UFC 247 pre-event facts: Valentina Shevchenko has flawless flyweight resume

UFC action resumes Saturday with UFC 247, which takes place at Toyota Center in Houston with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. In the main event, Jon Jones (25-1 MMA, 19-1 UFC) puts his light heavyweight title on the line against Dominick Reyes (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). The co-headliner sees women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) meet Katlyn Chookagian (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC).

For more on the numbers behind those title fights, as well as the rest of the 12-bout lineup, check below for 50 pre-event facts about UFC 247.

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Main event

Jones owns or is on the verge of owning numerous key UFC records. Check out his complete stat sheet to see where he stands in company history.

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

Reyes has earned nine of his 12 career victories by first-round stoppage.

Reyes lands 5.03 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the third rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Ion Cutelaba (5.27) and Aleksander Rakic (5.17).

Reyes outlands his opponents by a +2.79 margin in significant strikes per minute, the second best rate in divisional history behind Alessio Sakara (3.24).

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 84 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC light heavyweight competition, the second highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Jones (95 percent).

Co-main event

Shevchenko is one of two women’s flyweight champions in UFC history. Nicco Montano also accomplished the feat.

Shevchenko’s two consecutive UFC women’s flyweight title defenses are most in divisional history.

Shevchenko is one of seven fighters in history to end a UFC title fight with a knockout stemming from a head kick. She accomplished the feat at UFC 238. Amanda Nunes, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Renan Barao, Holly Holm and T.J. Dillashaw are the others.

Shevchenko is 4-0 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in February 2018.

Shevchenko’s four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Shevchenko’s four victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with four others for most in divisional history.

Shevchenko has completed at least one takedown against eight of her nine UFC opponents.

Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche combined for 60 significant strikes landed at UFC on ESPN+ 14, the third fewest in a modern-era UFC title fight that went all five rounds. Only Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca (41) and Demetrious Johnson vs. Tim Elliott (52) had less.

Shevchenko outlanded Priscila Cachoeira 230-3 in total strikes at UFC Fight Night 125, the largest disparity in UFC women’s history.

Shevchenko’s two fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s flyweight bouts are most in divisional history.

Shevchenko has suffered both of her UFC losses to women’s bantamweight and featherweight champ Nunes.

Chookagian competes in her sixth UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Gillian Robertson and Roxanne Modafferi for most appearances in divisional history.

Chookagian is to 4-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in January 2018.

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

Chookagian has earned 10 of her 13 career victories by decision. That includes all six of her UFC wins.

Chookagian defends 63.6 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Remaining main card

Juan Adams (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a five-fight winning streak.

Mirsad Bektic (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) absorbs 1.70 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Rani Yahya (1.05).

Bektic completes 53.1 of his takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the third highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Zubaira Tukhugov (57.5 percent) and Zabit Magomedsharipov (56.3 percent).

Bektic has completed at least two takedowns against five of his seven UFC opponents.

Dan Ige’s (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied for the fourth longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).

Ige lands 50.6 of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the third best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Volkanovski (56.3 percent) and Dooho Choi (51.2 percent).

Derrick Lewis (22-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) makes his 19th UFC heavyweight appearance since 2014, the most in the division and second most fights on the roster behind Donald Cerrone (23).

Lewis’ 13 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (17), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15).

Lewis’ 10 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history behind Mir (13), Arlovski (11), Gabriel Gonzaga (11) and Stefan Struve (11).

Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez for most in divisional history.

Lewis’ 10 knockout victories in UFC competition since 2014 are second most among active fighters in the organization behind Thiago Santos (11).

Lewis’ six knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture for second most in company history behind Velasquez (eight).

Lewis is the only fighter in history to have his first eight UFC fights end in a knockout.

Lewis’ knockout of Alexander Volkov at UFC 229 despite a -82 significant strike differential marked the greatest statistical striking comeback in UFC history.

Lewis and Francis Ngannou combined for 31 total strikes landed at UFC 226, the second fewest in a three-round UFC fight that went the distance behind Jens Pulver vs. Joao Roque (23) at UFC 26 in June 2000.

Ilir Latifi (14-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) moves up to the UFC heavyweight division after spending his first 12 promotional appearances at light heavyweight. His 12 light heavyweight bouts are the most for any fighter in UFC history

Latifi enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Latifi is one of four light heavyweights in UFC history to earn two stoppage victories in less than one minute each. Volkan Oezdemir, Johnny Walker and Anthony Johnson also accomplished the feat.

Latifi’s fight vs. Cyrille Diabate at UFC Fight Night 37 marked the first fight in UFC history to feature zero combined significant strike attempts.

Preliminary card

Trevin Giles (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 11-0.

Giles is 1-2 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017.

Lauren Murphy (11-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC), 36, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event. Lauren Murphy is a single day older.

Murphy has alternated wins and losses over her past seven fights. She was victorious in her most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 5 in August.

Murphy is 2-1 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in December 2017.

Murphy is one of five female fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a knee strike. She accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 5.

Youssef Zalal (7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

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