The UFC travels to Austin, Texas for the fifth time in its history Saturday with UFC on ESPN 52, which takes place at Moody Center with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
Elite lightweights will meet in the main event of the card, with Beneil Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) looking to start a new winning streak against the surging Arman Tsarukyan (20-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a five-round bout that will have significant implications on the divisional rankings.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 52.
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Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Dariush’s 16 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Jim Miller (22) and Donald Cerrone (17).
Dariush is one of 10 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning backfist. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 174.
Tsarukyan is 7-1 in his past eight UFC appearances dating back to his April 2019 loss to current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Bobby Green vs. Jalin Turner
Bobby Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) has landed 1,644 significant strikes in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Green has landed 1,870 total strikes in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Green lands 6.29 significant strikes per minute in UFC lightweight competition, the second-best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Justin Gaethje (7.35).
Rob Font vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Rob Font’s (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) 10 victories in the UFC’s bantamweight division are sixth-most in divisional history behind Aljamain Sterling (14), T.J. Dillashaw (13), Marlon Vera (13), Raphael Assuncao (12) and Urijah Faber (11).
Font’s six knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (seven).
Font landed 271 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 35, the single-fight record for a UFC bantamweight bout.
Deiveson Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) moves up to the UFC bantamweight division after spending his previous 14 octagon appearances at flyweight.
Figueiredo is one of five flyweight champions in UFC history. Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Moreno, Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson also held the title. He and Moreno are the only members of the group to have multiple reigns.
Figueiredo and Moreno are the only opponents in UFC history to face each other four times.
Figueiredo made the fastest title-fight turnaround in UFC history at 21 days at UFC 255 and UFC 256.
Figueiredo’s 10 victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Johnson (13) and Joseph Benavidez (13).
Figueiredo’s seven stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Johnson for most in divisional history.
Figueiredo’s four knockout victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Benavidez (five).
Figueiredo’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Figueiredo and Moreno combined for 269 significant strikes landed at UFC 256, the single-fight record for a UFC flyweight title bout.
Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Sean Brady (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Oct. 22, 2022. The 406-day layoff is the longest of his more than nine-year career.
Kelvin Gastelum (17-8 MMA, 12-8 UFC) returns to the welterweight division for the first time since UFC 200 in July 2016. He went 6-2 during his first stint at the weight class.
Gastelum is 2-5 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to April 2019.
Gastelum defends 66.4 percent of opponent significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Jack Della Maddalena (67.9 percent).
Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva
Clay Guida (38-23 MMA, 18-17 UFC) competes in his 36th UFC bout, the fourth-most appearances in divisional history behind Miller (42), Andrei Arlovski (40) and Cerrone (38).
Guida competes in his 29th UFC lightweight bout, the second-most appearance in divisional history behind Miller (39).
Guida has earned 15 victories in UFC lightweight competition, tied for the fifth-most in divisional history behind Miller (21), Cerrone (17), Dariush (16) and Gleison Tibau (16).
Guida is 6-6 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in June 2017.
Guida’s 76 takedowns landed in UFC competition are third-most in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (90) and Tibau (84).
Guida’s 17 losses in UFC competition are second-most in company history behind Stephens (18).
Miesha Tate vs. Julia Avila
Miesha Tate (19-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is 1-2 since she returned to competition from a nearly five-year layoff in July 2021.
Tate returns to the women’s bantamweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at flyweight.
Tate is 1-4 in her past five fights dating back to July 2016.
Tate’s two knockdowns landed in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (three).
Tate’s 11 submission attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Tate’s four fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s bantamweight fights are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (seven).
Joe Solecki vs. Drakkar Klose
Joe Solecki (13-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) absorbs just 1.59 significant strikes per minutes in UFC lightweight competition, the second-best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Makhachev (1.24).
Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
Veronica Hardy (7-4-1 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is 2-2 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in May 2018.
Hardy’s two fight-night bonuses For UFC women’s flyweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Molly McCann (three).
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
