Bellator 241 pre-event facts: Numbers reflect Patricio Freire as an all-time great

Bellator action resumes on Friday with Bellator 241, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A featherweight championship fight headlines the card as Patricio Freire (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) looks to further entrench his legacy as the greatest 145-pound fighter in Bellator history, when he takes on Pedro Carvalho (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) in a matchup that also serves as a quarterfinal bout in the ongoing featherweight grand prix.

The card has more to offer than that, though. For all the numbers, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 241.

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Main event

Freire competes in his 23rd Bellator bout, tied with David Rickels for the most appearances in company history.

Freire competes in his 11th Bellator title fight, the second most in company history behind Michael Chandler (12).

Freire’s eight victories in Bellator championship fights are most in company history.

Freire is one of two simultaneous two-division champions in Bellator history. Ryan Bader also accomplished the feat.

Freire is one of three fighters in Bellator history to win titles in two weight classes. Bader and Joe Warren also accomplished the feat.

Freire’s 18 victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.

Freire’s 17 victories in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Freire’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are second most in company history behind Chandler (12).

Freire’s 10 stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind A.J. McKee (11).

Freire’s seven knockout victories in Bellator competition are tied for third most in company history behind Patricky Freire (nine) and Douglas Lima (nine).

Freire’s six knockout victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied with McKee for most in divisional history.

Freire’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind McKee (five).

Carvalho has earned eight of his 11 career victories by stoppage. That includes three of his four Bellator wins.

Carvalho’s four-fight Bellator winning streak at featherweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind McKee (16) and Darrion Caldwell (six).

Co-main event

Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) competes in his 15th Bellator featherweight bout, tied for the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Freire (21), Daniel Straus (16) and McKee (16).

Sanchez’s 11 victories by Bellator featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Freire (17) and McKee (16).

Sanchez’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind McKee (five).

Sanchez’s seven decision wins in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Daniel Weichel (40-11 MMA, 9-3 BMMA) was successful in his return to the Bellator featherweight division in September.

Remaining main card

Paul Daley (42-17-2 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) has earned all 33 career stoppage victories as a result of strikes. That includes six of his eight Bellator wins.

Mitrione Mitrione’s (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) three-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Mitrione vs. Sergei Kharitonov marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (six seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

All of Mitrione’s career bouts have taken place under the Bellator or UFC banners.

Ronny Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut after being a four-fight veteran of PFL and five-fight UFC veteran.

Markes is 3-3 in his past six fights dating back to June 2017.

Anatoly Tokov’s (29-3 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) five-fight Bellator winning streak in middleweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

With his October win over Hracho Darpinyan, Tokov improved to 22-1 in his past 23 fights dating back to April 2012.

Tokov has earned 23 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five Bellator wins.

Nick Newell (16-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 12 of those wins by submission.