UFC Fight Night 120 pre-event facts: Matt Brown matches longtime record in retirement bout

The UFC’s lengthy stretch of events in the fourth quarter of the year continues Saturday with UFC Fight Night 120, which takes place at Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va., and airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

The deep fight card filled with notable names features a key lightweight bout in the main event. Dustin Poirier (21-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC) looks to continue his run of success since returning to the 155-pound division when he takes on former UFC champion Anthony Pettis (20-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in a matchup with high potential for fireworks.

Four other former UFC champions and title challengers are also featured on the card, which marks the organization’s fourth event in Virginia. For more on the numbers behind the event, check below for 80 pre-event facts about UFC Fight Night 120.

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Main event

Dustin Poirier

Poirier is 5-1 (with one no-contest) since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in April 2015.

Poirier’s 13 victories since 2011 in UFC competition are tied for fourth most in the company behind Donald Cerrone (19), Demetrious Johnson (15) and Max Holloway (14).

Poirier’s eight stoppage victories since 2011 in UFC competition are tied for fourth most in the company behind Cerrone (13), Tony Ferguson (nine) and Holloway (nine).

Poirier lands 6.72 significant strikes per minute in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Poirier is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn two or more submission victories by D’Arce choke. Tony Ferguson and Vicente Luque also accomplished the feat.

Anthony Pettis

Pettis makes his fourth UFC main-event appearance. He’s 1-2 in previous headliners.

Pettis was successful in his return to the lightweight division in July after a two-fight stint at featherweight.

Pettis has alternated wins and losses over his past four fights. He was victorious in his most recent bout against Jim Miller at UFC 213.

Pettis has earned 16 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes five of his seven UFC wins.

Pettis is the only fighter in UFC history to win consecutive UFC lightweight title fights by submission.

Pettis’ three knockout victories in UFC/WEC competition stemming from a kick to the head or body are tied for fourth most in combined promotional history behind Cerrone (six), Vitor Belfort (four) and Edson Barboza (four).

Co-main event

Matt Brown

Matt Brown (20-16 MMA, 13-10 UFC) competes in his 24th UFC welterweight bout, tied with Josh Koscheck for most appearances in divisional history.

Brown is 1-5 in his past six bouts after going on a seven-fight UFC winning streak from 2012-2014.

Brown has earned 18 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes 11 of his 13 wins under the UFC banner.

Brown’s 13 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19), Matt Hughes (16), Josh Koscheck (14) and Thiago Alves (14).

Brown’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Hughes for most in divisional history.

Brown’s nine knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown lands 54 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Brown’s 24 submission attempts in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (31).

Diego Sanchez

Diego Sanchez (27-10 MMA, 16-10 UFC) returns to the welterweight division for the first time since February 2012. He’s 9-4 in the weight class under the UFC banner.

Sanchez competes in his 27th UFC bout, tied for the third most appearances in company history behind Michael Bisping (28) and Miller (28).

Sanchez has alternated wins and losses of his past seven UFC appearances. He suffered a loss to Al Iaquinta in his most recent bout at UFC Fight Night 108.

Sanchez is the only active UFC fighter who was a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 1.”

Sanchez is one of two fighters in UFC history to compete in four different weight classes. Kenny Florian also accomplished the feat.

Sanchez has earned his past eight victories by decision. He hasn’t finished an opponent since Luigi Fioravanti at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in June 2008.

Sanchez has fought to a decision 18 times in UFC competition, the most in company history.

Sanchez has absorbed 1,117 total head strikes in his UFC career, the second most among active fighters behind B.J. Penn (1,282) and third most overall in company history behind Penn and Tito Ortiz (1,167).

Sanchez has earned six “Fight of the Night” bonuses in UFC competition, tied for fourth most in company history behind Nate Diaz (eight), Frankie Edgar (seven) and Joe Lauzon (seven).

Remaining main card

Andrei Arlovski

Andrei Arlovski (25-15 MMA, 14-9 UFC) competes in his 24th UFC heavyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Frank Mir (27).

Arlovski enters the event on a five-fight losing skid, the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2015.

Arlovski is 4-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in June 2014.

Arlovski’s 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Mir (16).

Arlovski’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Gabriel Gonzaga for second most in divisional history behind Mir (13).

Andrei Arlovski

Arlovski’s nine knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Cain Velasquez (10).

Arlovski’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Velasquez for second most in divisional history behind Junior Dos Santos (12).

Arlovski’s eight knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are tied with Mir, Gonzaga and Antonio Silva for second most in combined organizational history behind Alistair Overeem (nine).

Arlovski defends 81.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Junior Albini (14-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters the event on a 10-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since August 2012.

Albini has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage.

Nate Marquardt

Nate Marquardt (35-18-2 MMA, 13-11 UFC) competes in his 23rd UFC middleweight bout, tied with Bisping for most appearances in divisional history.

Marquardt is 3-5 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in June 2014. He’s 3-8 in his past 11 bouts overall.

Marquardt’s 13 victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Yushin Okami for third most in divisional history behind Bisping (16) and Anderson Silva (14).

Marquardt’s nine stoppage victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Leben for second most in divisional history behind Silva (11).

Marquardt’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Silva (13).

Nate Marquardt

Marquardt’s four knockdowns landed against Dean Lister at UFC Fight Night 8 stand as the most in a UFC middleweight fight.

Marquardt’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are fourth most in divisional history behind Chris Weidman (36), Rafael Natal (36) and Chael Sonnen (35).

Marquardt’s 18 career losses are the most of any active member of the UFC roster.

Cezar Ferreira (11-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is 3-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in April 2016.

Ferreira completes 69.2 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Raphael Assuncao

Raphael Assuncao (25-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is 9-1 since he dropped to the UFC bantamweight division in August 2011.

Assuncao’s nine victories in UFC bantamweight competition are third most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (11) and Urijah Faber (10).

Assuncao has earned seven of his nine UFC victories by decision.

Assuncao defends 70 of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history behind Vaughan Lee (71.5 percent) and Dominick Cruz (70.9 percent).

Clay Guida (33-17 MMA, 13-11 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC lightweight division at UFC Fight Night 112 in July.

Guida’s 63 takedowns landed in UFC competition are fifth most in company history behind St-Pierre (90), Gleison Tibau (84), Johnson (73) and Edgar (67).

Guida has attempted 172 takedowns during his UFC career, third most in company history behind Demian Maia (223) and Edgar (189).

Joe Lauzon

Joe Lauzon (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC) competes in his 25th UFC lightweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Miller (27) and Tibau (26).

Lauzon’s 14 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for the fourth most in divisional history behind Miller (16), Tibau (16) and Cerrone (15).

Lauzon has alternated wins and losses over his past eight UFC appearances. He lost his most recent bout against Stevie Ray at UFC Fight Night 108.

Lauzon has earned 25 of his 27 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 18 of those wins by submission.

Lauzon’s 12 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Lauzon’s seven submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Diaz for the most in divisional history.

Lauzon’s 29 submission attempts in UFC competition are third most in company history behind Miller (38) and Lytle (31).

Lauzon has been awarded 15 fight-night bonuses during his UFC career, tied with Diaz for most in company history.

Preliminary card

John Dodson

John Dodson (19-8 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is 2-1 since he returned to the UFC bantamweight division in April 2016. He’s 3-1 in the weight class overall.

Dodson’s 37-second knockout of Manny Gamburyan at UFC on FOX 19 stands as the fifth fastest knockout in UFC bantamweight history.

Dodson has suffered all eight of his career losses by decision.

Tatiana Suarez (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since July 8, 2016. The 491-day layoff is the longest of her nearly four-year career.

Suarez earned the first and only D’arce choke submission in UFC women’s competition at the TUF 23 Finale.

Viviane Pereira’s (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) 13-fight MMA winning streak is longest among female UFC fighters.

Pereira has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.

Sage Northcutt

Sage Northcutt (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Northcutt, at 19, became the youngest fighter in UFC history to earn a victory when he defeated Francisco Trevino at UFC 192.

Angela Hill (7-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is 1-1 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February.

Hill is 5-1 since her initial release from the UFC in late 2015.

Hill’s two knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with champ Rose Namajunas for most in divisional history.

Nina Ansaroff (7-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) competes in her just her third bout since November 2014.

Court McGee

Court McGee (18-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is 2-2 since he returned from a nearly two-year layoff in December 2015.

McGee is 4-3 since he dropped to the welterweight division in February 2013.

McGee is one of three fighters in UFC history to land 100-plus significant strikes in a single fight in two separate weight classes. Nam Phan and Valerie Letourneau also accomplished the feat.

Sean Strickland (18-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is 3-2 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in February 2015.

Jake Collier (10-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his five-fight UFC career. He lost his most recent bout against Devin Clark at UFC on FOX 24.

Collier is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the body. He accomplished the feat against Alberto Uda at UFC Fight Night 88.

For more on UFC Fight Night 120, 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.