UFC 205 main card pre-fight facts: McGregor looking for 14th first-round knockout

UFC 205 marks the most significant event of the organization’s 2016 schedule, and unsurprisingly, the deck has been stacked with three championship fights and a number of marquee stars.

From the historic champion vs. champion clash between Eddie Alvarez (28-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Conor McGregor (20-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) to the welterweight title showdown between Tyron Woodley (16-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Stephen Thompson (13-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) to the all-Polish strawweight championship showdown between Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), UFC 205 has a little bit of something for everyone.

Check below for 75 pre-fight facts about UFC 205’s main card, which airs Saturday on pay-per-view from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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Main event

Eddie Alvarez

Alvarez is the only fighter in MMA history to win titles under the UFC and Bellator banners.

Alvarez is 13-2 in his past 15 career fights. The defeats in that stretch came to Donald Cerrone and Michael Chandler.

Alvarez has completed 10 takedowns in UFC competition. He hasn’t been taken down once.

McGregor competes in the lightweight division for the first time in his UFC career. He owns octagon victories at featherweight and welterweight.

McGregor is one of five European-born fighters in UFC history to win an undisputed belt. Michael Bisping, Jedrzejczyk, Bas Rutten and Andrei Arlovski also accomplished the feat.

McGregor competes outside of Europe for the eighth time in his pro career. He’s 6-1 when fighting in the U.S.

Conor McGregor

McGregor has earned 17 of his 20 career victories by knockout. He’s earned 13 of those finishes in the first round.

McGregor is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn five or more consecutive knockouts.

McGregor’s six knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

McGregor’s six knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied with Max Holloway, Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson for most in divisional history.

McGregor’s 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 marked the fastest title-fight stoppage in UFC history.

McGregor is the only fighter in UFC history to earn seven consecutive fight-night bonuses.

McGregor and Nate Diaz combined for 330 significant strikes landed at UFC 202, the second highest single-fight total in UFC history behind Diaz’s UFC 141 bout with Donald Cerrone (334).

Co-main event

Tyron Woodley

Woodley’s three-fight UFC winning streak in welterweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Thompson (seven) and Demian Maia (six).

Woodley has earned five of his six UFC victories by stoppage due to strikes.

Woodley’s five first-round knockouts in UFC competition since 2013 are tied with Stipe Miocic for most among active fighters in the company.

Woodley defends 67.6 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class and third highest overall in divisional history.

Woodley has defended 95 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history and second highest overall in UFC history behind Renan Barao (100 percent).

Thompson’s seven-fight UFC winning streak in welterweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

Thompson has earned five of his eight UFC victories by knockout.

Thompson’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (11), Jake Ellenberger (11) and Robbie Lawler (nine).

Featured bout

Joanna Jedrezejczyk

Jedrzejczyk became the first Polish-born champion in UFC history when she defeated Carla Esparza at UFC 185.

Jedrzejczyk became just the ninth fighter in UFC history to win a championship belt with an undefeated pro record when she won at UFC 185.

Jedrzejczyk’s three consecutive UFC title defenses are second most among current champions behind Demetrious Johnson (eight).

Jedrzejczyk’s competes in her seventh UFC strawweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Jedrzejczyk’s six-fight UFC winning streak in strawweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

Jedrzejczyk’s six victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Jedrzejczyk has earned seven of her 12 career victories by decision. That includes four of her six UFC wins.

Jedrzejczyk’s two stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Paige VanZant (three).

Jedrzejczyk has out-landed her opponents 575-195 in significant strikes over her past four UFC appearances.

Jedrzejczyk’s 220 significant strikes landed against Valerie Letourneau at UFC 193 are a UFC title-fight record.

Jedrzejczyk’s 220 significant strikes landed at UFC 193 are second most in a UFC fight behind Nate Diaz’s 238 significant strikes against Donald Cerrone at UFC 141 in December 2011.

Jedrzejczyk’s 70 leg kicks landed at UFC 193 are the single-fight UFC record.

Jedrzejczyk’s three fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are the most in divisional history.

Jedrzejczyk vs. Kowalkiewicz marks the fifth championship bout in UFC history between two undefeated fighters.

Kowalkiewicz’s three-fight UFC winning streak in strawweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Jedrzejczyk (six).

Kowalkiewicz has all three of her UFC victories by decision. She hasn’t earned a stoppage since May 2014.

Remaining main card

Chris Weidman (13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) competes for the first time since he lost the UFC middleweight title to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194 in December.

Weidman became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.

Weidman’s six stoppage victories in UFC middleweight competition since 2011 are most among active fighters in the weight class.

Weidman has out-struck nine of the 10 opponents he’s faced in UFC competition.

Weidman has completed at least one takedown against all 10 of his UFC opponents.

Weidman averages 3.52 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC middleweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Yoel Romero’s (11-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) seven-fight UFC winning streak in middleweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

Romero has earned nine of his 11 career victories by knockout. That includes five of his seven wins under the UFC banner.

Romero is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a flying-knee strike. He accomplished the feat against Clifford Starks at UFC on FOX 7.

Romero is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn four or more knockout victories in the third round. Former UFC champion Randy Couture, who has five, is the other to accomplish the feat.

Romero is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn back-to-back victories by third-round knockout. He’s accomplished the feat twice in his career.

Romero is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from elbow strikes to the body. He accomplished the feat against Derek Brunson at UFC Fight Night 35.

Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone (31-7 MMA, 18-4 UFC) makes his 33rd UFC/WEC appearance, the most in the combined history of the two organizations.

Cerrone’s 33 appearances in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are fourth most in the combined history of the four organizations behind Wanderlei Silva (40), Dan Henderson (40) and Mirko Filipovic (35).

Cerrone is 3-0 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in February.

Cerrone’s 18 victories in UFC competition are tied with Matt Hughes and Maia for third most in company history behind Bisping (20) and Georges St-Pierre (19).

Cerrone’s 24 victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in the combined history of the four organizations behind W. Silva (27) and Henderson (25).

Cerrone’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC competition are the most in the combined history of the two organizations.

Cerrone’s 16 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are tied for third most in the combined history of the four organizations behind Filipovic (21) and W. Silva (20).

Cerrone has earned all three of his UFC welterweight victories by stoppage.

Cerrone’s 18 UFC/WEC fight-night bonuses are the most in the combined history of the two organizations.

Cerrone’s 13 UFC fight-night bonuses are tied with Anderson Silva for third most in company history behind Diaz (15) and Joe Lauzon (15).

Kelvin Gastelum (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is 1-1 since he returned to the UFC welterweight division in November 2014.

Gastelum has earned four of his seven UFC victories by decision.

Gastelum has suffered both of his career losses by split decision.

Miesha Tate (18-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) competes in her ninth UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Tate’s five victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (six) and Amanda Nunes (six).

Tate has earned four of her five UFC victories by decision.

Tate has completed at least one takedown in 14 of her 16 UFC/Strikeforce appearances.

Tate’s submission of Holly Holm at 3:30 mark of Round 5 at UFC 196 marked the latest submission in a women’s UFC bout.

Tate is the only fighter in combined Strikeforce/UFC/WEC/PRIDE history to come back from being knocked down three times in a fight to finish their opponent. She accomplished the feat against Julie Kedzie at “Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman.”

Tate has suffered five of her six career losses by stoppage. That includes all three of her UFC defeats.

Raquel Pennington (8-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) competes in her eighth UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Tate (nine).

Pennington’s current three-fight winning streak is the longest of her career.

Pennington’s three-fight UFC winning streak in women’s bantamweight competition is tied with Nunes for the second longest active streak in the division behind Julianna Pena (four).

Pennington’s five victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Nunes (six) and Rousey (six).

Pennington’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).

Pennington is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a bulldog-choke submission victory. She accomplished the feat against Ashlee-Evans Smith at UFC 181.

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.