The UFC kicks off five scheduled events in March on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 253, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streams on ESPN+.

Flyweight contenders will clash in the headliner, with Manel Kape (20-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) and Asu Almabayev (21-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) set to battle in a five-round bout as both sides try to push toward their first UFC championship opportunity.

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 Fight Night 253.

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Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev

Manel Kape

Manel Kape

Kape has earned 17 of his 20 career victories by stoppage.

Kape lands 56.2 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (57.2 percent) and CJ Vergara (57 percent).

Asu Almabayev

Asu Almabayev

Almabayev’s four-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Alexandre Pantoja (seven).

Almabayev has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.

Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez

Cody Brundage

Cody Brundage (10-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) is one of 14 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 52.

Julian Marquez’s (9-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since April 2021.

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics

Nasrat Haqparast

Nasrat Haqparast’s (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Islam Makhachev (14), Paddy Pimblett (six) and Fares Ziam (five).

Esteban Ribovics’ (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) 37-second knockout victory at UFC on ESPN 56 marked the fastest head kick finish in UFC lightweight history.

William Gomis vs. Hyder Amil

William Gomis

William Gomis’ (14-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the division behind Movsar Evloev (eight), Ilia Topuria (seven), Lerone Murphy (seven) and Steve Garcia (five).

Gomis has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.

Ricardo Ramos vs. Chepe Mariscal

Ricardo Ramos

Ricardo Ramos (17-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is 4-4 since he moved up to the featherweight division in November 2019.

Ramos is one of two fighters in UFC history to earn multiple knockout victories stemming from a spinning back elbow. Molly McCann also accomplished the feat.

Ramos has earned two of the eight spinning back elbow knockouts in UFC history. McCann, Dong Hyun Kim, Jiri Prochazka, Brunno Ferreira and Uros Medic also accomplished the feat.

Ramos completes 60 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Diego Brandao (68 percent).

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. John Castaneda

Douglas Silva de Andrade

Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is 7-6 in his past 13 fights after starting his career on a 23-fight unbeaten streak.

Andrea Lee vs. JJ Aldrich

Andrea Lee

Andrea Lee (13-10 MMA, 5-8 UFC) competes in her 14th UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied with Katlyn Cerminara for the most appearances in divisional history.

Lee’s five-fight losing skid is tied for the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since November 2021.

Lee’s five-fight losing skid in UFC competition is tied with Marion Reneau, Cynthia Calvillo, Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Ji Yeon Kim for the longest of any female in company history.

Lee’s four split-decision losses in UFC competition are tied with five other fighters for most in company history.

Lee has landed 21 takedowns in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Valentina Shevchenko (47) and Miranda Maverick (23).

Lee is one of 12 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by triangle-armbar. She accomplished the feat at UFC 262.

JJ Aldrich (13-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is 6-4 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in March 2019.

Montana De La Rosa vs. Luana Carolina

Montana De La Rosa

Montana De La Rosa (13-9-1 MMA, 6-5-1 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC women’s flyweight bout, tied for the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Cerminara (14).

De La Rosa’s four stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Gillian Robertson (seven) and Shevchenko (five).

De La Rosa’s three submission victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Robertson (six).

Charles Johnson vs. Ramazonbek Temirov

Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson (17-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was one of two fighters to earn four UFC victories in 2024. Carlos Prates also accomplished the feat.

Johnson’s four-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Pantoja (seven).

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 253.

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