The UFC returns to Missouri for the first time in exactly five years on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 44, which takes place at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., with a main card that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, the stakes don’t get much higher than the clash of featherweight contenders. Former longtime UFC champ Max Holloway (23-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) looks to begin another run toward the belt when he takes on Arnold Allen (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC), who is unbeaten inside the octagon thus far.
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 from UFC on ESPN 44.
Max Holloway
Holloway competes in his 25th UFC featherweight bout, tied with Darren Elkins for the most appearances in divisional history.
Holloway’s total fight time of 6 hours and 12 minutes in UFC featherweight competition is most in divisional history.
Holloway’s 18 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Holloway’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Holloway’s eight knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.
Holloway’s six third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture and Yoel Romero for most in company history.
Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 14 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than eight such performances.
Holloway has landed 200 or more significant strikes in three separate UFC fights, the most in company history.
Holloway has landed 2,975 significant strikes in UFC competition, the most in company history.
Holloway has landed 3,217 total strikes in UFC competition are most in company history.
Holloway is the only fighter in UFC history to complete 26 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.
Holloway has absorbed 2,010 significant strikes in UFC competition, the most in company history.
Holloway landed 445 significant strikes against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1, the single-fight UFC record. His 744 significant strike attempts in that bout are also a single-fight record.
Holloway landed 447 total strikes at UFC on ABC 1, the single-fight UFC record. The previous high was 361. His 746 total strike attempts are also a single-fight record.
Holloway landed 141 significant strikes in Round 4 at UFC on ABC 1, the single-round UFC record.
Holloway’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are tied with Cub Swanson and Yair Rodriguez for most in divisional history.
Arnold Allen
Allen is one of six fighters in UFC history to start 10-0 in the octagon. Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.
Allen’s 10-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied with Alexander Volkanovski for the longest active streak in the division.
Allen is one of 14 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 consecutive UFC victories.
Allen defends 67.3 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Edson Barboza
Edson Barboza (22-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC) is 2-3 since he dropped to the featherweight division in May 2020.
Barboza’s seven knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Melvin Guillard for second most in divisional history behind Dustin Poirier (eight).
Barboza’s 14 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are tied for fourth-most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (20), Anderson Silva (18), and Jeremy Stephens (18).
Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history with knockout finishes stemming from a head kick, body punch, body kick, leg kicks, and flying knee.
Barboza’s five knockout victories stemming from kicks and knees in UFC competition are the second most in company history behind Cerrone (seven).
Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history to earn two knockout victories stemming from leg kicks. He used them to stop Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 162 and Mike Lullo at UFC 123.
Billy Quarantillo
Billy Quarantillo (17-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has earned four of his five UFC victories by stoppage.
Quarantillo lands 8.21 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Quarantillo and Shane Burgos and combined for 357 significant strikes landed, the most for a three-round fight in UFC history.
Azamat Murzakanov vs. Dustin Jacoby
Azamat Murzakanov (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 12 of his career victories by stoppage.
Murzakanov has earned both of his UFC victories by knockout.
Dustin Jacoby (18-6-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) is 6-1-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in October 2020.
Jacoby lands 6.86 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Jamahal Hill (6.99).
Tanner Boser vs. Ion Cutelaba
Tanner Boser (20-9-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) drops to the light heavyweight division for the first time in his career.
Ion Cutelaba’s (16-8-1 MMA, 5-7-1 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2021.
Cutelaba is 1-5-1 in his past seven fights dating back to February 2020.
Cutelaba completes 57.9 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC light heavyweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Lyoto Machida (65 percent) and Jimmy Crute (64.3 percent).
Pedro Munhoz vs. Chris Gutierrez
Pedro Munhoz (19-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) competes in his 19th UFC bantamweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Munhoz’s three knockdowns landed at UFC 227 are tied for the single-fight UFC bantamweight record along with Hugo Viana (TUF 16 Finale) and Andre Soukhamthath (UFC Fight Night 114).
Munhoz’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC bantamweight bouts are tied for second-most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (eight).
Chris Gutierrez (19-4-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) is 5-1-1 in UFC bantamweight competition.
Gutierrez is one of 10 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning backfist. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 33.
Gutierrez is the only fighter in UFC history to earn knockouts by spinning backfist and by leg kicks.
Gutierrez is the only fighter in UFC history to earn knockouts by knee, spinning backfist and by leg kicks.
Gutierrez lands 58.3 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Sean O’Malley (60.9 percent) and Jack Shore (58.4 percent).
Clay Guida vs. Rafa Garcia
Clay Guida (38-22 MMA, 18-16 UFC) competes in his 28th UFC lightweight bout, tied for the second-most appearance in divisional history behind Jim Miller (38).
Guida has earned 15 victories in UFC lightweight competition, tied for the fifth-most in divisional history behind Miller (21), Cerrone (17), Gleison Tibau (16) and Beneil Dariush (16).
Guida is 6-5 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 16 losses in UFC competition are second-most in company history behind Stephens (18).
Brandon Royval vs. Matheus Nicolau
Brandon Royval (14-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has earned 12 of his 14 career victories by stoppage.
Royval’s average fight time of 7:11 in UFC flyweight competition is second-shortest in divisional history behind Alex Perez (4:45).
Royval’s three submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (five) and Alexandre Pantoja (four).
Matheus Nicolau’s (19-2-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied with Muhammad Mokaev for the longest active streak in the division.
Nicolau’s six knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Deiveson Figueiredo (11) and John Lineker (seven).
Nicolau defends 67.3 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Zak Cummings vs. Ed Herman
Zak Cummings (24-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Aug. 29, 2020. The 959-day layoff is the longest of his more than 15-year career.
Cummings moves up to the light heavyweight division for the first time. He’s previously competed in the UFC at middleweight and welterweight.
Ed Herman (26-15 MMA, 13-11 UFC), who made his UFC debut in June 2006, has the longest uninterrupted tenure with the promotion among active fighters on the roster.
Herman is 4-4 since he returned to the light heavyweight division in January 2016.
Herman has earned 21 of his 26 career victories by stoppage. That includes 10 of his 13 UFC wins.
Gillian Robertson vs. Piera Rodriguez
Gillian Robertson (11-7 MMA, 8-5 UFC) drops to the strawweight division for the first time after spending her previous 13 octagon appearances at women’s flyweight.
Robertson’s eight victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (nine) and Katlyn Chookagian (nine).
Robertson’s seven stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson’s six submission victories in UFC women’s competition are most in company history.
Robertson’s six submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson has landed 21 takedowns in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the second-most in divisional history behind Shevchenko (35).
Lando Vannata vs. Daniel Zellhuber
Lando Vannata (12-6-2 MMA, 4-6-2 UFC) returns to the lightweight division after a two-fight stint at featherweight where he went 1-1.
Vannata’s two draws in men’s UFC competition are tied with Ken Shamrock, B.J. Penn and Caol Uno for most in company history.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
