The UFC’s packed July schedule rolls on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 208, which takes place at The 02 in London with a full lineup that streams on ESPN+.
A matchup of elite heavyweight contenders will serve as the main event. Curtis Blaydes (16-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) will enter enemy territory against England’s own Tom Aspinall (12-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) for a five-round bout with huge implications in the title picture.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC Fight Night 208.
Curtis Blaydes
Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes is one of 13 heavyweights in UFC history to reach 10 octagon victories.
Blaydes’ 62 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed against Alexander Volkov at UFC on ESPN 11 is the single-fight record for a UFC heavyweight bout.
Blaydes’ 14 takedowns landed are tied for the third-most in a single UFC fight behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (21 at UFC 160) and Sean Sherk (16 at UFC 73).
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall
Aspinall has earned all 12 of his career victories by stoppage.
Aspinall’s average fight time of 2:57 in UFC heavyweight competition is the shortest in divisional history.
Aspinall’s five-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied with Tai Tuivasa for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Francis Ngannou (six).
Aspinall’s five-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied with Tai Tuivasa and Jalin Turner for the longest among active fighters in the company.
Aspinall lands 7.33 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Jake Collier (7.66).
Paddy Pimblett vs. Jordan Leavitt
Jordan Leavitt
Jordan Leavitt (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is one of 12 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 19.
Leavitt’s 22-second slam knockout at UFC on ESPN 19 is tied for the second fastest in UFC history behind Josh Burkman’s 21-second win at The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale in November 2005.
Leavitt’s 22-second victory at UFC on ESPN 19 is the second-fastest finish for a debuting lightweight in UFC history behind Terrance McKinney’s seven-second win at UFC 263.
Leavitt is of three fighters in UFC history to earn a reverse triangle submission. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 199. Cole Miller and Olivier Aubin-Mercier have also won with the technique.
Nikita Krylov vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Nikita Krylov
Nikita Krylov (27-9 MMA, 8-7 UFC) is 2-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2018.
Krylov is 11-6 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in March 2014.
Krylov has earned 25 of his 26 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 20 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 finish at UFC on ESPN 30.
Alexander Gustafsson
Alexander Gustafsson (18-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since July 25, 2020. The 728-day layoff is the longest of his nearly 15-year career.
Gustafsson’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2017.
Gustafsson returns to the light heavyweight division after an unsuccessful one-fight stint at heavyweight.
Gustafsson fell to 3-6 in his past nine UFC appearances dating back to his first title fight against Jon Jones in September 2013.
Gustafsson is one of eight fighters UFC history to go at least 0-3 in championship fights. Joseph Benavidez, Dan Henderson, Chad Mendes, Kenny Florian, Urijah Faber, Pedro Rizzo and Chael Sonnen have also come up short in three title fights.
Molly McCann vs. Hannah Goldy
Molly McCann
Molly McCann (12-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has earned all of her career stoppage victories by knockout.
McCann is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back elbow. Dong Hyun Kim, Ricardo Ramos and Jiri Prochazka also accomplished the feat.
McCann is one of two fighter in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in three consecutive women’s flyweight fights. Sabina Mazo also accomplished the feat.
Paul Craig vs. Volkano Oezdemir
Paul Craig
Paul Craig (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) has earned all 16 of his career victories by stoppage.
Craig’s six submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Glover Teixeira (seven).
Craig’s four submission victories by triangle choke are the most in UFC history.
Craig’s victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight.
Volkan Oezdemir (17-6 MMA, 5-5 UFC) is 2-5 in his past seven fights dating back to January 2018.
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Jonathan Pearce
Makwan Amirkhani
Makwan Amirkhani’s (17-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) four submission victories in UFC featherweight competition are tied with Chas Skelly for second-most in divisional history behind Charles Oliveira (six).
Amirkhani’s three anaconda choke submission victories in UFC competition are tied with Oliveira for most in company history.
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Charles Johnson
Muhammad Mokaev
Muhammad Mokaev (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), 21, is the youngest fighter on the card.
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.
Claudio Silva vs. Nicolas Dalby
Nicolas Dalby
Nicolas Dalby (19-5-1 MMA, 3-4-1 UFC) is 2-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 208.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
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