UFC Fight Night 235 pre-event facts: Drew Dober looks to build on lightweight KO record
The UFC kicks off its February schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 235, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+.
A pair of middleweights looking to take a big next step in the rapidly-evolving division meet in the main event. Roman Dolidze (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Nassourdine Imavov (12-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will battle in a five-round bout that will see both sides look to claim their first headlining win inside the octagon.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC Fight Night 235.
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Roman Dolidze
Dolidze has earned 10 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. He’s earned all four of his UFC finishes by knockout.
Dolidze is 4-2 since he dropped to the middleweight division in March 2020.
Nassourdine Imavov
Imavov competes in his second UFC headliner. He lost his first main event vs. Sean Strickland in January 2023.
Imavov’s two-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2022.
Renato Moicano
Renato Moicano (17-5-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is 4-1 since he moved up to the UFC lightweight division in March 2020.
Moicano’s average fight time of 4:49 in UFC lightweight competition is second shortest among active fighters in the weight class behind Terrance McKinney (2:53).
Moicano has earned all six of his UFC stoppage victories by submission.
Moicano’s six submission victories by rear-naked choke in UFC competition are third-most tin company history behind Demian Maia (nine) and Kenny Florian (seven).
Drew Dober
Drew Dober (27-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) competes in his 23rd UFC lightweight bout, tied for the sixth-most appearances in divisional history behind Jim Miller (40), Clay Guida, (29), Gleison Tibau (28), Joe Lauzon (27) and Michael Johnson (24).
Dober’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Miller (16), Charles Oliveira (14) and Lauzon (13).
Dober’s nine knockout victories in UFC lightweight competition are most in divisional history.
Luana Carolina vs. Julija Stoliarenko
Julija Stoliarenko’s (11-7-2 MMA, 2-5 UFC) is one of three females in UFC history to compete in three weight class. Jessica Andrade and Valerie Letourneau also accomplished the feat.
Stoliarenko’s 42-second win at UFC 276 marked the second-fastest submission in UFC women’s bantamweight history behind Ronda Rousey’s 14-second stoppage over Cat Zingano at UFC 184 in February 2015.
Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov
Aliaskhab Khizriev (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since March 2022. He’s fought just twice overall since March 2018.
Makhmud Muradov (26-8 MMA, 4-2 UFC) lands 66.7 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Molly McCann vs. Diana Belbita
Molly McCann (13-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) drops to the strawweight division for the first time in her career.
McCann one of two fighters in UFC history with multiple knockout victories stemming from a spinning back elbow. Ricardo Ramos also accomplished the feat.
McCann is one of two fighters in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in three consecutive women’s flyweight fights. Sabina Mazo also accomplished the feat.
McCann’s two knockdowns landed in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Taila Santos (three) and Ariane Lipski (three).
McCann’s three fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s flyweight bouts are most in divisional history.
Azat Maksut vs. Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson’s (13-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2023.
Johnson lands 57.2 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind CJ Vergara (58 percent).
Viviane Araujo vs. Natalia Silva
Viviane Araujo’s (12-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) five decision victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Katlyn Cerminara (nine).
Araujo’s average fight time of 16:07 in UFC women’s flyweight competition is the third-longest in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (17:59) and Alexa Grasso (17:15).
Natalia Silva’s (16-5-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the fourth-Longest active streak in the division behind Erin Blanchfield (six), Manon Fiorot (six) and Maycee Barber (five).
Silva’s two knockdowns landed in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Taila Santos (three) and Ariane Lipski (three).
Silva is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. She accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 215.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 235.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
