Tagir Ulanbekov and Nathan Maness may soon find out just how far their talent and ambition can carry them in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.
The two would-be contenders at 125 pounds will face off as part of the UFC Fight Night 214 main draw this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, with a spot in the Top 15 potentially on the line. Ulanbekov has rattled off five victories in six outings. The former Fight Nights Global champion last competed at UFC 272, where he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 24 winner Tim Elliott on March 5. Maness, meanwhile, has won four of his past five bouts. He last appeared on June 25, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Umar Nurmagomedov in their three-round UFC on ESPN 38 pairing.
As Ulanbekov and Maness pore over the remaining details associated with their upcoming clash, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:
31: Years of age for Ulanbekov, who was born in Dylym, Russia, on July 8, 1991.
6: Ulanbekov wins by submission, accounting for 46% of his career total (13). His methods of choice: two armbars, two rear-naked chokes and two guillotine chokes. Ulanbekov holds one other win by knockout or technical knockout (8%) and six more by decision (46%).
11: Takedowns completed by Ulanbekov across his three UFC appearances. He has done so on 26 attempts, giving him a 42% conversion rate.
4: Countries in which Ulanbekov has competed as a mixed martial artist. He has gone 9-0 in his native Russia, 2-1 in Kazakhstan, 2-0 in the United Arab Emirates and 0-1 in the United States.
32: Combined victories between the two men—Elliott and Zhalgas Zhumagulov—who have defeated Ulanbekov. They boast a cumulative .625 winning percentage at 32-19-1.
31: Years of age for Maness, who was born on June 27, 1991 in Jackson, Tennessee.
5: Maness victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 36% of his career total (14). His list of victims includes Luke Sanders and Jesse Arnett. Maness owns three other victories by submission (21%) and six more by decision (43%).
99: Seconds needed for Maness to punch out Kellen VanCamp at a Hardrock MMA show on Feb. 1, 2020. Nearly three years later, it remains his fastest finish to date.
127: Significant strikes by which Maness has been outstruck in his four UFC assignments. While has connected on 87 such strikes and absorbed 214 in return, he has nevertheless managed to compile a 3-1 record inside the Octagon.
.917: Cumulative winning percentage between the two men—Nurmagomedov and Taylor Lapilus—who have beaten Maness. They sport a combined record of 33-3.