Fight Facts: The Interesting Info and Octagon Oddities of UFC Fight Night St. Louis

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If you’re unfamiliar with the Fight Facts series, I wrote for Vice Sports with a similar series titled “Cage Captions” for a while. This new project is currently a collaboration with the team at Combat Docket! It's a per-card distillation and breakdown of all the Interesting Info and Octagon Oddities on every card, with a sprinkling of puns, winks, and portmanteaus to keep it fresh. The name may have changed, and some of the stylistic features from Cage Captions have been altered, but it’s the same great information presented in a slightly different format. Fightland forever!

Starting the year off with a decent card in St. Louis, a city the UFC had never traveled to after 25 years, the UFC dished out a fan-friendly main event that turned out to be just as exciting as billed. Even though the event took a hit losing two important fights within 48 hours of the event, we were treated to a fighter who just keeps giving us thrilling comebacks, the continued dominance of a rising contender who bills himself as a "problem" for his division, and plenty more.


Fight Facts: UFC Fight Night St. Louis
1/17/2018

Total number of UFC Fights: 4490
Total number of UFC Events: 425


RIP Dolores O’Riordan
A favorite of several UFC fighters including Chan Sung Jung and Aisling Daly, The Cranberries have served as a popular walkout artist accompanying multiple fighters over the years, using the tracks like “Zombie” and “Salvation”many times throughout UFC history.


You Knew What to Expect
Jeremy Stephens’s second-round TKO of Doo Ho Choi earned a “Fight of the Night” bonus while it lasted, giving Stephens his FIFTH “Fight of the Night” bonus in the UFC. This ties him for 10th all-time with Wanderlei Silva, Carlos Condit, Cub Swanson, and Michael Bisping.


Been a While
For the first time since 2014, Jeremy Stephens won consecutive fights. Stephens alternated between wins and losses throughout his previous 8 fights before winning two straight with his decision win over Gilbert Melendez and his TKO victory over of Doo Ho Choi.


Bit of the Old Ultra-violence
In ALL FOUR of Doo Ho Choi’s last fights, Choi has earned a post-fight bonus for his efforts. In his two KO wins, he earned “Performance of the Night” bonuses for both wins, and for his two losses, he earned “Fight of the Night” bonuses for both losses.


Even Losing Pays Off
Doo Ho Choi became just the TENTH fighter in UFC history to ever lose two straight “Fight of the Night”-earning bouts, joining Carlos Condit, Cortney Casey, Forrest Griffin, Miesha Tate, Nate Diaz, Paul Taylor, Seth Baczynski, Thiago Tavares, and Yoshihiro Akiyama.


Hail to the Chin
Prior to his miraculous comeback KO of Mirsad Bektic in March 2017, Darren Elkins had never won a post-fight bonus in 15 UFC bouts. Following his comeback second-round submission of Michael Johnson that earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus, Elkins has now won post-fight bonuses in two of his last three fights.


Ah, The Scalene Triangle
Despite pulling off the 60th triangle choke submission in UFC history, Kyung Ho Kang’s first-round triangle choke of Guido Cannetti is only the SIXTH triangle choke performed since 2015.

Only two triangle chokes were performed in the UFC in all of 2017.


Evil Will Always Triumph, Because Good is Dumb
Picking up a split decision victory over Kalindra Faria at a lower weight class, Jessica "Evil" Eye won her FIRST fight since 2014, breaking a four-fight losing streak.


First of the Year
For the first fight of 2018, Mads Burnell missed weight by four pounds and beat Mike Santiago by unanimous decision. In 26 fights that kicked off each year for the UFC, this bout was just the eighth decision, compared to 8 TKOs and 10 submissions, dropping the finish rate for first of the year fights to around 70%.


Never Say Never Again
Coming into this event, Irene Aldana had never won by decision (7 wins), Doo Ho Choi had never been stopped (16 fights), Matt Frevola had never tasted defeat (6 pro fights, 8 amateur), and the UFC had never held an event in St. Louis, MO (424 events).


Country Boy Did Survive
Just seven months after a horrifying accident where former welterweight champion Matt Hughes was hit by a train while in a truck, the UFC gave Hughes a hero’s welcome at this event. Hughes walked out to the Octagon accompanied by his longtime walkout song “Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr., while Bruce Buffer announced his entrance.


Shout To All My Losing Boys
In four recorded uses of Skrillex’s “Bangarang” featuring Sirah, NO fighter has ever won while walking out to this song, after Mike Santiago used this song and lost a decision to Mads Burnell.


New year, same request: if you have any questions, comments, queries or concerns, please let me know. I am always looking for ways to improve my information and presentation. If you want to know some other stats from these cards or are wondering about something else related to fight results or walkout music, I'm happy to take requests.

Just as a heads up to those of you that follow this series - as I will be traveling far to attend UFC 220 live in Boston next week, the Fight Facts piece for that card will likely be delayed by a couple days.

Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed what you read here, check out more from my buddies at Combat Docket!
 

Gay For Longo

*insert Matt Serra meme
Jan 22, 2016
16,758
18,014
If you’re unfamiliar with the Fight Facts series, I wrote for Vice Sports with a similar series titled “Cage Captions” for a while. This new project is currently a collaboration with the team at Combat Docket! It's a per-card distillation and breakdown of all the Interesting Info and Octagon Oddities on every card, with a sprinkling of puns, winks, and portmanteaus to keep it fresh. The name may have changed, and some of the stylistic features from Cage Captions have been altered, but it’s the same great information presented in a slightly different format. Fightland forever!

Starting the year off with a decent card in St. Louis, a city the UFC had never traveled to after 25 years, the UFC dished out a fan-friendly main event that turned out to be just as exciting as billed. Even though the event took a hit losing two important fights within 48 hours of the event, we were treated to a fighter who just keeps giving us thrilling comebacks, the continued dominance of a rising contender who bills himself as a "problem" for his division, and plenty more.


Fight Facts: UFC Fight Night St. Louis
1/17/2018

Total number of UFC Fights: 4490
Total number of UFC Events: 425


RIP Dolores O’Riordan
A favorite of several UFC fighters including Chan Sung Jung and Aisling Daly, The Cranberries have served as a popular walkout artist accompanying multiple fighters over the years, using the tracks like “Zombie” and “Salvation”many times throughout UFC history.


You Knew What to Expect
Jeremy Stephens’s second-round TKO of Doo Ho Choi earned a “Fight of the Night” bonus while it lasted, giving Stephens his FIFTH “Fight of the Night” bonus in the UFC. This ties him for 10th all-time with Wanderlei Silva, Carlos Condit, Cub Swanson, and Michael Bisping.


Been a While
For the first time since 2014, Jeremy Stephens won consecutive fights. Stephens alternated between wins and losses throughout his previous 8 fights before winning two straight with his decision win over Gilbert Melendez and his TKO victory over of Doo Ho Choi.


Bit of the Old Ultra-violence
In ALL FOUR of Doo Ho Choi’s last fights, Choi has earned a post-fight bonus for his efforts. In his two KO wins, he earned “Performance of the Night” bonuses for both wins, and for his two losses, he earned “Fight of the Night” bonuses for both losses.


Even Losing Pays Off
Doo Ho Choi became just the TENTH fighter in UFC history to ever lose two straight “Fight of the Night”-earning bouts, joining Carlos Condit, Cortney Casey, Forrest Griffin, Miesha Tate, Nate Diaz, Paul Taylor, Seth Baczynski, Thiago Tavares, and Yoshihiro Akiyama.


Hail to the Chin
Prior to his miraculous comeback KO of Mirsad Bektic in March 2017, Darren Elkins had never won a post-fight bonus in 15 UFC bouts. Following his comeback second-round submission of Michael Johnson that earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus, Elkins has now won post-fight bonuses in two of his last three fights.


Ah, The Scalene Triangle
Despite pulling off the 60th triangle choke submission in UFC history, Kyung Ho Kang’s first-round triangle choke of Guido Cannetti is only the SIXTH triangle choke performed since 2015.

Only two triangle chokes were performed in the UFC in all of 2017.


Evil Will Always Triumph, Because Good is Dumb
Picking up a split decision victory over Kalindra Faria at a lower weight class, Jessica "Evil" Eye won her FIRST fight since 2014, breaking a four-fight losing streak.


First of the Year
For the first fight of 2018, Mads Burnell missed weight by four pounds and beat Mike Santiago by unanimous decision. In 26 fights that kicked off each year for the UFC, this bout was just the eighth decision, compared to 8 TKOs and 10 submissions, dropping the finish rate for first of the year fights to around 70%.


Never Say Never Again
Coming into this event, Irene Aldana had never won by decision (7 wins), Doo Ho Choi had never been stopped (16 fights), Matt Frevola had never tasted defeat (6 pro fights, 8 amateur), and the UFC had never held an event in St. Louis, MO (424 events).


Country Boy Did Survive
Just seven months after a horrifying accident where former welterweight champion Matt Hughes was hit by a train while in a truck, the UFC gave Hughes a hero’s welcome at this event. Hughes walked out to the Octagon accompanied by his longtime walkout song “Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams Jr., while Bruce Buffer announced his entrance.


Shout To All My Losing Boys
In four recorded uses of Skrillex’s “Bangarang” featuring Sirah, NO fighter has ever won while walking out to this song, after Mike Santiago used this song and lost a decision to Mads Burnell.


New year, same request: if you have any questions, comments, queries or concerns, please let me know. I am always looking for ways to improve my information and presentation. If you want to know some other stats from these cards or are wondering about something else related to fight results or walkout music, I'm happy to take requests.

Just as a heads up to those of you that follow this series - as I will be traveling far to attend UFC 220 live in Boston next week, the Fight Facts piece for that card will likely be delayed by a couple days.

Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed what you read here, check out more from my buddies at Combat Docket!
Great as always
Enjoy Boston man