Fight Facts: UFC Fight Night 245 ‘Hernandez vs. Pereira’

Fight Facts is a breakdown of all of the interesting information and Octagon oddities on every card, with some puns, references and portmanteaus to keep things fun. These deep stat dives delve into the numbers, providing historical context and telling the stories behind those numbers.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC FIGHTS: 7,893
TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC EVENTS: 709

The Ultimate Fighting Championship pumped out another fight card with limited long-term implications and some pink slip derbies. The results were not overly thrilling, as every match went long, to a historical degree. UFC Vegas 99 featured one of the highest average fight times of any UFC event, a middleweight who outstruck and outwrestled his way towards contendership and a blood-and-guts vet cashing the first check of its type in his career.

Withholding: Due to the prolonged nature of the proceedings, the UFC brass awarded one “Fight of the Night” bonus as well as one check for “Performance of the Night.” The three extra payouts to fighters are the fewest since UFC Fight Night 198 in 2021, when 10 of the 11 matches went the distance.

It Did Drag: At the end of the night, nine of the 11 matchups heard the final bell. In the history of the UFC, only 10 events have featured more bouts going to decision than UFC Vegas 99, with the record 11 at UFC 263.

It’s the New Gloves’ Fault: With the shortest bout lasting 14:33, UFC Fight Night 245 became one of four events in modern organizational history to average over 15 minutes per match. UFC 33 maintains the top spot, with fights that night averaging 16 minutes and 10 seconds.

A Beatdown Among Beatdowns: In the lone bonus-worthy stoppage of the night, Anthony Hernandez dragged Michel Pereira behind the woodshed en route to a fifth-round stoppage. “Fluffy” now celebrates a finish rate of 85%, with five of his last six victories coming inside the distance.

Grueling: At the end of the engagement, Hernandez attempted to take Pereira down 29 times, succeeding in 10 of those efforts. The 29 tries set a new middleweight record, passing Aaron Simpson’s 26 against Mario Miranda at UFC Fight Night 24.

Easier as Time Passed: Completing 10 takedowns to establish dominance, Hernandez became the seventh competitor in UFC middleweight history to secure at least that many in a match. Makhmud Muradov’s 13 against Bryan Barberena in 2023 hold the divisional record.

Looming on the Horizon: Throughout his tenure as a 185er on the UFC roster, Hernandez has successfully implemented 41 takedowns. “Fluffy” checks in two shy of Chris Weidman’s all-time middleweight lead of 43.

185-Pound Punching Bag: The Californian outstruck his Brazilian counterpart 152 to 24 in terms of significant strikes. This discrepancy of 128 shatters the record of 106 held by Rich Franklin against David Loiseau at UFC 58.

Times New Robert: Rob Font needed all 15 minutes to get past Kyler Phillips and return to the win column. The Massachusetts native has gone to a decision in nine of his last 11 outings, win or lose.

Johnson, No Relation: Coming into 2024 on a three-fight skid, Charles Johnson has since rattled off four straight victories follow his decision triumph over Su Mudaerji. Dating back to 2020, Johnson is one of five fighters to earn at least four victories in the Octagon in a calendar year, joining Kevin Holland, Marcin Tybura, Giga Chikadze and Lupita Godinez.

Two Crafty Vets: Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda battled it out for three hard-fought rounds, with Elkins picking up the nod on all three scorecards. The appearance was Elkins’ 27th at 145 pounds, breaking a tie with Max Holloway for about a week.

Min-Maxing: Elkins claimed his 18th victory in the featherweight division, putting him closer to divisional leader Holloway’s 20.

Punching His Time Card: Settling for his 12th decision win in the weight class, Elkins put further space between the pack for the most at UFC’s 145-pound category. Holloway’s nine are the second-most.

Enough Damage Already: “The Damage” claimed a FOTN bonus for his victory in what was his 30th UFC outing. It took Elkins longer than any fighter in company history to earn this type of bonus.

Pit in the Bottom of his Stomach: Following his defeat, Pineda left his gloves in the center of the cage to retire. The Texan has won post-fight checks in three of his last four outings, while leaving the promotion after his second stint with a record of 5-8 and a no-contest, still holding his 100% finish rate. “The Pit” debuted with the UFC in 2012, tapping Pat Schilling in 97 seconds.

I See You, Asu: Improving his overall win streak to 17 in a row, Asu Almabaev surpassed Matheus Nicolau on the scorecards. The Kazakhstan native has fought into Round 2 in his last nine appearances dating back to 2021.

Hey Jeans: To boost his record to 16-0, Jean Matsumoto handled Brad Katona for 15 action-packed minutes. The Brazilian last 11 outings have all reached the midpoint of the second round or beyond. Katona, on the other hand, has fought into the third stanza in 16 straight matches.

Three Pounds: Before she pulled off a face crank on Tamires Vidal, Joselyne Edwards missed weight by three pounds. The Panamanian became one of a small group of fighters, whose membership includes names like Charles Oliveira and John Lineker, to come in heavy on at least three occasions.

Like a Reed in the Wind: Earning the unanimous verdict over Jessica Penne, Elise Reed returned to the win column. The New Jersey native has alternated wins and losses for her last nine outings, including the entirety of her UFC run.

Football Tackles: Using his wrestling to outwork Robelis Despaigne, Austen Lane picked up a decision win. While he had previously reached the fourth round in a title fight, Lane had never before left things in the hands of the judges.

Never Say Never Again: Coming into UFC Vegas 99, Mudaerji (22 fights) and Nicolau (26 fights) had never lost via decision, Lane had never won on the scorecards (18 fights) and Despaigne had never suffered consecutive losses (six fights).

It’s the Intro: Repping the ever-popular “Thunderstruck” entrance by AC/DC, Elkins rocked out to the fighter-preferred tune before beating Pineda. His victory made the song join the 30-win club, with company including Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold,” “Can’t Be Touched” by Body Head Bangerz and Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now.”

Too Legit to Quit: For both of her UFC walkouts, Alice Ardelean has selected “Too Hot to Stop” by funk band The Bar-Kays. While she has not been finished in either of those outings, she has lost both of them.