UFC 249 pre-event facts: Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje fight to make history

After a nearly two-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC returns to action Saturday with UFC 249, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. Tony Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) meets Justin Gaethje (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) for interim lightweight gold in the main event, while Henry Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) puts his bantamweight belt up for grabs against Dominick Cruz (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the co-headliner.

One of the deepest cards in recent memory has much more to offer than just the title fights, though. For more on the numbers, check below for 65 pre-event facts about the UFC 249 main card.

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Main event

Ferguson can become the first two-time interim champion in UFC history.

Ferguson is 18-1 in his past 19 fights. The lone defeat in that stretch came to Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX 3 in May 2012.

Ferguson’s 15-1 record after 15 UFC appearances is the best of any fighter to come from “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.

Ferguson’s 12-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is the longest in active streak in the division.

Ferguson’s 12-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is the longest in divisional history.

Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak in UFC competition is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest active streak in the company.

Ferguson has earned 21 of his 25 career victories by stoppage. That includes 11 of his 15 UFC wins.

Ferguson’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13) and Jim Miller (12).

Ferguson’s three D’Arce-choke victories in UFC competition are the most in company history.

Ferguson is one of two fighters in UFC history to win a title fight by triangle choke. He did so against Kevin Lee at UFC 216. Anderson Silva also accomplished the feat against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.

Ferguson has been awarded a fight-night bonus in seven of his past eight UFC appearances.

Gaethje, the former WSOF lightweight champion, can become the first in history to win titles in WSOF and UFC.

Gaethje has earned 19 of his 21 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all four of his UFC wins by knockout.

Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in each of his first three promotional appearances.

Gaethje lands 8.57 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.

Gaethje lands 2.9 leg kicks per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.

Gaethje lands 55.6 percent of significant strike attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to win at least one fight-night bonus in each of his first six octagon appearances.

Gaethje has been awarded seven fight-night bonuses in six UFC appearances.

Gaethje’s seven UFC fight-night bonuses since 2017 are most of any fighter in the company.

Co-main event

Cejudo is the only MMA fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship.

Cejudo is one of three Olympic gold medalists to fight in the UFC, along with Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. He earned gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 summer Olympics.

Cejudo is the only Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa

Cejudo is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre and Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.

Cejudo is one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. McGregor, Nunes and Cormier also accomplished the feat.

Cejudo is one of two flyweight champions in UFC history. Demetrious Johnson was the other.

Cejudo is 6-0 in his career when competing in bantamweight bouts.

Cejudo has landed at least one takedown in all but one of his UFC fights where he’s attempted a takedown.

Cruz returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 30, 2016. The 1,226-day layoff is the longest of his more than 15-year career.

Cruz is one of 10 fighters in UFC history to have two or more title reigns in one weight class. St-Pierre, Couture, Tim Sylvia, Cain Velasquez, Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones, Matt Hughes, Jose Aldo and T.J. Dillashaw also accomplished the feat.

Cruz can become the second in UFC history to have three title reigns in one weight class. Couture also accomplished the feat.

Cruz became the second fighter in UFC history to win a belt by split decision when he defeated T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night 81. Robbie Lawler also accomplished the feat against Johny Hendricks at UFC 181.

Cruz’s 12 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw and Urijah Faber for most in combined divisional history.

Cruz has earned four of his five UFC victories by decision. He has earned 14 of his 22 career wins overall by going the distance.

Cruz’s average fight time of 21:00 in UFC competition is the longest in company history.

Cruz landed 243 total strikes in his WEC 53 victory over Scott Jorgensen, the single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.

Cruz defends 70.9 percent of all significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Vaughan Lee (71.5 percent).

Cruz’s 50 takedowns landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Featured bout

Francis Ngannou’s (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak in heavyweight competition is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Jairzinho Rozenstruik (four).

Ngannou has earned all 14 of his career victories by stoppage.

Ngannou has earned his past three victories by knockout in a combined 2:22 of cage time.

Ngannou’s nine stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC competition are tied for third most in the company behind Thiago Santos (10) and Charles Oliveira (10).

Ngannou’s nine stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC heavyweight competition are most in the division.

Ngannou is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn their first nine victories with the promotion by stoppage. Vitor Belfort, Don Frye, Gabriel Gonzaga, Royce Gracie, Joe Lauzon and Vicente Luque also accomplished the feat.

Ngannou is one of four modern-era UFC fighters to begin his career with the organization with stoppages in six consecutive fights. Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin and Ronda Rousey also accomplished the feat.

Ngannou absorbs just 1.97 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second best rate among active fighters in the division behind Curtis Blaydes (1.86).

Ngannou and Derrick Lewis 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.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Rozenstruik has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Rozenstruik’s four-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is the longest active streak in the company.

Rozenstruik’s nine-second knockout at UFC on ESPN+ 12 is the second fastest in UFC heavyweight history behind Todd Duffee’s seven-second finish at UFC 102.

Rozenstruik’s knockout of Alistair Overeem at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 at UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third latest stoppage in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson’s win (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and Yair Rodriguez’s victory (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.

Remaining main card

Jeremy Stephens (28-17 MMA, 15-16 UFC) competes in his 33rd UFC bout, the third most appearances in company history behind Donald Cerrone (35) and Jim Miller (34).

Stephens is 8-8 (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).

Stephen’ 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’ 16 losses in UFC competition are the most in company history.

Stephens’ 12 decision losses in UFC competition are most in company history.

Stephens earned the first head-kick knockout in UFC featherweight history when he stopped Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night 32 in November 2013.

Stephens vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN+ 17, which ended in 15 seconds, 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.

Greg Hardy (5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was the only fighter to make five UFC appearances in 2019, including a no-contest.

Hardy is the only heavyweight in UFC history to fight five times in a calendar year. He’s one of 10 overall instances of a fighter appearing five times in a modern era calendar year.

Yorgan De Castro (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) became the first fighter from Cape Verde to earn a UFC victory when he won his debut at UFC 243.

De Castro has earned five of his six career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

De Castro is the only fighter in Dana White’s Contender Series history to earn a knockout stemming from leg kicks.

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