Filed under: News, UFC
For the first time in the history of “The Ultimate Fighter,” two opposing coaches off will face off for a title on the finale card where their team members fight for a UFC contract.
Friday’s The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena sees Joanna Jedrzejczyk (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) put her strawweight title up for grabs in a rematch with longtime rival Claudia Gadelha (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). It’s a rematch of a December 2014 bout that Jedrzejczyk won by controversial split decision.
Jedrzejczyk has been dominant since besting Gadelha and wants to prove their first meeting was no fluke. Gadelha, meanwhile, is eager to avenge the only loss of her career and subsequently capture UFC gold for the first time.
The main event isn’t the only compelling matchup on the card, however. Check below for 50 pre-fight facts about The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale.
* * * *
Main event
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
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 competes in her sixth UFC strawweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Jedrzejczyk’s five-fight UFC winning streak in strawweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
Jedrzejczyk’s five victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Jedrzejczyk’s two stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for the most in divisional history.
Jedrzejczyk has earned six of her 11 career victories by decision. That includes three of her five UFC wins.
Jedrzejczyk has outlanded her past three opponents 399 to 132 in significant strikes landed.
Jedrzejczyk outlanded Jessica Penne 126-25 in significant strikes at UFC Fight Night 69. Her +101 differential is the second greatest advantage in a UFC championship fight behind Rich Franklin’s +106 advantage against David Loiseau at UFC 58.
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.
Claudia Gadelha
Gadelha earned the first victory in UFC strawweight history when she defeated Tina Lahdemaki at UFC Fight Night 45.
Gadelha competes in her fourth UFC strawweight bout, tied for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Jedrzejczyk (six).
Gadelha has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.
Gadelha completes 5.33 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC competition, more than three times the UFC average of 1.75.
Remaining main card
Ross Pearson
Ross Pearson (19-10 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is 6-4 with one no-contest since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in December 2012.
Pearson has alternated wins and losses over his past eight UFC appearances.
Pearson’s five knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Melvin Guillard (seven) and B.J. Penn (six).
Will Brooks
Will Brooks (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his UFC debut after being released as Bellator lightweight champion in May.
Brooks has earned six of his past seven victories by decision.
Doo Ho Choi (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) enters the event on a career-high 11-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since June 2010.
Choi has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by knockout.
Choi has earned both of his UFC victories by first-round knockout in a total fight time of 1:51.
Choi’s 18-second knockout of Juan Manuel Puig at UFC Fight Night 57 stands as the second fastest debut in UFC featherweight history behind Makwan Amirkhani’s eight-second win at UFC on FOX 14.
Thiago Tavares
Thiago Tavares (20-6-1 MMA, 10-6-1 UFC) is 2-1 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in August 2014.
Tavares has earned both of his UFC featherweight victories by submission.
Tavares has completed at least one takedown against 15 of the 17 opponents he’s faced in UFC competition.
Tavares’ 39-second submission of Clay Guida at UFC Fight Night 77 is the third fastest submission in UFC/WEC featherweight history.
Andrew Holbrook (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage. He’s earned all but one of those finishes in the first round.
Preliminary card
Gray Maynard
Gray Maynard (11-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC), 36, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Maynard drops to the UFC featherweight division for the first time in his more than nine-year career with the organization.
Maynard enters the event on a four-fight losing skid. He’s 1-5-1 in his past six octagon appearances and hasn’t registered a victory since June 2012.
Maynard has earned his past eight UFC victories by decision. He is one of two fighters in UFC history to go eight wins without a stoppage, along with Benson Henderson.
Maynard has suffered five knockdowns in his past four UFC bouts.
Maynard’s nine-second knockout of Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 stands as the fastest knockout in UFC lightweight history.
John Moraga
John Moraga (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) competes in his eighth UFC flyweight bout, tied for the third most appearances in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (11) and Joseph Benavidez (11).
Moraga’s four stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).
Moraga’s three submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Johnson for most in divisional history.
Moraga is one of 16 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.
Cezar Ferreira (9-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC middleweight division when he defeated Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC on FOX 19 in July.
Ferreira has earned four of his five UFC victories by decision.
Anthony Smith (25-11 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC for a second stint after he was first released from the organization in June 2013.
Smith is 8-1 since he was released from the UFC in June 2013.
Smith has earned 22 of his 25 career victories by stoppage.
Jake Matthews
Jake Matthews (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Matthews has earned all four of his UFC victories by stoppage.
Kevin Lee (12-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has earned four of his five UFC victories by decision.
Li Jingliang (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his four-fight UFC career. He suffered a defeat in his most recent bout.
For more on The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, 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.
Filed under: News, UFC