Fight Facts: UFC Fight Night 234 ‘Ankalaev vs. Walker 2’

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: 7,476
TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC EVENTS: 675

The Ultimate Fighting Championship put on a show in its home of the Apex to start the year, presenting several fights to whet the appetites of ravenous fans ahead of next week’s pay-per-view in Toronto. Excellent performances and some help with matchmaking allowed for memorable results and the continuation of a feel-good story. UFC Fight Night 234 featured a punctuation mark of a knockout for a soon-to-be title challenger, a gritty submission by an equally gritty vet that would make even the most jaded fan smile and a serious lack of head movement.

By Hook or By Crook: Magomed Ankalaev made good on his rematch with Johnny Walker by decimating him in the second round. The six knockouts for the Dagestan native clock in as the fourth-most in UFC light heavyweight history, tying names including Rashad Evans and Glover Teixeira.

Weirdest Path to a Belt: Ankalaev has not tasted defeat in 12 straight fights, including a draw and no contest on the way. This unbeaten streak is second only to Jon Jones’ 18-fight run at 205 pounds from 2010 to 2020, where he prevailed 17 times and had one win overturned.

Old Man Grip: Jim Miller tapped out Gabriel Benitez with a face crank in the co-headlining attraction. The storied veteran improved his record for the most wins in company history, recording his 26th. The closest active fighter is fellow UFC Fight Night 234 competitor Andrei Arlovski with 23, and then Charles Oliveira with 22.

Chasing Charles: The finish was Miller’s 18th as a member of the UFC roster, and he closes the distance between top fighter Charles Oliveira’s 20.

Post-Gracie: Miller now sits in second place for the most submission victories in UFC history, as 12 of his wins have come in that fashion. Oliveira’s 16 stand above the pack, but he surpasses Demian Maia and Royce Gracie—if you count his tapping Patrick Smith with strikes—with his triumph on Saturday night.

Rebuilding Sussex County Brick by Brick: Miller claimed a “Performance of the Night” check with his submission win. This makes 15 in his storied career, passing Anderson Silva and tying former foe Joe Lauzon for the fourth-most in the promotion’s history.

Beyond the Answer to the Question of the Universe: The appearance was Miller’s 43rd as a UFC competitor, adding to his record. Arlovski kept pace with him in the no. 2 spot with his 41st outing in the Octagon earlier that night.

Explosion Met Explosion: Brunno Ferreira lamped Phil Hawes in the waning seconds of the first round to get back in the win column. “The Hulk” has still performed all 11 of his career wins inside the distance, with nine coming in the opening frame.

Nothing to Dance About: Losing a decision to Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Andrei Arlovski nevertheless heard the final bell for the 19th time as a member of the UFC roster. Roy Nelson and Marcin Tybura are the only two heavyweights to reach 10 full-length matches in the division’s history, with 10 apiece.

He’s Always Been Here: Having completed his 41st fight with the UFC, Arlovski debuted at UFC 28 in 2000. UFC Fight Night 234 competitor Joshua Van was born about 11 months after that bout.

Pressure Makes Diamonds and Fatigue: For only the second time in his career, Preston Parsons needed all 15 minutes to get his hand raised, taking home a decision over Matthew Semelsberger. The first came in the previous UFC win for “Pressure,” with the remaining nine victories before his Octagon tenure coming via submission.

Maniacal Power: Marcus McGhee put Gaston Bolanos away with a spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches to win his fifth straight fight. “The Maniac” has notched all nine pro victories inside the distance.

Even a Bantam Can Do It: McGhee is now one of 17 fighters in promotional history to pull off a spinning wheel kick finish. He and Cory Sandhagen are the only two bantamweights to achieve this feat.

Ferocious Persistence: Taking a competitive decision over Taylor Lapilus, Farid Basharat improved his flawless record to 12-0 as a pro. “Ferocious Farid” set a personal high in the Octagon by landing five takedowns, and he has performed at least two in all four of his fights with major promotions.

Jeans High and Tight: The debuting Jean Silva lamped Westin Wilson in the first round with a nonstop barrage of punches. The fighter newly named “Lord” has earned 11 of his 12 pro wins inside the distance, with nine in Round 1.

Iron Fist: In 63 seconds, Nikolas Motta clubbed Tom Nolan to earn his first win since 2022. “Iron” has secured about 72% of his wins via strikes while never pulling off a submission.

In a Van Down by the 4oz Fight Club: Joshua Van boosted his finish rate to 80% by busting up Felipe Bunes late into the second round. The first eight outings for the fighter born in Myanmar had ended within two rounds, win or lose, before his first and second UFC bouts heard the final bell.

Never Say Never Again: Coming into UFC Fight Night 234, Miller had never landed 20 leg kicks in a UFC fight (42 fights), Bolanos (10 fights) and Bunes (19 fights) had never been knocked out and Nolan had never been defeated (six fights).

Started at 11-2: For a little fewer than half of his UFC appearances, Miller has walked out to “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, accounting for 21 fights to date. He now celebrates 14 wins with the track, putting his win percentage at .667.

Wrestling Fans Love It: In his last four fights, Hawes selected the theme song for pro wrestler The Rock as his entrance music, going with “Electrifying” by Jim Johnston each time. He has won once while remaining the lone fighter to pick this tune.