UFC on ESPN 6 pre-event facts: Chris Weidman undefeated in UFC main events

The UFC makes its return to Massachusetts on Friday with UFC on ESPN 6, which takes place at TD Garden in Boston with a 13-fight lineup that airs entirely on ESPN2.

A key light heavyweight matchup takes place in the main event. Undefeated Dominick Reyes (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will attempt to push himself to the top of the list of title contenders when he welcomes former UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman (14-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) to the division, with Weidman looking to make a quick splash.

For more on the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 50 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 6.

* * * *

Main event

Reyes competes in his first UFC headliner.

Reyes’ five-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Reyes has earned eight of his 11 career victories by first-round stoppage. That includes three of his five UFC wins.

Reyes lands 5.05 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the second highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Ion Cutelaba (5.27).

Reyes’ 29-second knockout of Joachim Christensen are UFC Fight Night 112 marked the second fastest stoppage by any debuting light-heavyweight in UFC history behind Ryan Jimmo’s seven-second win at UFC 149.

Reyes defends 85.7 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC light heavyweight competition, the third highest rate in divisional history behind Jon Jones (95 percent) and Jimmo (87.5 percent).

Weidman competes in his sixth UFC main event. He’s 5-0 in previous headliners.

Weidman moves up to the light heavyweight division for the first time. His previous 18 career fights came at middleweight of a 190-pound catchweight.

Weidman became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.

Weidman is 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to December 2015.

Weidman has out-struck his opponent in all 10 of his UFC victories.

Weidman has completed at least one takedown in all 14 of his UFC appearances.

Weidman’s 37 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Thales Leites for most in divisional history.

Co-main event

Yair Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Rodriguez’s knockout of Chan Sung Jung at the 4:59 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 139 is tied with Demetrious Johnson’s finish at UFC 186 for the latest stoppage in a UFC fight.

Rodriguez’s six fight-night bonuses in UFC featherweight bouts are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Cub Swanson (eight), Max Holloway (seven) and Chan Sung Jung (seven).

Jeremy Stephens (28-16 MMA, 15-15 UFC) vs. Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN+ 17 marked the second fastest no contest in UFC history behind the 11-second ending between Antonio Carlos Junior and Kevin Casey at UFC Fight Night 80 in December 2015.

Stephens makes his 32nd UFC appearance, the third most in company history behind Jim Miller (33) and Donald Cerrone (33).

Stephens is 8-7 (with one no contest) since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in May 2013.

Stephens’ 18 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are tied with Anderson Silva for second most in company history behind Cerrone (20).

Stephens’ 11 knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Stephens’ five knockdowns landed at UFC 215 are tied for the single-fight UFC record set by Forrest Petz vs. Sam Morgan at UFC Fight Night 6 in 2006.

Stephens is one of seven fighters in UFC featherweight history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a head kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 32.

Stephens’ 15 losses in UFC competition are the most in company history.

Stephens’ 11 decision losses in UFC competition are most in company history.

Remaining main card

Joe Lauzon (27-15 MMA, 14-12 UFC), 35, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Lauzon returns to competition for the first time since Apr. 7, 2018. The 559-day layoff is the longest of his more than 15-year career.

Lauzon competes in his 27th UFC lightweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Jim Miller (32) and Gleison Tibau (28).

Lauzon’s 14 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for the fourth most in divisional history behind Miller (19), Donald Cerrone (17) and Tibau (16).

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 tied with Miller most in divisional history.

Lauzon’s seven submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Nate Diaz for second most in divisional history behind Miller (nine).

Lauzon’s 29 submission attempts in UFC competition are fourth most in company history behind Miller (42), Chris Lytle (31) and Charles Oliveira (30).

Lauzon has been awarded 15 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, tied with Diaz for second most in company history behind Cerrone (18).

Lauzon has been awarded 15 fight-night for UFC lightweight bouts, tied with Cerrone for most in divisional history.

Maycee Barber (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), 21, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Barber has earned six of her seven career victories by stoppage. That includes both of her UFC wins.

Gillian Robertson (7-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) competes in her sixth UFC women’s flyweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Robertson’s four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Valentina Shevchenko and Joanne Calderwood for most in divisional history.

Robertson’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Robertson’s three submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Montana De La Rosa for most in divisional history.

Deron Winn (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) landed 169 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN+ 12, the single-fight record for a UFC middleweight bout.

Darren Stewart (10-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) is 3-3 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in November 2017.

Preliminary card

Charles Rosa (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Apr. 8, 2017. The 923-day layoff is the longest of his more than seven-year UFC career.

Rosa has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights. He was victorious in his most recent bout at UFC 210 in April 2017.

Rosa has been awarded three “Fight of the Night” bonuses during his five-fight UFC career.

Rosa’s submission of Sean Soriano at 4:43 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 59 marked the latest finish in a three-round UFC featherweight bout.

Manny Bermudez (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns to the featherweight division for the first time since November 2016. He’s 7-0 when fighting in the weight class.

Bermudez has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. He’s earned 11 of 12 career stoppage wins by submission. That includes all three of his UFC wins.

Bermudez’s 59-second triangle-choke win at UFC Fight Night 134 is the third fastest finish of its kind in UFC history. Only Rory Singer’s 44-second win at the TUF 3 Finale and Carlos Newton’s 52-second win at UFC 17 were faster.

Kyle Bochniak (8-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to July 2017. He enters the event on a two-fight skid.

Court McGee (19-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC) is 5-5 since he dropped to the welterweight division in February 2013.

Kevin Holland’s (15-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (seven) and Paulo Costa (five).

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.