UFC 251 pre-event facts: Is this the best title-fight triple header in UFC history?

The UFC makes its debut on “Fight Island” Saturday with UFC 251, which takes place at Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Arguably the strongest championship triple-header in company sits atop the card, with Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) vs. Jorge Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) for the welterweight title serves as the main event, Alexander Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) vs. Max Holloway (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) for the featherweight title serves as the co-headliner, the Petr Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets Jose Aldo (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) for the vacant bantamweight belt in the featured bout.

All six men bring strong resumes into the title fights. For more on the numbers, check below for 70 pre-event facts about UFC 251.

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Main event

Kamaru Usman

Usman enters the event on a 15-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman is one of four fighters in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Amanda Nunes for the second longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Usman has earned eight of his 11 UFC victories by decision.

Usman outlanded Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight.

Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record.

Usman has defended 100 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, which includes 17 total.

Usman’s 12 takedowns landed against Rafael dos Anjos at the TUF 28 Finale are tied for second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Usman has been controlled for just two seconds in UFC competition, the least amount of time in company history.

Jorge Masvidal

Masvidal competes in his fourth UFC headliner. He’s 2-1 in previous main events.

Masvidal competes for a UFC title in his 49th MMA fight, the second most experience in history for a first-time challenger behind Alistair Overeem (56).

Masvidal is 7-4 since he returned to the welterweight division is July 2015.

Masvidal has earned all six of his UFC welterweight stoppage victories via strikes.

Masvidal’s five-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239 is the record for fastest in UFC history.

Masvidal is one of five fighters in UFC history to finish a bout by submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2. He accomplished the feat at UFC on FOX 8.

Co-main event

Volkanovski is the only Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Arnold Allen (seven).

Volkanovski enters the event on an 18-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

Volkanovski lands 56.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Jimmy Hettes (57.3 percent).

Max Holloway

Holloway competes in his 21st UFC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Holloway’s 16 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s eight knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Holloway’s six third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture and Yoel Romero for most in company history.

Holloway’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11) and Josh Emmett (10).

Holloway is one of three fighters in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown. B.J. Penn and Jon Jones are the others.

Holloway is the only fighter in history to land 2,000 or more significant strikes in UFC competition. His 2,071 landed are most in company history.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 10 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway landed 290 significant strikes against Brian Ortega at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

Holloway landed 134 significant strikes in Round 4 a UFC 231, the single-round UFC record.

Holloway and Ortega combined for 400 significant strikes landed at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

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

Featured bout

Yan can become the third Russian-born champion in UFC history. Nurmagomedov and Andrei Arlovski also accomplished the feat.

Yan’s six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Yan lands 1.52 knockdowns per 15 minutes in UFC bantamweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Cody Garbrandt (1.58).

Jose Aldo

Aldo can become the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes.

Aldo is the third fighter in history to fight for a title following consecutive non-title UFC losses. Yoel Romero and Tank Abbott also accomplished the feat.

Aldo is the only two-time UFC featherweight titleholder in history and one of eight overall in company history to have two reigns in a single weight class.

Aldo was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut at UFC 245 in December.

Aldo is 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo’s 18 UFC/WEC featherweight victories are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 knockout victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are most in combined divisional history.

Aldo defends 91 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are second most in combined divisional history behind Swanson (11).

Remaining main card

Jessica Andrade

Jessica Andrade (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) makes her 17th UFC appearance, the most by any female in company history.

Andrade is 8-2 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in June 2016.

Andrade’s 11 UFC victories are second by any female in company history behind Nunes (12).

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

Andrade’s four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Andrade’s three knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Andrade is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. She accomplished the feat at UFC 237.

Andrade is one of four in history to win a UFC title fight by knockout stemming from a slam when she won at UFC 237.

Andrade landed 242 total strikes against Claudia Gadelha at UFC Fight Night 117, the most in a UFC strawweight fight.

Andrade out-landed Gadelha by 194 total strikes at UFC Fight Night 117, the largest differential in a UFC strawweight fight.

Andrade lands 7.22 significant strikes per minute in UFC strawweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Andrade’s 10 takedowns landed against Tecia Torres at UFC on FOX 29 stand as the single-fight record for a women’s UFC bout.

Andrade’s six fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are the most in divisional history.

Rose Namajunas

Rose Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since May 11, 2019. The 427-day layoff is the longest of her more than seven-year career.

Namajunas’ four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Angela Hill for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Cynthia Calvillo for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ submission of Paige VanZant at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 80 is the latest stoppage in UFC strawweight history.

Namajunas’ four fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Andrade (six).

Amanda Ribas

Amanda Ribas (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) moves up to the UFC women’s flyweight division after spending her first three octagon appearances at strawweight.

Paige VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Jan. 19, 2019. The 539-day layoff is the longest of her more than seven-year career.

VanZant is 1-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.

VanZant earned the first stoppage victory in UFC strawweight history with her knockout of Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 57.

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