UFC 236 fight card and fighter fun facts
Champion Max Holloway leaves the octagon after defeating Brian Ortega in a featherweight bout at UFC 231 on Dec. 8, 2018 in Toronto. Credit: Getty Images/Vaughn Ridley
UFC 236 includes two interim title fights at the top of the card on Saturday, April 13, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Reigning featherweight champion Max Holloway moves up to challenge for the interim lightweight title against Dustin Poirier, and Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya take a shot at the interim middleweight title.
Below is the latest UFC 236 fight card along with a fun fact on each fighter.
UFC 236 main card, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier
Max Holloway, the reigning UFC featherweight champion, keeps all the MMA championship belts he was won in his career in boxes in the bottom of his closet -- on the side he doesn't even use. "Out of sight, out of mind," Holloway told Newsday recently.
Dustin Poirier ranks first in UFC lightweight history in strike differential at 2.69 and ranks second in strikes landed per minute at 7.1
Dustin Poirier on the scales during UFC 208 early weigh-ins in Brooklyn on Feb. 10, 2017. Credit: Newsday/Mark La Monica
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya
Before getting a spot on Season 17 of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2013, Kelvin Gastelum worked as a bail bondsman in Arizona.
Israel Adesanya is No. 1 in UFC middleweight history in significant strikes defense at 69.1 percent (minimum five fights and 350 attempts by an opponent).
Eryk Anders vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
With three minutes to go in the BCS National Championship Game in 2010 and Alabama leading by just three points, it was Crimson Tide linebacker Eryk Anders who came off the left edge to sack Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert and force a fumble recovered by Alabama at the Texas 3-yard line. That led to an Alabama touchdown and secured Anders and the Crimson Tide the national title.
Khalil Rountree Jr. lost his father in 1992 when he was murdered in a Chicago hotel while working as a road manager for Boyz II Men.
Alan Jouban vs. Dwight Grant
Before getting into MMA, Alan Jouban was a professional model. He was one of the faces of a Versace fragrance called Dylan Blue in 2016.
Dwight Grant accepted a fight at UFC Brooklyn in January on a week's notice, but he was not cleared by the New York State Athletic Commission because of an eye issue.
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
Ovince Saint Preux has nine stoppage victories in the UFC light heavyweight division, tied with Chuck Liddell for second in the promotion's history. Jon Jones leads with 10.
During a two-year run between 2014 and 2016, Nikita Krylov had the longest active streak of finishes in the UFC with five. One loss later, he did not renew his contract and fought closer to his home in the Ukraine before returning to the UFC in September 2018.
UFC 236 prelims, 8 p.m. on ESPN
Jalin Turner vs. Matt Frevola
Jalin Turner uses "Tarantula" as his fighter nickname. Because he fights like that? Because he admired Anderson "Spider" Silva? Maybe. But he also happens to thoroughly enjoy tarantulas.
Huntington's Matt Frevola is a lieutenant in the Army reserves.
Huntington's Matt Frevola hits pads on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 at Longo and Weidman MMA in Garden City. Credit: Newsday / Ryan Gerbosi
Wilson Reis vs. Alexandre Pantoja
In 2004, Wilson Reis —then a brown belt — won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships.
Alexandre Pantoja reached the semifinals on Season 24 of "The Ultimate Fighter," consisting of flyweight champions from other organizations around the world.
Max Griffin vs. Zelim Imadaev
Max Griffin said he thought the voicemail he received from the UFC about being on "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2012 initially was a prank call. He called them back. It wasn't. He lost his entry round bout, then went 8-1 before signing with the UFC in 2016.
This will be the UFC debut for Russian welterweight Zelim Imadaev, who is 8-0 with all wins coming via knockout. Only three of his fights so far have lasted more than one round. This will be his first fight in the Western Hemisphere.
Boston Salmon vs. Khalid Taha
Boston Salmon top-tier amateur boxer who lost a USA Boxing national quarterfinal bout in 2011 to Errol Spence Jr., now the reigning IBF welterweight champion and listed among the pound-for-pound best pro boxers in the world. He also played on the same youth baseball team in Waianae, Hawaii, as Max Holloway.
This will be the first fight in the United States for Khalid Taha, who is based out of Germany and is of German and Lebanese descent.
UFC 236 early prelims, 6:15 p.m. on UFC Fight Pass
Curtis Millender vs. Belal Muhammad
The 34 days in between fights for Curtis Millender (he lost on March 9) breaks his personal record of shortest time in between fights. Millender made his UFC debut on Feb. 18, 2018, 37 days after he fought in LFA. He won a performance of the night bonus that night, too.
Sometimes, fans don't do their homework, such as that time in 2016 when fans thought their chant in Belal Muhammad's fight against Alan Jouban in Las Vegas was derogatory. "A lot of people were screaming, ‘USA! USA! USA!'" Muhammad told MMA Fighting. "I'm like, ‘Dude, I'm American. I'm a citizen. What are you talking about?' I was born in Chicago."
Montel Jackson vs. Andre Soukhamthath
Poor Andre Soukhamthath, who last year was being called the dumbest fighter in UFC history for his decision to take down Sean O'Malley in the final round after he clearly injured his foot and couldn't walk.
Count Montel Jackson among those not in favor of the recent swell in fighters barking at each other via social media and taking aim at their families.
Lauren Mueller vs. Poliana Botelho
Lauren Mueller, who trains at Alliance MMA in San Diego, was a full-time nurse before changing careers to become an MMA fighter. She won a UFC contract via White's "Contender" series.
Poliana Botelho was a flyweight champion for XFC in Brazil before signing with the UFC in 2016.
Brandon Davis vs. Randy Costa
Brandon Davis has fought as high as lightweight in his 15-fight career, but this will be his first at bantamweight.
Randy Costa always brings a photo of his late friend Devin Carrier, who died in a car accident in 2016, with him to weigh-ins.
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
