Random Land! UFC Vegas 69 Tidbits, Facts And Storylines

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back inside its Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend (Sat., Feb. 18, 2023) for UFC Vegas 69. And, let’s be honest, it isn’t the greatest card. Former Strawweight champion, Jessica Andrade, is stepping in on just one-week notice to fight rising prospect, Erin Blanchfield, in the 125-pound main event, which is a pivotal fight for the women’s Flyweight division.

While it is a weaker card, there are some fun matches sprinkled throughout; therefore, before UFC Vegas 69 kicks off, let’s check out some random storylines, tidbits and statistics ahead of showtime …

Quick Turnaround

Let’s start with an obvious one. Andrade is making a 26-day turnaround between fights. The Brazilian fought (and battered) Lauren Murphy at UFC 283 on Jan. 21, and while she called for a rematch with Weili Zhang, that didn’t stop her from taking the fight this weekend.

Money, I’m sure, helped. Lots and lots of it. But nevertheless, Andrade competes in her 23rd UFC fight, which is the most by any female in UFC history.

41 F—-king Fights

Another fighter competing this weekend, Jim Miller, has the most fights in UFC history. He will compete in his 41st UFC fight when he locks horns with Alexander Hernandez.

He broke the record in Oct. 2021 and continues to add to it. The 39-year-old is pushing to fight on UFC 300, which takes place in July 2024, and hopes to have 45 fights by that date.

Legend.

Flaccid Featherweight

The man Miller faces on Saturday, Hernandez, steps in on short notice after getting finished by Billy Quarantillo at UFC 282 in his Featherweight debut (highlights). During UFC Vegas 69 media day, Hernandez revealed that during his tough cut to 145 pounds, his “d—k didn’t work.”

Yup.

I know this information is literally useless, but hey, it is random. He returns to Lightweight on Saturday.

Second Oldest Female Fighter

Lina Lansberg, the second oldest female fighter on UFC’s roster, competes this weekend. At 40 years old, the only female fighter older than her is former Bantamweight champion, Holly Holm. With her back against the wall, her match against Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC Vegas 69 will most likely be “Loser Leaves Town”-type fight. Lansberg is riding a three-fight losing streak.

Biggest Underdog

Lansberg is also the biggest underdog on the card. According the DraftKings, the Swedish fighter is a +400 dog, while her opponent, Bueno Silva, is a -500 favorite.

Are you adding this to your parlay?

Zimbabwean History

Buried on the “Prelims” undercard is the second-ever Zimbabwean UFC fighter, Themba Gorimbo (Blood Diamond was the first Zimbabwean athlete signed to the promotion). With a Saturday win, Gorimbo will become the first fighter from his nation to pick up a UFC win.

The Welterweight is coming off a win last June and is a highly touted prospect (check out our interview with him here). He faces A.J. Fletcher on ESPN+.

Rebooked

Two UFC Vegas 69 bouts have been canceled and/or rebooked.

Ovince St. Preux vs. Philipe Lins were originally supposed to collide at UFC Vegas 42 in Nov. 2021; however, “OSP” had to pull out. They were again scheduled to fight at UFC 282, but it was Lins’ turn to withdraw.

The third time is the charm, right?

Another Light Heavyweight matchup had lousy luck. William Knight and Marcin Prachnio were supposed to fight at UFC Vegas 65; however, Knight pulled out with an injury. The 205-pound sluggers will look to get back into the win column this weekend.

Odd Co-Main

UFC Vegas 69’s co-main event features two fighters coming off losses, with Jordan Wright currently on a three-fight knockout skid. Zac Pauga, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 30 finalist, makes his proper UFC debut after his knockout loss to Mohammed Usman on the show (watch it).

Pauga is moving down from Heavyweight, while Wright is moving up from Middleweight. Indeed, it is a strange co-headliner, but a violent knockout will likely be the outcome.

Welcome To UFC!

Five fighters are making their UFC debuts at UFC Vegas 69:

• Again, Gorimbo (10-3) fights Fletcher
• Clayton Carpenter (6-0) will take on Juancamilo Ronderos in a Flyweight bout
• Khusein Askhabov (23-0) is coming off a three-year layoff to fight Jamall Emmers
• Weidman-Longo standout Nazim Sadykhov (7-1) faces Evan Elder
• Two-time Contender Series veteran, Jamal Pogues, takes on fellow alum, Josh Parisian

Wins And Losses

At UFC Vegas 69, 11 fighters are coming off wins and 11 are coming off losses.

Okay, that’s it for this week. Enjoy the fights, Maniacs.

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 69 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 69: “Andrade vs. Blanchfield” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.