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UFC on ESPN+ 21 pre-event facts: Greg Hardy will make history with 5th fight of 2019

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On Saturday, the UFC makes its third stop in Russia with UFC on ESPN+ 21, which takes place at CSKA Arena in Moscow and features a 13-fight lineup which is set to stream entirely on ESPN+.

A key matchup between surging featherweight contenders serves as the main event. Zabit Magomedsharipov (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will look to continue his winning streak when he meets Calvin Kattar (20-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in a fight set for three rounds, and not the five as per usual for a headliner.

For more on the numbers behind the entire card, check below for 40 pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN+ 21.

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Main event

Magomedsharipov enters the event on a 13-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since April 2013.

Magomedsharipov’s five-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Max Holloway (13) and Arnold Allen (six).

Magomedsharipov lands 53.2 percent of all his significant strikes in UFC featherweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Alexander Volkanovski (58.2 percent) and Jimy Hettes (57.3 percent).

Magomedsharipov’s three submission victories in UFC featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Charles Oliveira (six) and Chas Skelly (four).

Magomedsharipov has landed 26 takedowns in his five UFC appearances.

Magomedsharipov lands 59.1 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Diego Brandao (68 percent).

Magomedsharipov is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by Suloev stretch. He accomplished the feat at UFC 228.

Kattar is 12-1 in his past 13 fights dating back to February 2010.

Kattar has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Kattar has been taken down just one time in five UFC appearances.

Kattar has been controlled on the ground for just four seconds in UFC featherweight competition, the least amount of any fighter in divisional history with at least five bouts.

Co-main event

Alexander Volkov (30-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is 6-1 since his final Bellator bout in June 2015.

Volkov is a former Bellator heavyweight champion.

Volkov’s average fight time of 14:59 in UFC heavyweight competition is the second longest in divisional history behind Heath Herring (15:00).

Volkov has earned 23 of his 30 career victories by stoppage.

Volkov lands 6.28 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second highest rate in divisional history behind Cain Velasquez (6.48).

Volkov defends 81.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, tied with Marcin Tybura for the best rate in divisional history.

Greg Hardy (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) becomes the first UFC fighter to make five appearances in 2019.

Hardy becomes the first heavyweight in UFC history to fight five times in a calendar year. It’s the 10th overall instance of a fighter appearing five times in a modern era calendar year.

Hardy competes in his second fight in a 22-day stretch. He fought to a no contest against Ben Sosoli at UFC on ESPN 6 on Oct. 18.

Remaining main card

Ed Herman (24-14 MMA, 11-10 UFC), 39, is the oldest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Herman is 2-3 since he returned to the light heavyweight division in January 2016.

Herman has earned 20 of his 24 career victories by stoppage. That includes eight of his 11 UFC wins.

Khadis Ibragimov (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), 24, is the youngest of the 26 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Ramazan Emeev (18-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is 2-0 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in May 2018.

Emeev is 15-1 in his past 16 fights. He hasn’t suffered a loss since September 2014.

Anthony Rocco Martin (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is 4-1 since he returned to welterweight in April 2018. He’s 6-1 in the weight class overall.

Martin is one of 17 fighters in UFC history with a submission win by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 142 in December.

Martin absorbs just 1.56 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.

Preliminary card

Rustam Khabilov (23-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) moves up to the welterweight division for the first time after spending his previous 12 UFC appearances at lightweight.

Khabilov is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout victory stemming from a slam. He accomplished the feat at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.

Karl Roberson (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his five-fight UFC career. He won his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 13 in July.

Abubakar Nurmagomedov (15-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his debut with a 1-1-1 record in his past three fights dating back to July 2018.

Alexander Yakovlev (24-8-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC) was successful in his return to the UFC lightweight division at UFC on ESPN+ 7. He’s 2-0 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Yakovlev is 2-0 in UFC lightweight competition and earned his first victory in the weight class since April 2015.

Jessica-Rose Clark (8-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since June 23, 2018. The 504-day layoff is the longest of her nearly seven-year career.

Clark moves up to the bantamweight division for the first time since March 2017.

Davey Grant (9-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2016.

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

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