UFC on ESPN 8 pre-event facts: Matt Brown on cusp of all-time UFC knockout record

The final event in the UFC’s three-card stretch upon resuming operations from the coronavirus pandemic goes down Saturday with UFC on ESPN 8, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and airs on ESPN.

The 11-fight lineup is topped by a heavyweight matchup. After several failed bookings, Alistair Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) will finally fight Walt Harris (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) in a matchup of contenders looking to take a step toward a championship fight.

The card has plenty more to offer too, though. For more on the numbers, check below for 55 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 8.

* * * *

Main event

Overeem, 39, is the oldest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Overeem is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 or more heavyweight wins.

Overeem has earned 40 of his 45 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 10 UFC wins.

Overeem lands 73.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.

Overeem has been on the losing end of the fifth and sixth largest statistical comeback finishes in UFC heavyweight history. He out-landed Antonio Silva by 30 significant strikes before being knocked out at UFC 156, and he out-landed Travis Browne by 27 significant strikes before his demise at UFC Fight Night 26

Overeem’s 14 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.

Overeem’s 12 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.

Harris is 6-4 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in April 2016.

Harris has earned all 13 of his career victories by knockout.

Harris’ 12-second knockout of Aleksei Oleinik at UFC on ESPN 4 is the third fastest in UFC heavyweight history. Todd Duffee holds the record with a seven-second finish at UFC 102.

Harris defends 61.6 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Co-main event

Claudia Gadelha (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) six victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fifth most in divisional history. Joanna Jedrzejczyk holds the record with 10.

Gadelha has alternated wins and losses over her past five fights. She won her most recent bout at UFC 239 in July.

Gadelha’s 33 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Carla Esparza (34).

Gadelha has been awarded three fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts, tied for the third most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six), Rose Namajunas (four) and Jedrzejczyk (four).

Angela Hill (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) competes in her 15th UFC strawweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Hill is the only female fighter to earn two UFC victories in 2020.

Hill is 6-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.

Hill’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Andrade and Esparza for second most in divisional history behind Jedrzejczyk (10).

Hill’s two knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Namajunas (three).

Remaining main card

Edson Barboza (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) drops to the featherweight division for the first time after making his previous 22 UFC appearances at lightweight.

Barboza is 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to December 2017.

Barboza’s seven knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Melvin Guillard for most in divisional history.

Barboza’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Guillard (13) and Donald Cerrone (11).

Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history with knockout finishes stemming from a head kick, body punch, body kick, leg kicks and flying knee.

Barboza’s five knockout victories stemming from kicks and knees in UFC competition are the second most in company history behind Cerrone (seven).

Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from leg kicks. He used them to stop Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 162 and Mike Lullo at UFC 123.

Dan Ige’s (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is the fourth longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven), Zabit Magomedsharipov (six) and Alexander Volkanovski (six).

Krzysztof Jotko (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has earned seven of his eight UFC victories by decision.

Jotko defends 86 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Israel Adesanya (86.5 percent).

Song Yadong (14-3-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC), 22, is the youngest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Marlon Vera’s (15-5-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Petr Yan (six).

Vera’s five-fight UFC stoppage streak is the second longest active streak in the company behind Charles Oliveira (seven).

Vera has earned eight of his nine UFC victories by stoppage.

Vera’s seven stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Urijah Faber for second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (eight).

Preliminary card

Matt Brown (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) competes in his 26th UFC welterweight bout, tied with Thiago Alves for the most appearances in divisional history.

Brown’s 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).

Brown’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown lands 54.3 of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (56.8 percent).

Brown’s 24 submission attempts in UFC welterweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (31).

Miguel Baeza (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19.

Anthony Hernandez (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is the only fighter in UFC history to earn a victory and suffer a loss by anaconda choke submission.

Darren Elkins (24-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) competes in his 20th UFC featherweight bout, tied with Max Holloway for the appearances in divisional history.

Elkins’ three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2018.

Elkins’ total fight time of 4:09:04 in UFC featherweight competition is second most in divisional history behind Holloway (4:32:00).

Elkins has landed 1,770 total strikes in UFC featherweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Holloway (1,902).

Elkins’ 13 UFC featherweight victories are second most in divisional history behind Holloway (16).

Elkins’ 40 takedowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Dennis Bermudez (46).

Elkins’ 21 submission attempts in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Cortney Casey (8-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Feb. 17, 2019. The 454-day layoff is the longest of her neatly seven-year career.

Casey moves up to the women’s flyweight division after spending her previous 10 UFC appearances at strawweight.

Casey is 1-3 in her past four fights since January 2017.

Casey’s six losses in UFC competition are tied for most among female fighters in company history.

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