UFC on ESPN 63 pre-event facts: Cub Swanson can break a Max Holloway record

The 42nd and final UFC event of 2024 goes down Saturday with UFC on ESPN 63 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The entire card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.

A high-stakes welterweight matchup gets the headlining position to close the book on this year in the octagon. Former three-time welterweight title challenger Colby Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) takes on the red-hot Joaquin Buckley (21-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who hasn't lost since dropping to 170 pounds.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie's pre-event facts about UFC on ESPN 63.

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Colby Covington vs. Joaquin Buckley

Colby Covington

Covington is one of eight fighters in UFC history to go 0-3 in undisputed championship fights.

Covington is one of three interim UFC welterweight champions in company history. Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit also accomplished the feat.

Covington attempted 541 total strikes against Robbie Lawler at UFC on ESPN 5, the third-most in a single UFC fight behind Max Holloway’s 746 attempts at UFC on ABC 1 and Brandon Royval's 556 attempts at UFC Fight Night 237.

Covington attempted 515 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 5, the single-fight UFC record, the third-most in a single UFC fight behind Holloway’s 744 attempts at UFC on ABC 1 and Rob Font's 516 attempts at UFC on ESPN 35.

Covington's 69 takedowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (87).

Covington’s 12 takedowns landed at UFC on FOX 22 are tied for the second-most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Joaquin Buckley

Buckley is 5-0 since he dropped to the welterweight division in May 2023.

Buckley's five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Shavkat Rakhmonov (seven), Jack Della Maddalena (seven) and Belal Muhammad (six).

Buckley has earned all 14 of his career stoppage victories by knockout.

Buckley is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head, which he did at UFC on ESPN+ 37. Renan Barao, Uriah Hall, Natalia Silva and Magomed Mustafaev also accomplished the feat.

Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo

Cub Swanson

Cub Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) competes in his 32nd UFC/WEC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Swanson's 19 victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are second-most in combined divisional history behind Max Holloway (20).

Swanson's 14 victories in UFC featherweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Holloway (20) and Darren Elkins (18).

Swanson's eight stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are third most in the combined divisional history behind Jose Aldo (11) and Holloway (11).

Swanson's six knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Holloway (nine).

Swanson's 14 fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are the most in combined divisional history.

Swanson’s 10 fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are tied with Holloway for most in divisional history.

Billy Quarantillo

Billy Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) lands 7.47 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.

Quarantillo and Shane Burgos combined for 357 significant strikes landed at UFC 268, the most for a three-round fight in UFC history.

Manel Kape vs. Bruno Silva

Bruno Silva's (14-5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Alexandre Pantoja (seven).

Silva has earned all four of his UFC victories by stoppage.

Silva's four-fight UFC stoppage streak is tied with Anthony Hernandez, Alex Pereira and Carlos Prates for the second-longest among active fighters in the company behind Steve Garcia (five).

Vitor Petrino vs. Dustin Jacoby

Vitor Petrino (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) completes 66.7 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC light heavyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Dustin Jacoby (19-9-1 MMA, 7-6-1 UFC) is 7-4-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in October 2020.

Jacoby lands 6.39 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Carlos Ulberg (7.52) and Jamahal Hill (6.85).

Michael Johnson vs. Ottman Azaitar

Michael Johnson (22-19 MMA, 14-15 UFC) is 3-5 since he returned to the lightweight division in October 2019.

Johnson's 11 knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Donald Cerrone for second-most in divisional history behind Melvin Guillard (13).

Ottman Azaitar (13-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 13-0.

Joel Alvarez vs. Drakkar Klose

Joel Alvarez (21-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has earned all 21 of his career victories by stoppage.

Drakkar Klose (15-2-1 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is one of 13 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 52.

Sean Woodson vs. Fernando Padilla

Sean Woodson's (12-1-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) seven-fight UFC unbeaten streak at featherweight is tied with Ilia Topuria for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Movsar Evloev (eight) and Lerone Murphy (eight).

Woodson defends 91.1 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Julio Arce (95.2 percent) and Shane Burgos (91.5 percent).

Miles Johns vs. Felipe Lima

Miles Johns (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) defends 71.3 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Vaughan Lee (71.5 percent).

Miranda Maverick vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth

Miranda Maverick's (14-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) three stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (seven), Valentina Shevchenko (five) and Montana De La Rosa (four).

Maverick's 21 takedowns landed in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Robertson and Andrea Lee for second-most in divisional history behind Shevchenko (47).

Davey Grant vs. Ramon Taveras

Davey Grant (14-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a submission by inverted triangle choke. Cole Miller, Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Jordan Leavitt also accomplished the feat.

Josefine Knutsson vs. Piera Rodriguez

Piera Rodriguez (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career 9-0.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 63.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC on ESPN 63 pre-event facts: Cub Swanson can break a Max Holloway record