.

The switch in location is advantageous for the challenger. The fight does down in the backyard of Benavidez’s training camp, Team Alpha Male, and several of his teammates are also on the card.

Entering hostile territory is no concern for the champ, though. “Mighty Mouse” looks to turn away Benavidez for a second time in a rematch of their UFC 152 battle, which saw Johnson walk away with the inaugural UFC 125-pound belt.

When it comes to elite flyweight fighters, they don’t get much more talented than these two, who in a combined 43 professional fights have never suffered a knockout or submission loss.

The flyweight title fight caps off a night of fights devoted to the lighter weight classes. With 11 bouts currently scheduled, not a single fight will be contested any heavier than the welterweight division. That means high-paced action should be a trend throughout the evening.

The event is just days away, and with the help of FightMetric research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll, here are 60 pre-fight facts about UFC on FOX 9.

MAIN EVENT

Johnson’s four UFC flyweight victories are tied for the most in divisional history.

Johnson’s average fight time of 19:50 is the longest in UFC history.

Johnson’s 436 significant strikes landed in UFC flyweight competition are a divisional record. His 597 total strikes landed are the second most in flyweight history behind Tim Elliott (612).

Johnson’s 73 significant clinch strikes landed against John Dodson at UFC on FOX 6 stand as a single-fight UFC record.

Johnson’s submission of John Moraga at 3:43 of Round 5 at UFC on FOX 8 is the latest stoppage ever recorded in a UFC fight. It was also just the fourth fifth-round finish in organizational history.

Johnson’s 12 takedowns landed against Moraga were the most ever in a UFC fight without a single failed attempt.

Johnson is one of two fighters in UFC history to record 10 or more takedowns in two separate bouts. The other is welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.

Johnson has completed 40 takedowns in his eight UFC bantamweight and flyweight appearances, the most of any fighter competing at 135 pounds or lighter.

Benavidez’s four UFC flyweight victories are tied for the most in divisional history.
Benavidez is one of two fighters in UFC flyweight history to record three knockout victories (John Lineker).

Benavidez is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from body strikes (Rich Franklin, Melvin Guillard and Lineker). He is the only fighter to accomplish the feat in back-to-back fights.

Benavidez attempts 11.9 significant strikes per minute of fighting, the second highest output rate among UFC flyweights behind Lineker (16.1).

CO-MAIN EVENT

Urijah Faber (29-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has never been defeated in a non-title MMA bout.

Faber’s three-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest in the bantamweight division behind Raphael Assuncao (five) and Renan Barao (six).

Faber’s average fight time of 15:37 is the longest in UFC bantamweight history. He owns the second most total fight time in the division’s history (1:49:17).

Faber’s 359 significant strikes landed are the fourth most in UFC bantamweight history. On the flip side, “The California Kid” has the fourth highest significant strike defense rate in UFC 135-pound history (67.3 percent).

Faber has earned 16 career submission victories, with 14 of them coming by rear-naked or guillotine choke. His 10 submission victories in UFC/WEC competition are tied with Nate Diaz for most in the modern era. Only Royce Gracie (11) has more in UFC/WEC history.

Faber’s four submission wins at bantamweight are tied for the most in UFC/WEC history.

Faber’s 10 fight-night bonuses under the UFC/WEC banners are tied for the third most in the combined history of the two promotions.

Faber’s five successful title defenses under the now-defunct WEC banner are the most in the history of the organization.

Michael McDonald‘s (16-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) six knockdowns landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Eddie Wineland for the most in divisional history.

McDonald’s three UFC knockout or submission finishes are tied for the most in bantamweight history.

McDonald’s 43.2 percent significant strike accuracy ranks fourth in UFC bantamweight history.

McDonald’s four career fight-night bonuses are the second most among UFC bantamweight fighters.

REMAINING MAIN CARD

Chad Mendes‘ (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak is the fourth longest in the featherweight division behind Dennis Bermudez, Cub Swanson and Jose Aldo, who have each won five in a row.

Mendes’ average fight time of 7:00 is the second shortest in UFC featherweight history behind Daniel Pineda (6:05).

Mendes’ 10 UFC/WEC victories are tied for the second most in the combined history of the two promotions behind Aldo (13).

Mendes is the only fighter in UFC featherweight history to record four straight knockout victories. He is just one of six fighters in UFC history to accomplish the feat.

Mendes’ four knockdowns in UFC featherweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history.

Mendes’ 49.7 percent significant strike accuracy is the highest in UFC/WEC featherweight history. His plus-26.3 percent strike accuracy differential rate is the best in featherweight history.

Mendes’ 30 takedowns landed in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are a divisional record. His 57.7 percent takedown accuracy and average of 4.67 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting are both UFC featherweight records. Mendes himself has never been taken down in a UFC or WEC contest.

Nik Lentz (24-5-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) is undefeated in three fights since dropping to the UFC featherweight division in August 2012.

Lentz will fight on a UFC main card for the first time in his 13th appearance with the promotion.

Lentz has landed two or more takedowns against 10 of his 12 UFC opponents. “The Carny” has landed a total of 45 takedowns throughout his octagon career.

Lentz’s 13 guillotine-choke submission attempts in UFC competition are the third most in organizational history.

Lentz’s 205 total strikes landed against Diego Nunes at UFC on FX 7 were the third most ever in a single UFC/WEC featherweight fight.

Joe Lauzon‘s (22-9 MMA, 9-6 UFC) 12 career fight-night bonuses are tied with Anderson Silva for the most in UFC history.

Lauzon has finished his opponent in all 22 of his career victories with 18 by submission. He has only fought to a decision three times in his 31-fight career and has never won a fight that has gone the distance.

Mac Danzig (21-11-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) is one of two active “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show winners with a sub-.500 UFC record. The other is Jonathan Brookins (13-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

Danzig enters the event with a 3-7 record in his past 10 UFC fights.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Court McGee (16-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is undefeated in two fights since dropping to the UFC welterweight division in February.

McGee’s 5.93 strikes landed per minute is the fourth highest output rate of any fighter in UFC history.
McGee is one of two fighters in UFC history to land 100-plus significant strikes in back-to-back fights (the other is Nick Diaz). McGee accomplished the feat at UFC 149 and UFC 157.

McGee is one of two fighters in UFC history to land 100-plus significant strikes in a single fight in two separate weight classes. The other is Nam Phan.

McGee’s 166 significant strikes landed against Josh Neer at UFC 157 are the fifth most ever landed by a single fighter in a UFC bout.

Ryan LaFlare (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will compete in his second UFC fight in a 35-day span after defeating Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night 32 on Nov. 6.

LaFlare is 3-0 in MMA competition since returning from a 2.5-year layoff in January.

Edson Barboza (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two knockouts stemming from leg kicks.

Danny Castillo (16-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) owns six UFC victories; however, only one comes over a fighter still signed to the promotion.

Bobby Green (21-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will compete in his second UFC fight in a 38-day span after defeating James Krause at UFC Fight Night 31 on Nov. 6.

Green’s submission of Jacob Volkmann at 4:25 of Round 3 at UFC 156 stands as the third latest submission in UFC lightweight history.

Pat Healy‘s (29-17 MMA, 0-2 UFC) 28 completed takedowns under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner are the most in the promotion’s existence.

Healy’s seven victories in the Strikeforce lightweight division are the third most in history behind former champions Josh Thomson (10) and Gilbert Melendez (11).

Healy’s 12 submission attempts in Strikeforce competition are the third most in organizational history.

Scott Jorgensen (14-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC), No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA bantamweight rankings, makes his flyweight debut after 16 UFC/WEC bantamweight fights.

Jorgensen makes his flyweight debut with a 1-3 record in his past four UFC appearances.

Jorgensen’s 10 UFC/WEC bantamweight victories are the most in the combined history of the two promotions.

Zach Makovsky (16-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), former Bellator MMA bantamweight champion, fills in as an injury replacement for John Dodson on just 10 days’ notice.

Makovsky defeated Matt Manzanares by decision in a five-round title fight at RFA 11 on Nov. 22, just 22 days before UFC on FOX 9.

Sam Stout‘s (19-9-1 MMA, 8-8 UFC) 13 UFC fights to end in a decision are tied with Jon Fitch for the most in UFC history. “Hands of Stone” has earned seven of his eight UFC wins by decision.

Stout holds the UFC lightweight record for significant strikes landed with 911. His number of significant strikes landed rank third overall in UFC history.

Cody McKenzie (14-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returns to the UFC lightweight division after a two-fight stint at featherweight.

McKenzie has submitted his opponent in 12 of his 14 career victories, all by first-round guillotine choke.

Abel Trujillo (10-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Roger Bowling (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will have a rematch of their UFC Fight Night 27 contest that ended in a no-contest after Trujillo landed an accidental knee to the head of his grounded opponent.

For the latest on UFC on FOX 9, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.