It’s been nearly three years to the day since the UFC last visited the western-Canadian city of Vancouver. But this Saturday, the octagon returns to the British Columbia province for UFC 174.
Unlike the previous two shows held in the city, fans inside Vancouver’s Rogers Arena will be treated to a championship fight with reigning 125-pound kingpin Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) putting his belt on the line for the fourth time against when he meets contender Ali Bagautinov (13-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
That’s not all the card has to offer, though. The organization’s 16th event north of the American border also features a mix of crucial title eliminators, comeback stories, growing winning streaks and, of course, local talent trying to get a win in front of their local fans.
Johnson has already recorded some tremendous accomplishments through his title reign, and he looks to add more to his resume in Saturday’s pay-per-view headliner. For more on the resume of “Mighty Mouse” and the other 21 fighters are on the card, here are 60 pre-fight facts about UFC 174.
MAIN EVENT
Johnson’s five-fight UFC winning streak is the longest active streak in the flyweight division. His five UFC flyweight victories are tied for the most in divisional history.
Johnson’s average fight time of 17:52 is the fourth longest in UFC history behind Jose Aldo (20:20), Benson Henderson (19:06) and Frankie Edgar (18:05).
Johnson’s 443 significant strikes landed in UFC flyweight competition are a divisional record. His 606 total strikes landed are the second most in flyweight history behind Tim Elliott (639).
Johnson’s significant strike accuracy rate of 54.7 percent is the best of any fighter in flyweight history with at least five bouts and 350 significant strike attempts. His significant strike defense rate of 67.5 percent is also the best in divisional history.
Johnson’s knockout of Joseph Benavidez at the 2:08 mark of Round 1 at UFC on FOX 9 stands as the fastest in UFC flyweight history. The brief contest also marked the shortest bout of his UFC/WEC career.
Johnson’s 73 significant clinch strikes landed against John Dodson at UFC on FOX 6 are the second most ever landed in a single fight behind Sarah Kaufman’s 84 significant clinch strikes landed against Leslie Smith at the TUF Nations Finale.
Johnson’s submission of John Moraga at the 3:43 mark of Round 5 at UFC on FOX 8 is the latest stoppage ever recorded in a UFC fight. It was also just the sixth fifth-round finish in organizational history.
Johnson’s 12 takedowns landed against Moraga were the most ever in a UFC fight without a single failed attempt.
Johnson is one of two fighters in UFC history to record 10 or more takedowns in two separate bouts. The other is welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.
Johnson has completed 40 takedowns in his nine UFC bantamweight and flyweight appearances, the most of any fighter competing at 135 pounds or lighter.
Johnson has earned a different fight-night bonus in his past three UFC appearances. He’s one of four fighters in history to win three different fight-night bonuses spanning across three UFC fights. Donald Cerrone, Chan Sung Jung and Wilson Gouveia are the others.
Bagautinov, who hails from the Republic of Dagestan, will become the first Russian-born fighter in UFC history to compete for a world championship.
Bagautinov’s three-fight UFC winning streak is tied for the second longest active streak in the flyweight division behind Johnson (five).
Bagautinov has connected with 130 significant strikes during his UFC career, 93.8 percent of which have landed to the head or body of his opponent
CO-MAIN EVENT
Rory MacDonald (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) returns to fight in his home province of British Columbia for the first time since a knockout loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 115 in June 2010.
MacDonald owns some of the best offensive and defensive wrestling statistics in the UFC welterweight division. His 57.6 percent takedown accuracy is the highest among active welterweights while his 88.4 percent takedown defense rate ranks first in UFC welterweight history and eighth-best all-time among fighters with at least five bouts and 20 attempts.
MacDonald lands 4.02 significant strikes per minute of fighting, the fifth highest rate among active UFC welterweights. “Ares” landed 116 significant strikes against B.J. Penn at UFC on FOX 5 and absorbed just 24 in return. His +92 significant strike differential against “The Prodigy’ is the fifth largest ever in a UFC welterweight bout. MacDonald’s +1.64 per minute strike differential is the third highest among active welterweights.
Tyron Woodley (13-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by stoppage due to strikes.
Woodley’s takedown defense in his past 12 bouts is 94.1 percent. He shook off all 18 of Jake Shields’ takedown attempts in their bout at UFC 161 this past year.
Woodley’s eight wins under the Strikeforce banner are tied for fourth most in the now-defunct promotion’s history.
During his time in Strikeforce, Woodley landed 202 significant strikes, and 40.1 percent of them came in the clinch, the largest clinch strike proportion among Strikeforce fighters. Through four UFC fights, Woodley’s landed 43.2 percent of his strikes from the clinch.
REMAINING MAIN CARD
Ryan Bader’s (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) nine UFC light heavyweight victories are tied for seventh most in divisional history behind Jon Jones (14), Rashad Evans (13), Chuck Liddell (13), Lyoto Machida (11), Forrest Griffin (10) and Matt Hamill (10).
Bader has alternated wins and losses in his past five UFC appearances.
Bader enters the event with a 4-4 record in his past eight UFC fights. “Darth” has been stopped inside the distance in all four of his career defeats.
Bader’s six knockdowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied for the fifth most in divisional history behind Liddell (14), Machida (11), Mauricio Rua (nine) and Quinton Jackson (eight).
Bader’s three UFC knockout victories stemming from punches landed at distance are tied for the second most in UFC light heavyweight history behind Liddell (eight).
Bader out-landed Anthony Perosh, 156-11, in total strikes over at UFC Fight Night 33. The +145 strikes landed difference ties the third largest margin ever in a UFC light heavyweight contest.
Bader’s 71.3 percent significant strike defense rate is the highest in UFC light heavyweight history among fighters with at least five bouts and 350 opponent attempts. He absorbs just 1.50 significant strikes per minute, the third best rate among active light heavyweights.
Bader’s 23 takedowns landed in UFC light heavyweight competition are the fifth most in divisional history. He lands 3.07 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting, the fifth highest rate in 205-pound history.
Bader is the owner of the fastest submission in UFC light heavyweight history, a 50-second tap-out of Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on FOX 6.
Rafael Cavalcante (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has defeated he opponent by knockout or submission in all 12 of his professional victories. Seven of those stoppages have come in Round 1.
Cavalcante’s four knockout victories under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner are tied for the second most in history behind Cung Le (seven).
Cavalcante earned the quickest submission victory due to strikes in UFC history when a knee to the body forced Igor Pokrajac to tap out at the 1:18 mark of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night 32.
Cavalcante owns a 9:2 knockdown ratio in his past 12 UFC/Strikeforce/EliteXC contests.
Cavalcante enjoys an 80.8 percent takedown defense rate in that same 12-fight stretch. He’s stuffed 21 of his opponents’ past 26 takedown attempts.
Andrei Arlovski (21-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC), 35, is the oldest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.
Arlovski returns to the UFC for the first time since March 2008. He amassed an 8-5 record during that time while fighting for eight different organizations.
Arlovski will compete in his 15th UFC heavyweight bout, the fourth most in divisional history behind Frank Mir (23), Cheick Kongo (18) and Gabriel Gonzaga (17).
Arlovski left the UFC with a three-fight winning streak to his name. His return makes that the third longest active winning streak in the heavyweight division behind champion Cain Velasquez (four) and No. 1 contender Fabricio Werdum (four).
Arlovski’s 10 UFC heavyweight victories are tied for the fifth most in divisional history behind Mir (14), Velasquez (11), Kongo (11) and Gonzaga (11).
Arlovski’s nine finishes overall in the UFC are tied with Velasquez for third most in heavyweight history behind Mir (11) and Gonzaga (11).
Arlovski’s seven knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson and Gonzaga for the second most in divisional history behind Velasquez (nine).
Arlovski’s eight knockdowns landed in heavyweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind dos Santos (11) and Velasquez (nine).
Arlovski’s significant strike defense rate of 65 percent is the third best in UFC heavyweight history behind Jon Madsen (81.4 percent) and Matt Mitrione (66.8 percent).
Arlovski’s takedown defense rate of 89.5 percent during his UFC career is the highest of any fighter in heavyweight history with at least five bouts and 20 opponent attempts.
Arlovski has suffered seven of his 10 professional losses by knockout.
Brendan Schaub (10-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by first-round knockout.
Schaub became the only fighter in UFC heavyweight history to earn a D’arce choke submission victory when he submitted Mitrione with the technique at UFC 165.
Schaub lands 85.9 percent of significant strikes to his opponent’s head, the second largest proportion of head strikes in UFC heavyweight history among fighters with at least 300 attempts behind Mark Hunt (87.3 percent)
Ryan Jimmo (19-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has alternated wins and losses throughout his five-fight UFC career.
Jimmo’s seven-second knockout of Anthony Perosh at UFC 149 stands as the fastest knockout in UFC light-heavyweight history.
Ovince Saint Preux’s (15-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Fabio Maldonado for the second longest active streak in the light heavyweight division behind champion Jon Jones (11).
Saint Preux has earned all three of his UFC victories by a different method.
Saint Preux registered just the second Von Flue choke submission victory in UFC history when he tapped out Nikita Krylov at UFC 171. No one else had successfully finished a fight with the technique inside the octagon since namesake Jason Von Flue submitted Alex Karalexis at UFC Fight Night 3.
Saint Preux’s submission of Krylov at the 1:29 mark of Round 1 at UFC 171 stands as the fourth fastest tap-out in UFC light-heavyweight history.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Kiichi Kunimoto (16-5-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters the event on a career-high five-fight MMA winning streak. The 33-year-old has suffered just one defeat in his past 13 fights overall.
Daniel Sarafian (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) drops to the welterweight division for the first time in his MMA career. He went 1-2 in the UFC as a middleweight.
Valerie Letourneau (5-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has earned all of her career victories by knockout or submission. She has never won a fight that’s gone the distance.
Yves Jabouin (19-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has not recorded a stoppage victory in his 10-fight UFC/WEC career. He last finished an opponent in November 2008.
Jabouin has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.
Mike Easton (13-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) enters the event on a career-worst three-fight losing streak. He dropped decisions to UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, Brad Pickett and Raphael Assuncao during that stretch.
Easton’s average fight time of 14:09 is the third longest in UFC bantamweight history among fighters with at least five bouts behind Takeya Mizugaki (14:23) and Chico Camus (14:22).
Easton’s takedown defense rate of 76 percent is the third highest in UFC bantamweight history among fighters with at least five bouts and 20 opponent attempts behind Renan Barao (100 percent) and Eddie Wineland (92 percent).
Kajan Johnson (19-10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) competes in his first professional bout since October 2007.
Roland Delorme (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will fight in his home country of Canada for his fourth consecutive UFC bout.
Delorme averages 2.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes of fighting, the third highest rate in UFC bantamweight history among fighters with at least five bouts behind John Albert (6.1) and Dustin Pague (2.6).
Michinori Tanaka (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 23, is the youngest of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete on the card.
Jason Saggo (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has earned eight of his nine career victories by submission, with all but one by some form of choke.
For more on UFC 174, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
FightMetric research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
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