TUF 24 Finale pre-fight facts: Gray Maynard looks to snap record-setting decision run

The final month of the UFC’s loaded 2016 calendar kicks off with The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, which takes place Saturday at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

A flyweight championship fight tops the bill, with the only titleholder in 125-pound history, Demetrious Johnson (24-2-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC), looking to make his ninth consecutive title defense against the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 24: Tournament of Champions,” Tim Elliott (13-6-1 MMA, 2-4 UFC).

Johnson is the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, according to the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA rankings, but he isn’t all the card has to offer. Check below for 40 pre-fight facts about the TUF 24 Finale.

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Main event

Johnson owns or is on the verge of owning several flyweight and overall UFC records, all of which can be viewed on his complete UFC career stat sheet.

Tim Elliott

Elliott returns to the UFC for a second stint after he was released from the promotion following a loss at UFC 172 in April 2014.

Elliott has suffered three consecutive losses in UFC competition. He hasn’t earned an octagon victory since August 2013.

Elliott is 3-0 since he was released from the UFC.

Co-main event

Joseph Benavidez

Joseph Benavidez (24-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) competes in his 12th UFC flyweight bout, tied with Johnson for the most appearances in divisional history.

Benavidez’s five-fight UFC winning streak in flyweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Johnson (10).

Benavidez’s nine victories in UFC flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Johnson (10).

Benavidez’s four stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).

Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is one of three Olympic gold medalists to fight in the UFC, along with Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. He accomplished the feat in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Cejudo is the only Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa.

Cejudo is the only Olympic gold medalist to fight for a UFC championship in modern UFC history.

Cejudo has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.

Cejudo has earned his past six victories by decision after he stopped his opponent inside the distance in his first four pro bouts.

Remaining main card

Jake Ellenberger

Jake Ellenberger (31-11 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is just 2-5 in his past seven UFC appearances.

Ellenberger has earned seven of his 10 UFC victories by stoppage.

Ellenberger’s six knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (nine) and Thiago Alves (eight).

Ellenberger’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Alves for most in divisional history.

Ellenberger is one of 18 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 or more knockdowns. His 11 in UFC competition are tied for ninth most in company history.

Ellenberger is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a north-south choke submission victory. He accomplished the feat against Koscheck at UFC 184. Rani Yahya and Jeff Monson have also earned victories with the technique.

Ellenberger defends 86.2 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Tyron Woodley (95.2 percent).

Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal (30-11 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is 2-2 since he returned to the welterweight division in July 2015.

Masvidal has earned five of his seven UFC victories by decision. Fourteen of his past 16 fights have gone to the scorecards.

Masvidal has landed a greater number of significant strikes than his opponent in 12 of his past 14 fights to end in a decision.

Masvidal is one of five fighters in UFC history to finish a bout by submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2. He accomplished the feat against Michael Chiesa at UFC on FOX 8.

Jared Cannonier (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) drops to the UFC light heavyweight division for the first time in his career. He went 1-1 in the organization at heavyweight.

Cannonier has earned seven of his eight career victories by stoppage.

Ion Cutelaba (12-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), 22, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Cutelaba competes in his second UFC bout in a 63-day span. He earned a decision victory over Jonathan Wilson at UFC Fight Night 96.

Alexis Davis (17-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since April 25, 2015. The 588-day layoff is the longest of her nearly 10-year career.

Brandon Moreno (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) competes in his second UFC bout in a 63-day span. He earned a submission victory over Louis Smolka at UFC Fight Night 96.

Moreno has earned 10 of his 12 career victories by stoppage.

Moreno has earned nine of his 10 career stoppage victories by submission.

Moreno’s submission of Smolka at 2:23 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night 96 marked the fastest victory by a debuting flyweight in UFC history.

Preliminary card

Gray Maynard

Gray Maynard (11-6-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC), 37, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Maynard was successful in his UFC featherweight debut when he defeated Fernando Bruno at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale.

Maynard is 2-5-1 in his past eight UFC appearances.

Maynard has earned his past nine UFC victories by decision. He is the first fighter in UFC history to earn nine wins with the organization without a stoppage.

Maynard has suffered five knockdowns in his past five UFC bouts.

Maynard’s nine-second knockout of Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 stands as the fastest knockout in UFC lightweight history.

Josh Stansbury (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters the event on an eight-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a pro defeat since November 2009.

Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith (24-12 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is 1-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February.

Smith has earned 22 of his 25 career victories by stoppage.

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, 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.