The UFC’s biggest event of 2021 so far went own Saturday with UFC 259, which took place at the UFC Apex at Las Vegas and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Three championship fights were featured on the card, but the main event occupied most of the attention with Jan Blachowicz (28-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) successfully defending his light heavyweight belt for the first time in a unanimous decision over middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
For more on the numbers, check below for 60 post-event facts to come out of UFC 259.
Event stats
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $385,000.
Kai Kara-France, Uros Medic, Kennedy Nzechukwu and Carlos Ulberg earned $50,000 UFC 259 fight-night bonuses.
Debuting fighters went 1-1 on the card.
UFC 259 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 9-6 on the card.
Betting favorites fell to 4-4 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 15-bout card was 2:50:57.
Jan Blachowicz def. Israel Adesanya
Blachowicz’s five-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Glover Teixeira for the second longest active streak in the division behind Magomed Ankalaev.
Blachowicz improved to 9-1 in his past 10 UFC appearances dating back to October 2017. The only defeat in that stretch came to Thiago Santos.
Adesanya had his 20-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Amanda Nunes def. Megan Anderson
Amanda Nunes’ (21-4 MMA, 14-1 UFC) became the first fighter in UFC history to record multiple title defenses in two divisions while simultaneously holding multiple belts.
Nunes’ nine victories in UFC title fights are third most among active fighters in the company behind Jon Jones (14) and Anderson Silva (11).
Nunes’ nine victories in women’s UFC title fights are most in company history.
Nunes’ 14 victories in UFC competition are most for any female in company history.
Nunes’ 12-fight UFC winning streak is second longest among active fighters in the company behind Kamaru Usman (13).
Nunes’ 12-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.
Nunes has earned 17 of her 21 career victories by stoppage. That includes 10 of her 14 UFC win.
Megan Anderson (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has suffered all three of her career stoppage losses by submission.
Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) became the fifth person to hold the UFC bantamweight title.
Sterling’s six-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
Sterling’s 11 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (12).
Petr Yan (15-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) became the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title by disqualification.
Yan’s nine knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt for most in divisional history.
Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober
Islam Makhachev’s (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) seven-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Charles Oliveira (eight).
Drew Dober (23-10 MMA, 10-5 UFC) has earned seven of his 10 UFC victories by stoppage.
Aleksandar Rakic def. Thiago Santos
Aleksandar Rakic (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has earned four of his six UFC victories by decision.
Thiago Santos’ (21-9 MMA, 13-8 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2019.
Santos fell to 3-3 since he moved up to the light heavyweight division in September 2018.
Dominick Cruz def. Casey Kenney
Dominick Cruz’s (23-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) 13 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.
Cruz has earned five of his six UFC victories by decision. He has earned 15 of his 23 career wins overall by going the distance.
Cruz’s 52 takedowns landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.
Casey Kenney (16-3-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by decision.
Kyler Phillips def. Song Yadong
Kyler Phillips (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned two of his three UFC victories by decision.
Song Yadong (15-4-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has suffered three of his four career losses by decision.
Askar Askarov def. Joseph Benavidez
Askar Askarov (13-0-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
Joseph Benavidez’s (28-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2019.
Benavidez has suffered five of his seven career losses by decision.
Kai Kara-France def. Rogerio Bontorin
Kara-France (22-9 MMA, 5-2 UFC) earned the first stoppage victory of his UFC career. His previous four octagon wins came by decision.
Rogerio Bontorin (16-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since August 2019.
Bontorin suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Tim Elliott def. Jordan Espinosa
Tim Elliott (17-11-1 MMA, 6-9 UFC) improved to 4-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.
Elliott has landed 47 takedowns in UFC flyweight competition, tied for the second most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (58).
Elliott has earned five of his six UFC victories by decision.
Jordan Espinosa (15-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to August 2019.
Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Carlos Ulberg
Nzechukwu (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned all five of his career stoppage victories by knockout.
Nzechukwu earned the knockout despite a -64 deficit in significant strikes landed, the biggest statistical comeback for a light heavyweight bout and third overall in UFC history.
Ulberg (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his three-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Sean Brady def. Jake Matthews
Sean Brady’s (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Kamaru Usman (13) and Leon Edwards (eight).
Brady has earned both of his UFC stoppage victories by submission.
Jake Matthews (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) fell to 6-2 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in November 2017.
Matthews has suffered four of his five career losses by stoppage.
Amanda Lemos def. Livinha Souza
Amanda Lemos (9-1-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned eight of her nine career victories by stoppage. That includes six knockouts.
Lemos became the fourth female fighter in UFC history to land multiple knockdowns in a fight. Nunes, Joanne Calderwood and Lucie Pudilova also accomplished the feat.
Livinha Souza (14-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of her career.
Uros Medic def. Aalon Cruz
Medic (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all seven of his career victories by stoppage.
Aalon Cruz (8-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Cruz has suffered both of his UFC losses by knockout.
Trevin Jones def. Mario Bautista
Mario Bautista (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.