UFC on ESPN 66 pre-event facts: Carlos Prates off to red-hot octagon start
The UFC returns to Missouri for the seventh time in its history Saturday with UFC on ESPN 66, which takes place at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City with a main card on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.
A significant welterweight fight goes down in the main event when Ian Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) clashes with the surging Carlos Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a five-round bout.
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 for UFC on ESPN 66.
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Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates
Ian Machado Garry
Machado Garry was one of two welterweights in UFC history to start 8-0 with the promotion. Kamaru Usman also accomplished the feat.
Carlos Prates
Prates was one of two fighters to go 4-0 in the UFC in 2024. Charles Johnson also accomplished the feat
Prates has earned 19 of his 21 career victories by stoppage. That includes all four of his UFC wins.
Prates' four-fight UFC knockout streak is the second-longest among active fighters in the company behind Steve Garcia (five).
Prates has been awarded a fight night bonuses in all four of his UFC appearance.
Anthony Smith vs. Mingyang Zhang
Anthony Smith (37-21 MMA, 13-11 UFC) is 9-8 since he moved up to the UFC light heavyweight division in June 2018.
Smith's five submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Glover Teixeira (seven) and Paul Craig (six).
Zhang Mingyang (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all 18 of his career victories by stoppage. He's finished all of those wins in Round 1.
Mingyang is the only light heavyweight in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from an elbow strike at distance. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 248. It was one of 11 finishes of its kind in company history.
Michel Pereira vs. Abus Magomedov
Michel Pereira (30-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) fell to 3-1 since he moved up to the middleweight division in October 2023.
Randy Brown vs. Nicolas Dalby
Nicolas Dalby (23-5-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) is 6-2 with one no contest since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.
Matt Schnell vs. Jimmy Flick
Matt Schnell's (16-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2022.
Schnell 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).
Jimmy Flick (17-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by submission.
Flick earned a stoppage victory at UFC 297 despite a -34 (3 vs. 37) significant strike differential, the largest statistical comeback finish in flyweight history.
Chris Gutierrez vs. John Castaneda
Chris Gutierrez (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) is one of 11 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 knee, spinning backfist and leg kicks.
Gutierrez lands 59.2 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Sean O'Malley (61.5 percent).
Da'Mon Blackshear vs. Heili Alateng
Da'Mon Blackshear (16-7-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by Twister. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 51. Bryce Mitchell and Chan Sung Jung have also won with the technique.
Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Cameron Saaiman
Cameron Saaiman (9-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 9-0.
Jaqueline Amorim vs. Polyana Viana
Polyana Viana (13-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has earned all 13 of her career victories by stoppage. She has finished all four of her UFC wins in the first round.
Viana's average fight time of 7:58 in UFC strawweight competition is shortest in divisional history.
Viana's four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for fifth-most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six), Amanda Lemos (five), Rose Namajunas (five) and Mackenzie Dern (five).
Viana's three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Dern (five).
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
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