Yahoo Sports UFC on ABC 5 pre-event facts: Neil Magny on cusp of UFC’s 21-win club
The UFC will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the fourth consecutive year Saturday with UFC on ABC 5, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena with a main card that airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
A matchup of ranked featherweight contenders serves as the main event of the card. Josh Emmett (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) will attempt to rebound from his failed bid at the interim title in February when he takes on undefeated rising star Ilia Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC).
For more on the numbers behind the lineup, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC on ABC 5.
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Josh Emmett
Emmett is 7-2 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in October 2017.
Emmett’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied with Jeremy Stephens for most in divisional history.
Emmett’s four knockdowns of Felipe Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118 are tied for third-most in a UFC fight. Only Stephens (five) at UFC 215 and Forrest Petz (five) at UFC Fight Night 6 have scored more knockdowns in a fight.
Emmett is the only fighter in UFC history to land four knockdowns in a single round. He accomplished the feat against Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118.
Ilia Topuria
Topuria’s four-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Alexander Volkanovski (10), Movsar Evloev (six) and Jonathan Pearce (five).
Topuria has earned 12 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished eight of those wins by submission.
Amanda Ribas vs. Maycee Barber
Amanda Ribas (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is 2-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division.
Ribas has earned four of her six UFC victories by decision.
Maycee Barber’s (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Alexa Grasso (five), Manon Fiorot (five) and Erin Blanchfield (five).
Barber is 6-2 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March 2019.
Barber’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (four).
Barber absorbs just 2.27 significant strikes per minute in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Shevchenko (1.67).
Brendan Allen vs. Bruno Silva
Bruno Silva’s (23-8 MMA, 4-2 UFC) four knockout victories since 2021 in UFC middleweight competition are the most in the division.
Neil Magny vs. Phil Rowe
Neil Magny (27-9 MMA, 20-8 UFC) competes in his 30th UFC welterweight bout, the tied with Matt Brown for the most appearances in divisional history.
Magny is one of 11 fighters in history to earn 20 UFC victories.
Magny’s 20 victories in UFC welterweight competition are most in divisional history.
Magny’s total fight time of 6:02:34 in UFC welterweight competition is most in divisional history.
Magny’s 13 decision victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Magny is the only fighter in modern UFC history to make five or more octagon appearances in consecutive years. He went 4-1 in 2015 after going 5-0 in 2014.
Magny is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn five victories in a calendar year, as he did in 2014. Kevin Holland (2020) and Roger Huerta (2007) also accomplished the feat.
Phil Rowe (10-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage.
Rowe has earned all three of his UFC victories by knockout.
Tabatha Ricci vs. Gillian Robertson
Tabatha Ricci’s (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Tatiana Suarez (five) and Loopy Godinez (four).
Gillian Robertson (12-7 MMA, 9-5 UFC) was successful in her UFC strawweight debut at UFC on ESPN 44 in April.
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 seven submission victories in UFC competition are most by any female in company history.
Robertson’s six submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. Joshua Van
Zhalgas Zhumagulov’s (14-8 MMA, 1-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since July 2021.
Zhumagulov is 1-5 in his past six fights dating back to July 2020.
Zhumagulov lands 4.87 significant strikes per minute in UFC flyweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind John Lineker (5.43) and Alex Perez (5.24).
Tatsuro Taira vs. Kleydson Rodrigues
Tatsuro Taira (13-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.
Taira earned the 10th triangle-armbar submission victory in UFC history at UFC Fight Night 218. He’s the only flyweight to accomplish the feat.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 5.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
