The UFC brings another deep card into International Fight Week this year as UFC 239 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In addition to a loaded main card, the event also includes a preliminary card with numerous respectable matchups. The featured bout of the undercard, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, sees former Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez (22-7 MMA, 1-5 UFC) return from a career-long layoff when he takes on rising contender Arnold Allen (14-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC).
There’s more to offer as well, though. To go behind the numbers, check below for 20 pre-fight facts about the UFC 239 prelims.
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Featured ESPN prelim
Gilbert Melendez
Melendez returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 9, 2017. The 665-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 17-year career.
Melendez’s four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He’s 1-5 in his past six bouts overall and hasn’t earned a victory since October 2013.
Melendez was unsuccessful in his UFC featherweight debut at UFC 215 in September 2017. He hasn’t earned a victory in the weight class since August 2005.
Melendez reigned as Strikeforce champion for 1,135 days (more than three years), the longest title run of any lightweight champion in UFC/WEC/Strikeforce combined history.
Melendez’s 11 victories under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner stand as the most in company history.
Allen’s five-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied with Zabit Magomedsharipov for the second longest active streak in the division behind Max Holloway (12).
Allen absorbs 1.83 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the fourth best rate in divisional history behind Rani Yahya (1.05), Mirsad Bektic (1.42) and Makwan Amirkhani (1.62).
Other ESPN prelims
Marlon Vera’s (13-5-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (five) and Aljamain Sterling (four).
Vera has earned six of his seven UFC victories by stoppage.
Claudia Gadelha (16-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) becomes the sixth fighter in UFC history to make 10 strawweight appearances.
Gadelha’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Gadelha lands 3.72 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC strawweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Tatiana Suarez (6.47).
Gadelha’s three fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are tied for third most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six) and Rose Namajunas (four).
Randa Markos’ (9-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) competes in her 12th UFC strawweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Markos has completed at least one takedown against 10 of her 11 UFC opponents.
Markos and Marina Rodriguez fought to the first draw in UFC strawweight history at UFC Fight Night 137 in September.
Song Yadong (12-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims
Edmen Shahbazyan (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned eight of his nine career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all those wins by knockout.
Pannie Kianzad (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since November. She went 1-0 outside the promotion between stints.
Kianzad drops to the UFC women’s bantamweight division after making her promotional debut at featherweight.
For more on UFC 239, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.