The octagon returns to the confines of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday for the first time in nearly one month with UFC on ESPN 51, which airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Brazilian welterweight veterans collide in a five-round main event. Vicente Luque (21-9-1 MMA, 14-5 UFC) returns to action from a nearly yearlong layoff and the hopes of snapping a two-fight losing skid when he meets former lightweight titleholder and MMA legend Rafael dos Anjos (33-14 MMA, 21-12 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s
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Vicente Luque
Luque has earned 19 of his 21 career victories by stoppage. That includes 13 of his 14 UFC wins.
Luque’s 13 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC welterweight competition are most in the division during that span.
Luque’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (15).
Luque’s eight knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Thiago Alves and Li Jingliang for second-most in divisional history behind Brown (13).
Luque’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Alves (13), Brown (11) and Jake Ellenberger (11)..
Luque’s four D’Arce choke submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Luque’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC welterweight bouts are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (10) and Brown (nine).
Rafael dos Anjos
Dos Anjos competes in his 10th UFC welterweight bout. He’s 5-4 over two stints in the weight class.
Dos Anjos’ 21 victories in UFC competition are tied for sixth-most in company history behind Jim Miller (25), Andrei Arlovski (23), Donald Cerrone (23), Demian Maia (22) and Charles Oliveira (22).
Dos Anjos is the only fighter in UFC history to reach eight hours of octagon time.
Dos Santos’ average fight time of 17:52 in UFC welterweight competition is the longest in divisional history.
Dos Anjos lands 54.5 percent of his significant strikes in UFC welterweight competition, the fourth-highest rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (60.5 percent), Ian Machado Garry (55.8 percent) and Brown (55.4 percent).
Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu
Cub Swanson (28-13 MMA, 13-9 UFC) returns to the featherweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at bantamweight.
Swanson competes in his 30th UFC/WEC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Swanson’s 18 victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are tied with Jose Aldo for second-most in combined divisional history behind Max Holloway (19).
Swanson’s eight stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are third most in the combined divisional history behind Aldo (11) and Holloway (10).
Swanson’s 13 fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are the most in combined divisional history.
Swanson’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are tied with Holloway and Yair Rodriguez for most in divisional history.
Khalil Rountree vs. Chris Daukaus
Khalil Rountree (11-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak is the longest of his career.
Rountree’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Chuck Liddell (14) and Mauricio Rua (14).
Rountree’s four knockdowns landed at UFC 236 are the single-fight record for a UFC light heavyweight bout.
Chris Daukaus (12-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC) drops the light heavyweight division for the first time.
Daukaus’ three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2021.
Daukaus has earned 11 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all four of his UFC wins by knockout.
Terrance McKinney vs. Mike Breeden
Terrance McKinney (13-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 28-day stretch. He suffered a submission loss at UFC on ESPN 49 on July 15.
McKinney 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to March 2022.
McKinney has earned all 13 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all three of his UFC wins in the first round.
McKinney’s average fight time of 3:33 in UFC lightweight competition is the shortest in divisional history.
McKinney’s seven-second knockout at UFC 263 is tied for the fourth fastest in UFC history. Jorge Masvidal holds the record with a five-second finish.
McKinney’s seven-second knockout at UFC 263 is the fastest in UFC history by a debuting fighter.
McKinney’s seven-second knockout at UFC 263 is the fastest in UFC lightweight history.
Polyana Viana vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Polyana Viana (13-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has earned all 13 of her career victories by stoppage.
Viana has earned all four of her UFC victories by first-round stoppage.
Viana’s four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Amanda Lemos (five), Rose Namajunas (five) and Jessica Andrade (five).
Viana’s three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Mackenzie Dern (four).
Josh Parisian vs. Martin Buday
Martin Buday’s (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied with Serghei Spivac for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Sergei Pavlovich (six).
Buday has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
Josh Fremd vs. Jamie Pickett
Jamie Pickett’s (13-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2022.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
