UFC Fight Night 249 pre-event facts: Mackenzie Dern chasing key records

After a one-month hiatus, the UFC opens its 2025 event schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 249, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.

Strawweight contenders will rematch in the main event as Mackenzie Dern (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will attempt to avenge her first career loss from October 2019 when she runs it back with Amanda Ribas (12-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC), this time scheduled for five rounds.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner and the entire card, check below for MMA Junkie's post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 249.

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Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas

Mackenzie Dern

Dern's four submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Dern's four submission victories in UFC competition are second-most of any female in company history behind Gillian Robertson (seven).

Dern's six fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are tied with Rose Namajunas for second-most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (nine).

Amanda Ribas

Ribas returns to the strawweight division, where she is 5-1 in UFC competition.

Ribas defends 67 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC strawweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Danielle Taylor (71.7 percent).

Ribas defends 85.7 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC strawweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Jinh Yu Frey (90.3 percent).

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris

Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is 2-5 in his past seven fights dating back to January 2021.

Ponzinibbio has earned 22 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes six of his UFC wins.

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).

Carlston Harris' (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) average fight time of 6:20 in UFC welterweight competition is shortest among active fighters in the weight class.

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida

Abdul Razak Alhassan (13-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is 3-3 with on no contest since he moved up to the UFC middleweight division in April 2021.

Alhassan’s 17-second knockout at UFC on ESPN 30 marked the fastest finish in UFC history stemming from a head kick.

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov

Chris Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has earned 17 of his 19 career stoppage wins by knockout. That includes three of his five UFC wins.

Roman Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is 5-3 in his past eight fights after starting his career 8-0.

Kopylov defends 87.2 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi

Christian Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is 1-1 since he moved up to the UFC featherweight division in March 2024.

Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic

Punahele Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) was successful in his UFC welterweight debut at UFC on ESPN 57.

Soriano landed 136 significant ground strikes at UFC on ESPN 57, the single-fight record for a UFC bout.

Soriano outlanded his opponent by +309 total strikes at UFC on ESPN 57, the single-fight record for a three-round UFC bout.

Soriano outlanded his opponent by +137 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 57, the single-fight record for a UFC welterweight bout.

Uros Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is 2-1 since he moved up to the welterweight division in July 2023.

Medic has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all four of his UFC wins by knockout.

Medic is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back elbow. He accomplished the feat at UFC 291

Marco Tulio vs. Ihor Potieria

Ihor Potieria (20-7 MMA, 2-5 UFC) is 1-2 since he dropped to the UFC middleweight division in February 2024.

Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden

Thiago Moises (18-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has earned one of 17 stoppage victories in UFC history stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 239.

Trey Ogden's (18-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) average fight time of 14:38 in UFC lightweight competition is the longest among active fighters in the weight class.

Preston Parsons vs. Jacobe Smith

Preston Parsons (11-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has alternated losses and wins over his past six fights. He was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC 304.

Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki

Joe Solecki (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since February 2023.

Solecki absorbs just 1.58 significant strikes per minutes in UFC lightweight competition, the second-best rate among active fighters in the weight class behind Islam Makhachev (1.24).

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 249 pre-event facts: Mackenzie Dern chasing key records