Jim Miller, Clay Guida and the way the No. 59 components into UFC historical past

Jim Miller and Clay Guida meet in Saturday’s UFC Combat Night time co-main occasion, and their matchup is a document setter — even earlier than they step into the Octagon.

Miller has had 32 UFC fights and Guida 27, and their mixed 59 appearances are essentially the most within the promotion’s historical past by any pair of fighters booked to face one another. The earlier document is 52, set earlier this 12 months by Guida vs. BJ Penn.

The title image within the welterweight division ought to clear up when the UFC hits Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday. In the principle occasion, prime contender Colby Covington takes on former champion Robbie Lawler, with a title shot doubtless subsequent for Covington ought to he earn a victory. “Chaos” is on a six-fight win streak however hasn’t fought in over a 12 months. Lawler, in the meantime, hasn’t gained within the Octagon in over two years.

UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Lawler
• Saturday, Newark, N.J.
• Prelims: ESPN, midday ET
• Important card: ESPN, three p.m. ET

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For Miller, Saturday’s bout in Newark, New Jersey, will give him essentially the most fights of any athlete in UFC historical past, breaking a tie with Donald Cerrone. (“Cowboy” will pull again right into a tie for the all-time lead when he duels Justin Gaethje on Sept. 14, his 33rd bout with the promotion.)

With all of that longevity — Miller (30-13, 1 NC general) has been within the UFC since 2008, Guida (35-18) since ’06 — one may assume they’d have coated lots of widespread floor. And these two have certainly executed and seen so much — simply not collectively. This would be the first time the 2 lightweights will even be on the identical struggle card.

Another random bits of historical past:

18: Most UFC light-weight victories

This distinction is owned not by Penn, Frankie Edgar, Khabib Nurmagomedov or another all-time nice at 155 kilos. It is on the résumé of Miller, a 35-year-old everyman out of Sparta Township, New Jersey. And his record-setting whole could be 19 wins if not for Thiago Alves lacking weight earlier than their 2016 struggle, which was scheduled for light-weight however needed to be switched to a catchweight bout.

Miller’s 19 UFC wins put him fifth all time amongst fighters in all weight lessons, behind solely Cerrone (23), Demian Maia (21), Georges St-Pierre (20) and Michael Bisping (20).

With GSP and Bisping retired, that elevates Miller to No. three amongst energetic fighters.

51: Most takedowns by an energetic UFC light-weight

Clay Guida assaults Mac Danzig throughout a 2008 struggle wherein Guida recorded 10 takedowns, most in any of his UFC bouts. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Guida is No. 1 right here, simply forward of a wrestler of some renown — Nurmagomedov (50).

Amongst energetic fighters throughout all divisions, Guida’s whole of 64 takedowns from each his light-weight and featherweight fights ranks him fourth, behind Edgar (68), Nik Lentz (68) and Maia (65).

Probably the most spectacular effort by Guida, a 37-year-old from Spherical Lake, Illinois: a 10-takedown night time in 2008 towards Mac Danzig, the winner of Season 6 of “The Final Fighter” actuality present.

2: Fighters who competed at each UFC 100 and UFC 200

Brock Lesnar walks off after leaving Frank Mir in a heap at UFC 100 in 2009. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Certainly one of them is Miller. (You knew it needed to be him or Guida, proper? In any other case, why would we be citing it right here?) At UFC 100 in Las Vegas, 10 years in the past this month, Miller was dominant in taking a unanimous resolution over Danzig. Seven years later nearly to the day, additionally in Vegas, Miller opened the present at UFC 200 with a first-round TKO of “The Fireball Child,” Takanori Gomi.

The opposite fighter who was on each the 100 and 200 marquees? Brock Lesnar. He headlined UFC 100 with a TKO victory in his first protection of the heavyweight championship, smashing ex-champ Frank Mir and leaving his outdated nemesis (Mir had handed him his solely loss at that time) in a heap on the canvas in Spherical 2. At UFC 200, Lesnar ended a retirement of almost six years to beat up Mark Hunt for 3 rounds, however that unanimous resolution win was overturned to a no contest as a result of Lesnar examined optimistic twice — each in competitors and out — for the banned estrogen blocker clomiphene. Lesnar was suspended for a 12 months by the Nevada Athletic Fee and has not fought since.

19: Title fights at occasions the place Miller has competed*

Georges St-Pierre’s 2010 struggle with Josh Koscheck at UFC 124 in Montreal was GSP’s third straight title protection with Jim Miller on the undercard. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Miller was in his fourth UFC struggle earlier than he was on the undercard of a championship struggle. However that night time, on the much-hyped UFC 100, there really have been two belts on the road. Proper earlier than Lesnar’s heavyweight title protection towards Mir, the co-main occasion featured the best welterweight ever, St-Pierre, defending his belt in a unanimous resolution victory over Alves.

And as soon as Miller and GSP shared a invoice, they made it a daily factor, as in the event that they have been co-stars in a buddy movie. (Would watch.) UFC 100, at which Miller beat Danzig, began a run of three straight St-Pierre defenses that includes Miller on the undercards. When St-Pierre beat Dan Hardy at UFC 111 in March 2010 in Newark, Miller opened the principle card with a win over Mark Bocek. GSP’s victory over Josh Koscheck at UFC 124 that December in Montreal was preceded by Miller’s kneebar submission of Charles Oliveira.

* A kind of title fights was for an interim belt, so perhaps the full needs to be 18 half?

13: Title fights at occasions the place Guida has competed

Anderson Silva makes use of a Muay Thai clinch to beat up Wealthy Franklin and change into UFC middleweight champion at UFC 64 in 2006. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Guida jumped into the championship image in a giant means, too, proper from the beginning. He made his promotional debut at UFC 64, an October 2006 occasion in Las Vegas that featured Sean Sherk’s win over Kenny Florian for the vacant light-weight title and was headlined by Wealthy Franklin’s middleweight protection towards a Brazilian challenger with just one UFC struggle underneath his belt. His title is Anderson Silva, and Silva’s first-round KO of “Ace” started a title reign that may go on for seven years and embrace a then-record 10 defenses. “The Spider” ended up with a 17-fight successful streak if you add up fights that got here earlier than his title run in addition to the occasional detour to mild heavyweight.

The Guida debut? It was a second-round submission win over Justin James. Clearly overshadowed.

1: Important occasion victories for Miller or Guida

Khabib Nurmagomedov and his conventional papakha headwear make their UFC debut in a faceoff with Kamal Shalorus in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2012. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Miller has fought in three UFC essential occasions, successful his first one through first-round submission over Melvin Guillard in 2012. Decrease on the cardboard that night time in Nashville, Tennessee, was a younger fighter making his UFC debut, a wrestler from Dagestan by the title of Khabib Nurmagomedov. The longer term light-weight champion gained through submission over Kamal Shalorus to run his document to 17-Zero. He has gained 10 extra occasions since that night time.

(Truly, there was a means larger debut on the occasion: Jon Anik did UFC play-by-play for the primary time.)

Miller’s different two essential occasions befell in his residence state of New Jersey, and each have been losses. In Could 2012 in East Rutherford, Nate Diaz defeated him by second-round guillotine choke. In July 2014 in Atlantic Metropolis, Miller was clipped by a Cerrone head kick and misplaced by second-round KO.

Guida additionally has fought in three UFC essential occasions, shedding all of them — to Roger Huerta by third-round submission atop the invoice of the Season 6 finale of “The Final Fighter” in 2007 in Las Vegas, to Diego Sanchez by cut up resolution on the TUF 9 finale in 2009 (additionally in Vegas), and to Grey Maynard by cut up resolution in 2012 in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey.

41: Most UFC submission makes an attempt

Jim Miller turns the desk on submission ace Charles Oliveira by clamping on a knee bar at UFC 124 in 2010, handing the Brazilian his first profession submission loss. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Miller holds the UFC document for submission makes an attempt, and eight of them become submission victories. That latter quantity is essentially the most wins by sub in light-weight division historical past, although it is effectively in need of the promotion document of 13, held by Oliveira — whom Miller submitted through knee bar at UFC 124 in Montreal in 2010. It was the Brazilian’s first profession defeat by tapout.

5:20:49 vs. 5:19:16: How Miller’s cage time stacks up with Guida’s

Miller ranks 10th all time in Octagon time throughout all weight divisions, spectacular however not even near Edgar’s document 7 hours, 12 minutes, 33 seconds. Amongst lightweights, nevertheless, Miller is No. 1, since he has spent all of his UFC time within the 155-pound division (apart from the Alves catchweight struggle in 2016), giving him 5:05:49 contained in the cage at 155 kilos. Edgar has been a featherweight for the previous six years and clocks in effectively behind within the division the place he was champ.

As for Guida, he ranks No. three amongst energetic lightweights, at four:00:30. His seven fights at 145 kilos account for the remainder of his whole UFC time, which places him proper behind Miller in seventh place amongst energetic fighters.

19: Cities the place Miller has fought within the UFC — and Guida, too

Clay Guida has fought in Las Vegas six occasions, greater than another place throughout his UFC tenure, nevertheless it’s been eight years since his last outing there, a grinding upset of Anthony Pettis. osh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Photographs

Miller has fought in 19 cities throughout his time within the UFC. Guida has fought in 19 places, too. And whereas they’ve some travelogue commonalities — Miller has competed in Las Vegas eight occasions, Guida six — their paths have by some means by no means intersected.

Saturday’s struggle shall be Miller’s eighth in his residence state of New Jersey. He already has competed 4 occasions in Newark, twice in Atlantic Metropolis and one time in East Rutherford. The one out-of-state locations the place he has fought a number of occasions are Milwaukee and Dallas.

Miller started his UFC run in Birmingham, England, however has fought internationally solely three extra occasions — twice in Canada (Montreal, Vancouver) and as soon as in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Except for Las Vegas, Guida has competed greater than as soon as in solely two locations: Bromfield, Colorado, and his hometown of Chicago. (He fights out of Johnsburg, Illinois, an hour northwest of the United Middle, the place he’s 1-1.) And whereas Vegas is by far his hottest office, Guida has not competed there since 2011, a span of 13 fights.