The UFC returns to Florida on Saturday for UFC on ESPN 42, which takes place at Amway Center in Orlando with a card that airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
A welterweight headliner will close out the card as longtime contender Stephen Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) will search for his first win in two years when he takes on Kevin Holland (23-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC on ESPN 42.
Stephen Thompson
Thompson competes in his eighth UFC main event. He’s 4-3 in previous headliners.
Thompson enters the event on a two-fight losing skid. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2020.
Thompson’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (13) and Jake Ellenberger (11).
Thompson’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC welterweight fights are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (10) and Vicente Luque (eight).
Kevin Holland
Holland competes in his third UFC main event. He’s 0-2 in previous headliners.
Holland is 2-0 since he left the UFC welterweight division in March 2022.
Holland has earned 19 of his 23 career victories by stoppage.
Holland has been taken down 24 times in his past six UFC appearances.
Holland’s 21-day turnaround between UFC main events (UFC on ESPN 21 and UFC on ABC 2) is tied with Deiveson Figueiredo (UFC 255 and UFC 256) for the shortest span in company history.
Holland is one of three fighters in UFC history to go 5-0 in a calendar year. Roger Huerta (2007) and Neil Magny (2014) also accomplished the feat, but Holland did it the fastest at 210 days.
Bryan Barberena
Bryan Barberena (18-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is 8-5 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in January 2016.
Barberena lands 6.21 significant striker per minutes UFC welterweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Daniel Rodriguez (7.72) and Duane Ludwig (6.74).
Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael dos Anjos (32-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC) returns to the welterweight division after a two-fight stint at lightweight where he went 1-1.
Dos Anjos is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn 20 or more victories with the promotion.
Dos Anjos’ total fight time of 7:53:29 in UFC competition is second-most in company history behind Frankie Edgar (7:57:10).
Dos Anjos lands 53.9 percent of his significant strikes in UFC welterweight competition, the fourth-highest rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (59.7 percent), Matt Brown (55.3 percent) and Michel Pereira (54.2 percent).
Matheus Nicolau vs. Matt Schnell
Matheus Nicolau (18-2-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is 3-0 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in March 2021.
Nicolau is 5-1 since he dropped to the UFC flyweight division in July 2016.
Nicolau has earned all five of his UFC flyweight victories by decision.
Matt Schnell (16-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) earned the first triangle choke submission in UFC flyweight history at UFC on ESPN 5.
Schnell’s three submission victories by triangle choke in UFC competition are second-most in company history behind Paul Craig (four).
Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergei Pavlovich
Tai Tuivasa (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has earned 14 of his 15 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished seven of his seven UFC wins by knockout.
Tuivasa fell to 5-4 in his past eight fights after starting his career 10-0.
Tuivasa is one of two heavyweights in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a flying knee. Fabricio Werdum also accomplished the feat.
Tuivasa is one of four heavyweights in UFC history to earn knockouts stemming from a knee and an elbow strike. Alistair Overeem, Cheick Kongo, and Justin Willis also accomplished the feat.
Sergei Pavlovich’s (16-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak in heavyweight competition is the second-long active streak in the division behind Francis Ngannou (six).
Pavlovich’s four-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied for the second-longest streak among active fighters in the company behind Jalin Turner (five).
Pavlovich’s average fight time of 2:31 in UFC heavyweight competition is the second-shortest in company history behind Tom Aspinall (2:30).
Pavlovich has earned 13 of his 15 carer victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.
Pavlovich has earned all four of his UFC victories by first-round knockout.
Pavlovich lands 6.83 significant strikes landed in UFC heavyweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Jake Collier (7.56) and Aspinall (7.41).
Jack Hermansson vs. Roman Dolidze
Roman Dolidze (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is 3-1 since he dropped to the middleweight division in March 2020.
Dolidze has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage.
Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus
Eryk Anders (14-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) is 3-7 with one no contest in his past 11 fights after starting his career 10-0.
Kyle Daukaus (11-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by submission.
Niko Price vs. Phil Rowe
Niko Price (15-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has earned 13 of his 15 career victories by stoppage. That includes six of his seven UFC wins.
Price is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from an upkick. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19. Jon Fitch also won with the technique.
Price has earned two of the three knockout victories in UFC history stemming from the bottom position. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN+ 19 and UFC Fight Night 133.
Phil Rowe (9-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned all nine of his career victories by stoppage.
Angela Hill vs. Emily Ducote
Angela Hill (14-12 MMA, 9-12 UFC) competes in her 22nd UFC bout, the most appearances by any female in company history.
Hill is 8-10 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s two knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (three) and Amanda Lemos (three)
Hill’s three knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Lemos (five) and Rose Namajunas (four).
Hill’s 12 losses in UFC competition are the most by any female in company history.
Clay Guida vs. Scott Holtzman
Clay Guida (37-22 MMA, 17-16 UFC) competes in his 27th UFC lightweight bout, tied for the second-most appearance in divisional history behind Jim Miller (37).
Guida is 5-5 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Guida’s 72 takedowns landed in UFC competition are fifth-most in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (90), Gleison Tibau (84), Demetrious Johnson (74) and Frankie Edgar (73).
Guida’s 16 losses in UFC competition are second-most in company history behind Jeremy Stephens (18).
Michael Johnson vs. Marc Diakiese
Michael Johnson (20-18 MMA, 12-14 UFC) is 1-4 since he returned to the lightweight division in October 2019.
Johnson is 4-10 in his past 14 fights dating back to August 2015.
Johnson’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Donald Cerrone for second-most in divisional history behind Melvin Guillard (13).
Marc Diakiese (16-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has earned five of his seven UFC victories by decision.
Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce
Darren Elkins (27-10 MMA, 17-9 UFC) competes in his 25th UFC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Elkins’ 16 UFC featherweight victories are second-most in divisional history behind Max Holloway (18).
Elkins’ 11 decision victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.
Elkins’ 54 takedowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.
Elkins’ 23 submission attempts in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Tracy Cortez vs. Amanda Ribas
Tracy Cortez (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is 2-0 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in April 2021.
Cortez has earned seven of her nine career victories by decision. That includes all four of her UFC wins.
Amanda Ribas (11-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) is 1-1 in UFC women’s flyweight competition.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 42.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
