UFC Brooklyn fighter fun facts
Team USA wrestler Henry Cejudo poses with his Olympic gold medal after defeating Shingo Matsumoto of Japan in the men's 55kg freestyle wrestling event on Aug. 19, 2008 in Beijing, China. Credit: Getty Images/Jed Jacobsohn
Learn a little more about each of the fighters on the UFC on ESPN+ 1 fight card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Jan. 19.
UFC Brooklyn main card, 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Henry Cejudo vs. T.J. Dillashaw
-- When Henry Cejudo beat Demetrious Johnson to win the flyweight title, he became just the second Olympic medal winner from the U.S. to win a UFC championship.
-- T.J. Dillashaw isn't the first fighter to fight for one UFC title while holding another, but unlike B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes before him, Dillashaw is the first to go down in weight to do so.
Greg Hardy vs. Allen Crowder
-- Greg Hardy was selected in the sixth round, 175th overall, by the Carolina Panthers in 2010 with a pick obtained from the Oakland Raiders.
-- Since his last fight at UFC 218 -- a knockout loss -- on Dec. 2, 2017, Allen Crowder has started a martial arts academy, became a father and recovered from a torn meniscus.
Gregor Gillespie vs. Yancy Medeiros
-- Gregor Gillespie, who trains at Bellmore Kickboxing MMA, calls himself "The Best Fisherman in MMA" and he has an Instagram account to back up that claim.
-- Yancy Medeiros had his SUV stolen on Christmas Eve, then used his social media accounts to ask for help. The next day, with help from residents and police in Hawaii, he found it.
Joseph Benavidez vs. Dustin Ortiz
-- If you happened to be in Las Cruces, New Mexico on April 27, 2010, you were present for Joseph Benavidez Day. The flyweight's home town gave him the honor after his upset win over Miguel Torres for the WEC bantamweight championship.
-- Dustin Ortiz holds the UFC flyweight record for fastest knockout following his 15-second win over Hector Sandoval in August 2017.
Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich
-- Paige VanZant was the seventh pro athlete to finish as runner-up on "Dancing With The Stars." She teamed with Mark Ballas for Season 22 in 2016.
-- Rachael Ostovich worked as a substitute teacher and waitress in Hawaii before she became a fighter.
Glover Teixeira vs. Karl Roberson
-- Glover Teixeira emigrated from Brazil to Connecticut in 1999 and began work in landscaping to earn a living.
-- Karl Roberson, who replaced Ion Cutelaba on eight days' notice, last fought at middleweight at MSG in November. On several occasions in 2016, Roberson sparred with former champion Chris Weidman.
UFC Brooklyn prelims, 8 p.m. on ESPN
Donald Cerrone vs. Alexander Hernandez
-- Donald Cerrone's "Cowboy" persona extends well beyond the cage. The Colorado native spends much of his time on his ranch property in Edgewood, New Mexico, where he opened his own training facility in 2014 and hosts coaches and training partners during fight camps.
-- Alexander Hernandez, meanwhile, is a bit more white collar than "Cowboy." Holding a degree in business finance from the University of Texas-San Antonio, and while recovering from a severe knee injury early in his career, he worked as a mortgage loan officer.
Joanne Calderwood vs. Ariane Lipski
-- Joanne Calderwood was the first professional female MMA fighter from Scotland.
-- Nicknamed "The Violence Queen," Ariane Lipski has six of her 11 wins via knockout. The 24-year-old Brazilian will be making her UFC debut.
Alonzo Menifield vs. Vinicius Moreira
-- Alonzo Menifield needed just eight seconds to knock out his opponent and earn a UFC contract last summer on "Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series." He also played football at Texas A&M - Commerce.
-- Eight of Vinicius Moreira's nine career wins have been by submission, including five in the first round.
Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
-- Cory Sandhagen, who trains with the Elevation Fight Team in Denver, has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Colorado University - Boulder. He was supposed to fight John Lineker, who pulled out of the bout last week with an injury.
-- Mario Bautista will be making his UFC debut on a week's notice when he arrives at Barclays Center. Bautista is 6-0 with five finishes in his young career.
UFC Brooklyn early prelims, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
Dennis Bermudez vs. Te Edwards
-- In 2016, Dennis Bermudez, who trains at Long Island MMA in Farmingdale, entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest time to drink one liter of lemon juice through a straw. He did it in 22.75 seconds. The record was broken in 2018 by a man in Germany.
-- Te Edwards has six career victories, all via first-round knockout, including three in less than 43 seconds.
Belal Muhammad vs. Geoff Neal
-- Belal Muhammad has a decent backup if he wants to quit the fight game. According to the UFC's official website, Muhammad graduated with a law degree from the University of Illinois.
-- Geoff Neal works as a waiter in a Dallas restaurant while he pursues his fighting career.
Chance Rencountre vs. Kyle Stewart
-- Upon joining the UFC in 2018, Chance Rencountre told the promotion's official website he still had a full-time job outside of fighting. Recountre said he works as a carpenter framing houses in his life beyond the cage.
-- Kyle Stewart won his bout on Season 1 of Dana White's "Contender" series but did not receive a contract in 2017. He steps in on a week's notice to replace Randy Brown.
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
