UFC on ESPN 67 pre-event facts: Jeremy Stephens looks to avoid dubious record in return
The octagon returns to Iowa for the first time in nearly 25 years on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 67, which goes down at Well Fargo Arena in Des Moines (ESPN2, ESPN+).
Headlining the event will be a pair of top-ranked bantamweight contenders. Perennial contender Cory Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will look to elevate himself to another chance at gold when he takes on former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC), who continues his search of another belt in a second division under the UFC banner.
For more on the numbers behind the lineup, check below for MMA Junkie's pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 67.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Cory Sandhagen
Sandhagen competes in his seventh UFC main event. He's 4-2 in previous headliners.
Sandhagen's 28-second knockout victory at UFC Fight Night 184 marked the second-fastest flying knee finish in UFC history behind Jorge Masvidal's five-second win at UFC 239.
Sandhagen is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn knockouts stemming from a flying knee and a spinning wheel kick. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos and Edson Barboza also accomplished the feat.
Sandhagen is one of 16 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning wheel kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 179.
Sandhagen and Font landed 43 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 50, the second lowest single-fight total in UFC history for a non-title, five-round bout that went to a decision. It was the fourth lowest overall in company history.
Deiveson Figueiredo
Figueiredo, a former two-time flyweight champion, is 3-1 since he moved up to the UFC bantamweight division in December 2023.
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 seven stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Pantoja and Johnson for most in divisional history.
Figueiredo's four knockout victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Joseph Benavidez (five).
Figueiredo's 11 knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Bo Nickal vs. Reinier de Ridder
Bo Nickal's (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Dricus Du Plessis (nine), Caio Borralho (seven) and Anthony Hernandez (seven).
Reinier de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a former two-division ONE Championship titleholder at light heavyweight and middleweight.
De Ridder has earned 17 of his 19 career victories by stoppage. That includes both of his UFC wins.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Santiago Ponzinibbio's (30-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) 10 knockdowns in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Thiago Alves (13), Matt Brown (11) and Jake Ellenberger (11).
Ponzinibbio's four first-round knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Anthony Johnson (five) and Vicente Luque (five).
Daniel Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) lands 7.64 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Montel Jackson vs. Daniel Marcos
Montel Jackson's (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Merab Dvalishvili (11) and Mario Bautista (seven).
Jackson's 18-second knockout marked the second-fastest finish in UFC bantamweight history behind Erik Perez's 17-second win at UFC 150.
Jackson's 11 knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Jackson has landed a knockdown in seven consecutive UFC fights, tied with Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Cody Garbrandt, and Emmett for the longest run in company history.
Jackson's four knockdowns landed at UFC Fight Night 192 are the single-fight record for a UFC bantamweight bout.
Jackson absorbs 1.38 significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Chico Camus (1.31).
Jackson completes 68.8 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Daniel Marcos' (17-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at bantamweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Dvalishvili (11) and Bautista (seven).
Marcos has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mason Jones
Jeremy Stephens (28-21 MMA, 15-18 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since July 2021. He went 1-2 in MMA and 3-0 in BKFC between stints with the company.
Stephens becomes the sixth fighter in UFC history to make 35 or more octagon appearances.
Stephens is on a six-fight winless skid in UFC competition. He's 1-7 with one no contest in his past nine MMA fights dating back to July 2018.
Stephens' 18 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are tied with Anderson Silva for second most in company history behind Donald Cerrone (20).
Stephens' 11 knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Josh Emmett (12).
Stephens' five knockdowns landed at UFC 215 are tied for the single-fight UFC record set by Forrest Petz vs. Sam Morgan at UFC Fight Night 6 in 2006.
Stephens' 18 losses in UFC competition are tied with Andrei Arlovski and Jim Miller for second-most company history behind Clay Guida (19).
Stephens' 12 decision losses in UFC competition are tied with Angela Hill for second-most in company history behind Miller (13).
Stephens earned the first head-kick knockout in UFC featherweight history when he stopped Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night 32 in November 2013.
Stephens vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN+ 17, which ended in 15 seconds, marked the second fastest no contest in UFC history behind the 11-second ending between Antonio Carlos Junior and Kevin Casey at UFC Fight Night 80 in December 2015.
Mason Jones (15-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) returns to the UFC for the first time since July 2023. He went 4-0 between stints with the organization.
Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
Yana Santos (15-8 MMA, 5-5 UFC) is 5-3 since she returned to the UFC women's bantamweight division in October 2018.
Santos has earned all five of her UFC victories by decision.
Santos lands 58.5 percent of her significant strike attempts in UFC women's bantamweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Mayra Bueno Silva (64.8 percent).
Miesha Tate (20-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is 2-2 since she returned to competition from a nearly five-year retirement layoff in July 2021.
Tate's two submission victories in UFC women's bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
Tate's 12 submission attempts in UFC women's bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Tate's five fight-night bonuses for UFC women's bantamweight fights are second-most in divisional history behind Rousey (seven).
Marina Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson
Marina Rodriguez (18-5-2 MMA, 7-5-2 UFC) is 1-4 in her past five UFC fights dating back to November 2022.
Rodriguez is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.
Gillian Robertson (15-8 MMA, 12-6 UFC) is 4-1 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in April 2023.
Robertson's seven submission victories in UFC competition are most by any female in company history.
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 flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Robertson defends 65.8 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC strawweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Danielle Taylor (71.7 percent).
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
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