UFC Fight Night 44 pre-fight facts: Swanson’s resume among best at featherweight

If you don’t get your fix of UFC action from UFC Fight Night 43 on Saturday morning in New Zealand, the organization has you covered with UFC Fight Night 44 later in the day.

The second half of the weekend doubleheader takes place stateside. The octagon will set up in Texas for the second time since March, this time at San Antonio’s AT&T Center for the FOX Sports 1-televised event.

A high-stakes featherweight bout takes center stage at the event as Cub Swanson (20-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Jeremy Stephens (23-9 MMA, 10-8 UFC) clash in the main event with the winner likely to receive a title shot at 145 pounds.

Both headliners have stood out in the UFC when fighting at featherweight, and each just neede one more victory to achieve the ultimate dream of fighting for UFC gold.

For the numbers behind the main event, as well as the other 10 bouts slated for the UFC’s debut in San Antonio, here are 40 pre-fight facts about UFC Fight Night 44.

MAIN EVENT

Swanson will compete in the 14th bout of his UFC/WEC featherweight career, tying Jose Aldo and Leonard Garcia for the most 145-pound appearances in the combined history of the two organizations.

Swanson’s five-fight UFC winning streak is tied for the third longest active streak in the featherweight division behind champion Jose Aldo (six) and Dennis Bermudez (six).

Swanson’s nine career victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the third most in divisional history behind Aldo (14) and Chad Mendes (11).

Swanson’s six knockout or submission victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the third most in history behind Aldo (nine) and Urijah Faber (seven). His four finishes under the UFC banner alone are tied for the second most ever behind Dustin Poirier (five).

Swanson’s four knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are tied with Mendes for the most in history. They’re also tied with Mendes for the second most in UFC/WEC featherweight history behind Aldo (nine).

Swanson’s 57.1 percent takedown accuracy is the second highest in UFC/WEC featherweight history, ranking behind only Mendes’ 59.7 percent accuracy among fighters with at least five bouts and 20 takedown attempts. Swanson is 7-1 in UFC/WEC competition when he lands at least one takedown.

Swanson has been awarded six fight-night bonuses in his UFC/WEC career, the second most of any featherweight ever behind Faber (seven).

Swanson’s only losses since 2004 have come to former UFC/WEC champions or title challengers in Ricardo Lamas, Mendes, Aldo and Jens Pulver.

Stephens is undefeated in three fights since dropping to the UFC featherweight division after spending his first 15 fights with the organization as a lightweight.

Stephens’ four knockout victories during his UFC lightweight career stand as the fourth most in divisional history behind Melvin Guillard (seven), B.J. Penn (six) and Yves Edwards (five).

Stephens enjoys an 8:1 knockdown ratio in UFC competition.

Stephens’ head-kick knockout victory against Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night 32 is the only finish of its kind in UFC featherweight history. And, in just 40 seconds, it’s the fifth fastest knockout in UFC/WEC featherweight history.

CO-MAIN EVENT

Kelvin Gastelum (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), with a victory, can become the first winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show franchise to start his UFC career with a 4-0 record since Season 8 winner Ryan Bader.

Gastelum has earned two of his three UFC victories by split decision.

Nicholas Muoke (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned victories in the UFC middleweight and welterweight divisions in his first two appearances with the promotion.

Musoke enters the event on a career-high nine-fight undefeated streak.

REMAINING MAIN CARD

Cezar Ferreira’s (7-3 MMA 3-1 UFC) 47-second submission win over Thiago Santos at UFC 163 is the fourth fastest in UFC middleweight history. Rory Singer holds the record with his 44-second finish of Ross Pointon at the TUF 3 Finale.

Andrew Craig‘s (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) three UFC victories come against opponents with a combined 39 fights of experience with the organization.

Craig defeated Rafael Natal at UFC on FUEL TV 4 despite finishing with 50 fewer significant strikes landed. Craig’s -50 significant strike differential is the second largest margin ever in a UFC fight featuring a come-from-behind finish. Anderson Silva leads the category for his fifth-round submission of Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, which featured a -60 differential.

Ricardo Lamas (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is 4-1 since dropping to the featherweight division.

Lamas is 5-1 in UFC/WEC competition when he lands at least one takedown.

Lamas absorbs just 1.95 significant strikes per minute of the fighting, the third least of any featherweight in UFC history with at least five bouts behind Rani Yahya (1.05) and Mendes (1.65).

Lamas has committed to 12 submission attempts in UFC/WEC competition. Of those 12 attempts, eight have been guillotine chokes.

Clint Hester’s (10-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the middleweight division behind champion Chris Weidman (seven), Yoel Romero (4) and Vitor Belfort (4).

Hester is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a standing elbow strike.

Joe Ellenberger (14-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), twin brother of UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger, makes his octagon debut at the event and marks the 16th pair of siblings to compete under the UFC banner.

Ellenberger has earned 12 of his 14 professional victories by knockout (eight) or submission (four).

James Moontasri (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut as an injury replacement on just 10 days’ notice.

Moontasri will serve as the fourth scheduled opponent for Ellenberger. Frank Trevino, Johnny Case and Bryan Barberena all withdrew from the contest due to injury.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Colton Smith (3-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is the first winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series to suffer two consecutive losses after winning the finale. The 26-year-old is 1-3 in his past four fights overall.

Johnny Bedford’s (19-10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) two knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind champion T.J. Dillashaw (three).

Bedford has suffered 10 of his 11 professional losses by submission.

Cody Gibson (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has served as an injury replacement in both of his UFC appearances.

Marcelo Guimaraes (8-1-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) returns to the cage for the first time since a knockout loss to Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC on FUEL TV 8 in March 2013.

Andy Enz (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) drops to the welterweight division after suffering a decision loss at 185 pounds to Hester at UFC 169.

Ray Borg (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), 20, is the youngest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete on the card. He is also the youngest active fighter in the UFC flyweight division.

Shane Howell (13-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut as an injury replacement on just 10 days’ notice.

Alexey Oleinik (48-9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) makes his promotional debut on the heels of a first-round submission victory over UFC veteran Mirko Filipovic.

Oleinik has earned 39 of his 48 professional victories by submission with 33 of those stoppages coming in the first round.

Anthony Hamilton (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his debut on a career-high six-fight winning streak. He has stopped his opponent by knockout or submission in five of those victories.

For more on UFC Fight Night 44, stay tuned to 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.