The UFC makes its annual visit to Abu Dhabi on Saturday with UFC 280, which goes down at Etihad Arena on Yas Island with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+.
A championship doubleheader tops arguably the deepest fight card of the year. Charles Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC) and Islam Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) will meet for the vacant lightweight title in the main event, which marks the first time in history fighters on UFC winning streaks of 10 or more fights meet inside the octagon.
In the co-headliner, meanwhile, Aljamain Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) puts his bantamweight belt on the line against T.J. Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in the co-headliner.
For more on the numbers behind the title bouts, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 280.
Charles Oliveira
Oliveira won the title for the first time in his 28th UFC bout, the most appearances in company history.
Oliveira is 12-1 since he returned to the UFC lightweight division in April 2017. He’s 14-3 with one no contest in the organization at 155 pounds.
Oliveira’s 21 UFC victories are fifth-most in company history behind Jim Miller (24), Andrei Arlovski (23), Donald Cerrone (23) and Demian Maia (22).
Oliveira’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Oliveira’s 19 stoppage victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Miller (14).
Oliveira’s 16 submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira’s 10 submission victories in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Oliveira’s six submission victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Oliveira’s five guillotine-choke submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira’s three anaconda choke submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn submission victories with six different techniques. Frank Mir also accomplished the feat.
Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn a calf-slicer submission victory. Brett Johns also accomplished the feat.
Oliveira has been awarded 18 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts, tied with Cerrone for most in company history.
Oliveira has been awarded 12 Performance of the Night bonuses, the most in company history.
Oliveira is one of two fighters in UFC history to be awarded five or more fight-night bonuses in two separate divisions. Nate Diaz also accomplished the feat.
Islam Makhachev
Makhachev’s 10-fight UFC winning streak is the third-longest active streak in the company behind Alexander Volkanovski (12) and Oliveira (11).
Makhachev’s nine-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Oliveira (11).
Makhachev is one of 21 fighters in UFC history to earn submission victories with four different techniques (kimura, rear-naked choke, armbar, arm-triangle).
Makhachev lands 58.9 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Justin Gaethje (60.2 percent).
Makhachev absorbs 0.84 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the best rate in company history.
Makhachev has completed 66.7 percent of all takedown attempts in UFC lightweight competition, tied with B.J. Penn for the best rate in divisional history.
Makhachev has landed at least one takedown in nine of his 12 UFC appearances.
Aljamain Sterling
Sterling is one of five fighters in UFC history to hold the undisputed bantamweight title.
Sterling’s seven-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied with Merab Dvalishvili for the longest active streak in the division.
Sterling’s 12 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (13).
Sterling’s six stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for the fourth-most in divisional history behind Marlon Vera (10), Dillashaw (eight) and Urijah Faber (seven).
Sterling’s four submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Urijah Faber (six) and Rani Yahya (five).
T.J. Dillashaw
Dillashaw is one of 13 fighters in UFC history to have two title reigns in a single weight class. Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Cain Velasquez, Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre, Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz, Jon Jones, Rose Namajunas, Carla Esparza, Deiveson Figueiredo and Amanda Nunes also accomplished the feat.
Dillashaw will attempt to become the second fighter in UFC history with three title reigns in a single weight class. Couture also accomplished the feat.
Dillashaw is one of seven cast members from “The Ultimate Fighter” to win an undisputed UFC championship.
Dillashaw’s five wins in UFC bantamweight title fights are most in divisional history.
Dillashaw competes in his 17th UFC bantamweight bout, tied for the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Pedro Munhoz (18).
Dillashaw’s five-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Sterling (seven) and Dvalishvili (seven).
Dillashaw’s 13 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Dillashaw’s 13 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied for second most in combined divisional history behind Cruz (14).
Dillashaw’s eight stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are the second-most in divisional history behind Vera (10).
Dillashaw’s seven knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Dillashaw’s nine knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Yan (10) and Vera (10).
Dillashaw’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC bantamweight bouts are the most in divisional history.
Dillashaw has landed 100+ significant strikes six times in his UFC career. Only Max Holloway (12) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (eight) have more such performances.
Dillashaw is one of three fighters in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in five consecutive fights. Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Max Holloway also accomplished the feat.
Dillashaw is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn two or more fifth-round stoppage victories. Demetrious Johnson also accomplished the feat.
Petr Yan
Petr Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) became the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title by disqualification against Sterling at UFC 259.
Yan is one of two fighters in UFC history to hold the interim and undisputed bantamweight titles. Renan Barao also accomplished the feat.
Yan’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Vera for most in divisional history.
Yan and Cory Sandhagen combined for 318 significant strikes landed at UFC 267, the second most in a single bantamweight fight behind Vera vs. Rob Font (430) at UFC on ESPN 35.
Yan lands 61.5 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Montel Jackson (75.9 percent) and Brad Pickett (61.9 percent).
Yan defends 90 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley’s (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) five knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (seven) and Vera (six).
O’Malley lands 7.83 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in bantamweight history and second-highest in company history behind Daniel Rodriguez (7.84).
O’Malley lands 62.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
O’Malley’s six fight-night bonuses for UFC bantamweight bouts are third-most in divisional history behind Dillashaw (eight) and Munhoz (seven).
Beneil Dariush vs. Mateusz Gamrot
Beneil Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since May 15, 2021. The 525-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 13-year career.
Dariush’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the third-longest active streak in the division behind Oliveira (11) and Makhachev (nine).
Dariush’s 15 victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Miller (21), Cerrone (17) and Gleison Tibau (15).
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.
Katlyn Chookagian vs. Manon Fiorot
Katlyn Chookagian (18-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Gillian Robertson for the most appearances in divisional history.
Chookagian is 9-3 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.
Chookagian’s nine victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Valentina Shevchenko for most in divisional history.
Chookagian’s four-fight UFC winning streak in women’s flyweight competition is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Shevchenko (nine).
Chookagian has earned 15 of her 18 career victories by decision. That includes all 11 of her UFC wins.
Chookagian is the only fighter in UFC history to earn their first 11 octagon victories by decision.
Chookagian has landed 790 significant strikes in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Manon Fiorot’s (9-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak in women’s flyweight competition is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Shevchenko (nine).
Fiorot’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Shevchenko (four).
Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady
Belal Muhammad (21-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) is 11-1 with one no contest in his past 10 fights dating back to February 2017. His lone defeat came against Geoff Neal at UFC on ESPN+ 1.
Muhammad’s eight-fight UFC unbeaten streak at welterweight is the third-longest longest active streak in the division behind Leon Edwards (11).
Muhammad has earned 16 of his 21 career victories by decision. That includes 10 of his 12 UFC wins.
Muhammad defends 91.7 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Kamaru Usman (97.2 percent).
Sean Brady’s (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second-longest active streak in the division.
Brady lands 54.1 percent of his significant strike attempts 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).
Brady lands 60.9 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the third-highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Michael Chiesa (77.8 percent) and Robbie Lawler (72.7 percent).
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Nikita Krylov
Nikita Krylov (27-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is 3-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2018.
Krylov is 12-6 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in March 2014.
Krylov has earned 26 of his 27 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 21 of those wins in Round 1.
Krylov’s 25-second knockout at UFC on FOX 10 marked the second-fastest finish stemming from a head kick in UFC history behind Abdul Razak Alhassan’s 17-second win at UFC on ESPN 30.
Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Lucas Almeida
Lucas Almeida (13-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has earned all 14 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished nine of those wins in Round 1.
Magomed Mustafaev vs. Yamato Nishikawa
Magomed Mustafaev (14-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned all 14 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all three of his UFC wins by knockout.
Mustafaev is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. Joaquin Buckley, Renan Barao and Uriah Hall also accomplished the feat.
Mustafaev lands 0.83 knockdowns per 15 minutes in UFC lightweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the division.
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Malcolm Gordon
Muhammad Mokaev (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), 22, is the youngest fighter on the card.
Mokaev landed 12 takedowns in his win at UFC Fight Night 208, tied for the single-fight record for a three-fight UFC flyweight bout.
Mokaev’s 58-second finish at UFC Fight Night 204 marked the second-fastest submission in UFC flyweight history behind Ben Nguyen’s 49-second win at UFC Fight Night 110.
Karol Rosa vs. Lina Lansberg
Karol Rosa (15-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) lands 6.65 significant strikes per minute in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Leslie Smith (7.69).
Lina Lansberg (10-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) lands 55.3 percent of her significant strike attempts in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Yana Kunitskaya (57 percent) and Jessica Andrade (55.9 percent).
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
