This article is part of our Fight Stat Wrap series.
The main event ended a bit early thanks to a cut on Nate Diaz's brow, but even before the stoppage, Jorge Masvidal was dominating the bout with his striking. The rest of the main card featured some fighters competing in new weight classes or returning to form. The following is a by-the-numbers recap that highlights the stats and milestones that stood out on the main card, with stats courtesy of UFCStats.com.
Jorge Masvidal takes home the BMF title after stopping Nate Diaz via cut
Most people will remember how this fight ended. However, Masvidal should get credit for totally dominating Diaz in the striking battle. He started things off in the opening round. He outlanded Diaz 35 to 13 on significant strikes and scored a knockdown. In the second round, Masvidal continued his trend with another wide striking margin and another knockdown. The final tally for the fight was Masvidal with 112 significant strikes and two knockdowns, compared to only 43 significant strikes for Diaz.
Only four fighters have ever landed over 100 significant strikes against Diaz. Masvidal's 112 is the third-highest total against Diaz behind only Benson Henderson (124) and Conor McGregor (164). Both Henderson and McGregor needed five rounds, while Masvidal did it in three.
Masvidal not only dominated in the cage, but he also outclassed the field on DraftKings. He finished with 126 points, which was the highest score of the night. There were 10 knockdowns landed on the night and seven DraftKings scores over 100 points, but Masvidal still managed to stand out.
Darren Till does just enough to best Kelvin Gastelum
Neither fighter was really able to be consistent with their striking in this fight. In the end, Gastelum outlanded Till 40 to 36 on significant strikes. Despite this numerical edge, Till seemed to land the harder strikes throughout the contest. On top of that, 19 of his 36 significant strikes were head strikes compared to only eight of 40 for Gastelum. Neither fighter really made their case with this performance. The post-fight talk of a middleweight title shot for Till seems a bit sudden considering her averaged only 2.40 significant strikes per minute.
Another sign of Till's inactivity was his score on DraftKings. He earned only 53 points, which was the lowest score among winning fighters on the night.
Stephen Thompson turns back the clock against Vicente Luque
Coming into this fight, Thompson had gone 1-3-1 in his last five fights. He suffered a brutal knockout in his last time out, and he badly needed a victory. He got it done against Luque with a vintage performance. Luque outlanded Thompson 38 to 32 on significant strikes in the first round. However, Thompson then took over with his unique movement and angles. Over the final two rounds, he landed 106 significant strikes and absorbed only 39. In the final round, he iced the fight with a knockdown. Many predicted the end for Thompson after his recent performance, but he showed here that he can still get it done against a dangerous opponent.
Thompson finished with 109 points on DraftKings, which normally would be a top score. However, on a night like this, it was only good enough for sixth-best. Even though he landed 138 significant strikes -- the most on the night -- he did not do much else besides score a knockdown and take the decision.
Derrick Lewis edges Blagoy Ivanov with new tactics
Lewis seemed to fight with the knowledge that his cardio is not reliable. He took long rest periods and exploded for spurts. He never landed more than 14 significant strikes in a round, but he outlanded Ivanov in each round. For the fight, he landed 31 significant strikes and absorbed only 20. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his performance was his ability to get back to his feet after takedowns. He surrendered three takedowns and three passes. However, he was able to survive or get back to his feet each time.
Lewis narrowly edged out Till in terms of DraftKings. He finished with 53.5 points, which was the second-lowest score of the night for a winning fighter.
Kevin Lee makes quick work of Gregor Gillespie
Both of these former wrestlers decided to have a standup striking battle. Both were willing to slug it out, and it turned out to be the better decision for Lee. Gillespie, who has always relied on his wrestling, had issues with distance. He landed only nine of his 46 significant strike attempts (19 percent). Lee took his time and eventually set up a head kick, which finished the fight. He landed 21 significant strikes, which was the fewest strikes he has ever needed to score a KO/TKO in the UFC.
Lee's quick finish was good enough for the fourth highest score of the night on DraftKings. He earned 110.5 points, which tied him with Shane Burgos.
