UFC on ESPN 13 pre-event facts: Jimmie Rivera brings best takedown defense in UFC history

The UFC’s four-card series on “Fight Island” continues Wednesday with UFC on ESPN 13, which takes place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with a card that airs entirely on ESPN.

A matchup of featherweight contenders takes center stage in the main event. Calvin Kattar (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Dan Ige (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) are set to meet in a five-round bout that will allow one man to continue their surge up the divisional pecking order while the other will face a difficult setback.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 25 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 13.

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Main event

Kattar has earned all four of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Ige’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Zabit Magomedsharipov for the third longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven) and Alexander Volkanovski (seven).

Ige has completed at least one takedown against all seven of his UFC opponents.

Co-main event

Tim Elliott’s (15-11-1 MMA, 4-9 UFC) three-fight losing skid is tied for the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.

Elliott is 2-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.

Elliott lands 55.1 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Justin Scoggins (62.9 percent).

Elliott landed 290 total strikes at UFC 164, the single-fight record for a UFC flyweight bout.

Elliott’s three fight-night bonuses for UFC flyweight bouts are tie for third most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (nine) and Joseph Benavidez (four).

Ryan Benoit (10-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past 10 fights. He lost his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 23 in December.

Benoit is one of three flyweights in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a head kick. Louis Smolka and Dustin Ortiz also accomplished the feat.

Remaining main card

Jimmie Rivera (22-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.

Rivera has earned 16 of his 22 career victories by decision. That includes five of his six UFC wins.

Rivera has defended 95.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, the best rate in company history.

Cody Stamann (19-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision.

Molly McCann’s (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Valentina Shevchenko (five).

McCann has earned all three of her UFC victories by decision.

McCann is the only fighter in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in three consecutive women’s flyweight fights.

Abdul Razak Alhassan (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Sept. 8, 2018. The 676-day layoff is the longest of his nearly seven-year career.

Alhassan’s average fight time of 4:57 in UFC welterweight competition is shortest among active fighters in the weight class.

Alhassan has earned all his career victories by first-round knockout. He’s finished six of those wins in less than one minute.

Alhassan averages 3.64 knockdowns per 15 minutes of fighting in UFC competition, the second highest rate in company history behind Drew McFederies (4.27).

Preliminary card

John Phillips (22-9 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has earned all 22 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 19 of those wins by knockout.

Phillips’ 17-second knockout at UFC on ESPN+ 18 is third fastest in UFC middleweight history.

Ricardo Ramos (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was successful in his featherweight debut at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in November.

Aaron Phillips (12-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since August 2014. He went winless in his previous tenure with the promotion.

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