Henry Cejudo
The UFC’s final network television event of the year takes place Saturday, as UFC on FOX 13 takes place at Phoenix’s U.S. Airways Center.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos (16-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) returns to the octagon from a career-long layoff in the main event and will look to remind the world why he’s No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA heavyweight rankings when he meets No. 8 Stipe Miocic (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
The four-fight main card features eight fighters with a combined 82 UFC appearances (69 victories). Each have already achieved some notable feats inside the octagon, but will looks to add to their resumes on the FOX platform.
Check below for 90 pre-fight facts about UFC on FOX 13.
Main event
Junior Dos Santos
Dos Santos returns to the octagon after a 419-day layoff, his longest break from competition dating back to his July 2006 debut.
Dos Santos’ seven knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the third most in divisional history behind champion Cain Velasquez (nine) and Andrei Arlovski (eight).
Dos Santos’ 11 knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history and fifth overall in company history.
Dos Santos has landed 585 significant strikes in UFC heavyweight competition, tied with Tim Sylvia for the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos’ takedown defense rate of 76.2 percent is the third highest among active heavyweights behind Arlovski (88.4 percent) and Mark Hunt (85.3 percent).
Stipe Miocic
Miocic’s three-fight UFC winning streak is the fourth longest active streak in the heavyweight division behind interim champ Fabricio Werdum (five), Arlovski (five) and Velasquez (four).
Miocic’s averages 5.26 significant strikes per minute of fighting, the third highest rate in heavyweight history behind Velasquez (6.21) and Alistair Overeem (5.63).
Miocic’s significant strike defense rate of 64.2 percent ranks fourth in heavyweight history behind Jon Madsen (81.4 percent), Matt Mitrione (66.8 percent) and Arlovski (64.9 percent).
Miocic lands 42.9 percent of his takedown attempts, the fourth highest accuracy rate among active heavyweights.
Miocic is one of four fighters in modern UFC heavyweight history to record two knockout victories in less than one minute each. He accomplished the feat against Fabio Maldonado at the TUF Brazil 3 Finale and Philip De Fries at UFC on FUEL TV 1.
Co-main event
Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael dos Anjos (22-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) is 7-1 in his past eight UFC appearances with the lone defeat in that stretch coming to USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie’s No. 3-ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dos Anjos will compete in his 17th UFC lightweight bout, tied for the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Gleison Tibau (22), Melvin Guillard (20) and Yves Edwards (20).
Dos Anjos’ 11 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for the fourth most in divisional history behind Tibau (15), Jim Miller (13) and Donald Cerrone (12).
Dos Anjos has attempted 12 submissions during his UFC career. Of those, nine were either armbar or shoulder locks. Those nine armbar or shoulder lock attempts are the fourth most in UFC history.
Dos Anjos has earned four his past six UFC victories by decision. He has earned six of his 11 wins with the promotion overall by taking his opponent the distance.
Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz (17-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) returns to the octagon after a 378-day layoff, his longest break from competition dating back to his October 2004 debut.
Diaz has earned eight stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition, tied for the third most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (10) and B.J. Penn (nine).
Diaz’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC lightweight competition are the second most in combined divisional history behind Cerrone (12).
Diaz’s 238 significant strikes landed against Cerrone at UFC 141 stand as the single-fight UFC record.
Diaz’s seven submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for the most in divisional history. His nine submission wins in UFC/WEC lightweight competition are the most in the combined history of the weight class.
Diaz’s eight submission victories are tied with Kenny Florian and Frank Mir for the most by any fighter in modern UFC history.
Diaz has attempted 21 submissions in UFC lightweight competition, the fourth most in divisional history behind Miller (31), Lauzon (26) and Hermes Franca (22).
Diaz is one of two modern era fighters to earn four consecutive UFC submission victories. Demian Maia is the other to accomplish the feat, and he extended his streak to five.
Diaz has been awarded 10 fight-night bonuses in his UFC lightweight career, tied for second most in divisional history behind Lauzon (13).
Diaz’s 11 post-fight bonuses are the third most in UFC history behind Lauzon (13) and Anderson Silva (12).
Remaining main card
Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem (37-14, 2-3 UFC) enters the event with just one victory in his past four UFC appearances.
Overeem has suffered nine career losses by knockout, the most of any active UFC fighter.
Overeem has finished his opponent in all but three of his 37 victories. Of his 15 career knockout wins, 11 have stemmed from either a kick or knee strike.
Overeem averages 5.63 strikes landed per minute of fighting, the second highest rate in heavyweight history behind Velasquez (6.21).
Overeem’s strike differential rate of +3.85 in UFC heavyweight competition is the second highest in divisional history behind Velasquez (+4.52).
Overeem absorbs just 1.78 significant strikes per minute of fighting, the second lowest rate among active heavyweights behind Velasquez (1.69).
Overeem enjoys a career takedown defense proficiency of 76 percent (UFC average is 59 percent). Since his departure from PRIDE in 2007, he’s successfully defended 21 of his opponents’ 24 takedown attempts.
Overeem has been on the losing end of the third and fourth largest statistical comeback finishes in UFC heavyweight history. He out-landed Antonio Silva by 30 significant strikes before being knocked out at UFC 156 and out-landed Travis Browne by 27 significant strikes before his demise at UFC Fight Night 26.
Stefan Struve
Stefan Struve (25-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC), 26, is the second youngest active fighter in the UFC heavyweight division behind 23-year-old Viktor Pesta.
Struve will compete in his 14th UFC heavyweight bout, the fifth most of any fighter in divisional history behind Mir (23), Cheick Kongo (18), Gabriel Gonzaga (18) and Arlovski (16).
Struve’s eight finishes in heavyweight competition are tied for the fifth most in divisional history behind Mir (11), Gonzaga (11), Arlovski (10) and Velasquez (nine).
Struve’s four submission victories in heavyweight competition are tied with Gonzaga for the second most in divisional history behind Mir (eight).
Struve has attempted 19 submissions in UFC heavyweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Mir (21). His 3.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes of fighting are the most in divisional history.
Struve has been awarded five fight-night bonuses in his UFC career, the second most of any heavyweight in company history behind Nelson (six).
Struve has suffered all four of his UFC losses by knockout.
Matt Mitrione
Matt Mitrione (8-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is one of two active UFC fighters to have fought all of his professional bouts with the organization. Welterweight Amir Sadollah is the other.
Mitrione is 3-3 in his past six fights after starting his UFC career on a 5-0 run.
Mitrione’s seven knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the third most in divisional history behind Velasquez (nine) and Arlovski (eight).
Mitrione’s seven knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the fourth most among active heavyweights behind Dos Santos (11), Velasquez (nine) and Arlovski (eight).
Mitrione’s significant strike defense rate of 66.7 percent is the second in UFC heavyweight history and highest among active fighters in the division. His 50.7 percent significant strike accuracy rates third best among active heavyweights.
Gabriel Gonzaga
Gabriel Gonzaga (16-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) will compete in his 19th UFC heavyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Mir (23).
Gonzaga’s average fight time of 5:41 in UFC heavyweight competition is shortest among active fighters and fourth shortest in divisional history.
Gonzaga’s 11 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the third most in divisional history behind Mir (14) and Arlovski (12).
Gonzaga’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Mir for the most in divisional history.
Gonzaga’s seven knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the fourth most in divisional history behind Velasquez (nine), Dos Santos (eight) and Arlovski (eight).
Gonzaga’s 17-second knockout of Dave Herman at UFC 162 stands as the third fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.
Gonzaga’s four submission victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind Mir (eight).
Gonzaga has attempted 10 submissions in UFC heavyweight competition, tied for the third most in divisional history behind Mir (21) and Struve (19).
Preliminary card
John Moraga
John Moraga (14-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will compete in his seventh UFC flyweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind champion Demetrious Johnson (eight) and Joseph Benavidez (eight).
Moraga has alternated wins and losses over his past five UFC appearances.
Moraga’s three stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for the third most in divisional history behind Benavidez (four) and John Lineker (four).
Moraga’s two submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Johnson for the most in divisional history.
Moraga is one of 12 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from standing elbow strikes. He accomplished the feat against Ulysses Gomez at UFC on FOX 4.
Moraga was the first fighter in UFC flyweight history to be stopped between rounds when John Dodson defeated him by TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at UFC Fight Night 42.
Willie Gates (11-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut on a five-fight winning streak. He earned all of those victories by first-round stoppage.
Gates’ debut bout will mark his sixth fight of 2014. He last competed on November 6th.
Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned the first victory in UFC strawweight history when she defeated Tina Lahdemaki at UFC Fight Night 45.
Gadelha has yet to suffer a pro loss dating back to her July 2008 debut.
Ben Saunders (17-6-2 MMA, 5-3 UFC) earned the first omoplata submission finish in UFC history when he defeated Chris Heatherly at UFC Fight Night 49.
Saunders’ omoplata finish was just the second in the combined history of UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and PRIDE. Shane Del Rosario was the other to accomplish the feat.
Joe Riggs (40-14 MMA, 4-4 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since a December 2006 knockout loss to Diego Sanchez. “Diesel” went 15-6 in his time away from the organization.
Riggs enters the event on a six-fight winning streak, tied for the second longest run of victories in his career behind an eight-fight streak in 2004.
Riggs’ average fight time of 5:51 in UFC welterweight bouts is the second shortest in divisional history behind Erick Silva (5:22).
Jamie Varner
Jamie Varner (21-10-1 MMA, 3-5 UFC) enters the event on a three-fight UFC losing streak. He has not earned a victory since December 2012.
Varner completes 63.9 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters and second highest in divisional history behind B.J. Penn (66.7 percent).
Varner was on the losing end of the third largest statistical comeback in UFC history. “The Worm” out-landed Lauzon by 38 significant strikes at UFC on FOX 4 before being submitted in the third round. The greatest single-fight comeback belongs to Anderson Silva, who came back from a deficit of 60 significant strikes to submit Chael Sonnen in the fifth round at UFC 117.
Ed Herman
Ed Herman (22-10 MMA, 9-6 UFC) will compete in his 17th UFC middleweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Chris Leben (22) and Yushin Okami (18).
Herman has completed 30 takedowns in UFC middleweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Chael Sonnen (35).
Herman’s four submission victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied for the third most in divisional history behind Rousimar Palhares (five) and Maia (five).
Herman has attempted 13 submissions in UFC middleweight competition, the second most among active fighters behind Nate Marquardt (14).
Herman has been awarded five fight-night bonuses in his UFC career, the third most of any middleweight in company history behind A. Silva (10) and Leben (six).
Derek Brunson (12-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is 3-3 in his past six professional bouts.
Brunson’s 48-second submission of Brian Houston at UFC Fight Night 31 stands as the fourth fastest submission in UFC middleweight history.
Joe Ellenberger(15-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is one of 16 pairs of siblings to have fought under the UFC banner. His twin brother, Jake, is a 13-fight veteran of the organization.
Dustin Kimura (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has alternated wins and losses throughout his four-fight UFC career.
Henry Cejudo (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will become the third Olympic gold medalist to enter the octagon, joining Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. He accomplished the feat in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 games.
Cejudo will become the first Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa.
For more on UFC on FOX 13, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
FightMetric (www.fightmetric.com) research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript (www.twitter.com/mjcflipdascript).
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