ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - SEPTEMBER 25: (L-R) Opponents Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz of ... [+]
UFC 253 takes place Saturday at the Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The pay-per-view card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view. In the main event, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faces Paulo Costa.
In the co-headlining matchup, Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz face off to determine the next UFC light heavyweight champion. The title was vacated earlier this year by Jon Jones so he could focus on a move to the light heavyweight division.
At the end of the night, the UFC will have it’s first 205-pound champion not named Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier since Jones defeated Mauricio Rua at UFC 128 in March 2011.
Reyes, who is 12-1 in his career is coming off a loss to Jones in February. The bout was closely contested, but Jones took the fight 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46 on the scorecards. Many members of the MMA media scored the fight for the 30-year-old Reyes, who enters the bout as the No. 1 ranked competitor in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings.
Since he joined the UFC in 2017, Reyes has a 6-1 record with four stoppage wins.
The 37-year-old Blachowicz is the No. 3 ranked fighter in the 205-pound division. He is on a three-fight winning streak. Blachowicz is coming off a knockout victory over Corey Anderson in February.
Reyes suffered the first loss of his 13-fight career in February when he dropped a decision to Jones. The 26-8 Blachowicz has a lot more experience than Reyes, but the younger and more inexperienced fighter is favored in that 205-pound bout.
UFC 253 takes place in Abu Dhabi. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
Here is a look at the facts, stats and numbers for Saturday’s light heavyweight title fight.
Dominick Reyes:
Reyes’ striking accuracy is 49 percent.
Reyes lands 4.88 significant strikes per minute
Reyes absorbs 3.00 significant strikes per minute.
Reyes’s striking defense is 48 percent.
Reyes’s takedown accuracy is 16 percent.
Reyes’s takedown average is 0.24 per 15 minutes.
Reyes’s takedown defense is 86 percent.
Reyes averages 0.3 submissions per 15 minutes.
Reyes is tied for sixth in the lowest amount of bottom position time in UFC light heavyweight history at 1:02.
Reyes ranks seventh in bottom position percentage in UFC light heavyweight history at 1.62 percent.
Reyes ranks eighth in UFC light heavyweight history in significant strikes landed per minute at 4.88.
Reyes ranks fifth in UFC light heavyweight history in takedown defense at 82.4 percent.
Jan Blachowicz:
Blachowicz’s striking accuracy is 48 percent.
Blachowicz lands 3.45 significant strikes per minute
Blachowicz absorbs 2.77 significant strikes per minute.
Blachowicz’s striking defense is 54 percent.
Blachowicz’s takedown accuracy is 52 percent.
Blachowicz’s takedown average is 1.16 per 15 minutes.
Blachowicz’s takedown defense is 65 percent.
Blachowicz averages 0.3 submissions per 15 minutes.
Blachowicz has five UFC fight-night bonus awards.
Blachowicz has scored five knockdowns in the UFC.
Blachowicz ranks ninth in UFC light heavyweight history with 580 significant strikes landed.
Blachowicz ranks second in UFC light heavyweight history in takedown accuracy at 52 percent.
