UFC Fight Night 256 pre-event facts: Melquizael Costa first to three fights in 2025
The second of three UFC events in May goes down Saturday with UFC Fight Night 256 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streams on ESPN+.
Former title challenger Gilbert Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) returns to competition in attempt to snap a three-fight losing skid when he takes on undefeated surging contender Michael Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a five-round welterweight bout.
Go inside the numbers behind UFC Fight Night 256 below with MMA Junkie's pre-event facts.
Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales
Burns' three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since April 2023.
Burns is 3-5 in his past eight fights dating back to February 2021.
Burns is 7-5 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019.
Burns' three armbar submission victories in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Demetrious Johnson (four) and Royce Gracie (four).
Morales' five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the fourth-longest active streak in the division behind Jack Della Maddalena (eight), Shavkat Rakhmonov (seven) and Joaquin Buckley (six).
Morales has earned 13 of his 17 career victories by stoppage.
Morales defends 91.3 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Kamaru Usman (97.3 percent).
Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato
Paul Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) returns to the light heavyweight division after a four-fight stint at middleweight where he went 1-3.
Craig's three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since July 2023.
Craig's six submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Glover Teixeira (seven).
Craig's four submission victories by triangle choke are the most in UFC history.
Craig's victory at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127 is the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight.
Julian Erosa vs. Melquizael Costa
Julian Erosa (30-11 MMA, 9-7 UFC) is 8-3 since he returned to the UFC for a third stint in June 2020.
Erosa has earned 25 of his 30 career victories by stoppage.
Erosa's average fight time of 6:45 in UFC featherweight competition is shortest among active fighters in the weight class.
Melquizael Costa (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC) becomes the first fighter to make three UFC appearances in 2025. He earned victories at UFC Fight Night 252 on Feb. 22 and UFC on ESPN 64 on March 29.
Thiago Moises vs. Jared Gordon
Thiago Moises (19-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) has earned one of 17 stoppage victories in UFC history stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 239.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Nursulton Ruziboev (35-9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has earned 33 of his 35 career victories by stoppage.
Luana Pinheiro vs. Tecia Pennington
Luana Pinheiro's (11-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn't earned a victory since April 2023.
Tecia Pennington's (14-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) competes in her 18th UFC strawweight bout, tied for the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Angela Hill (26).
Pennington's 10 victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Hill (12).
Pennington has earned 12 of her 14 career victories by decision.
Denise Gomes vs. Elise Reed
Elise Reed (8-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over her past nine fights. She was victorious in her most recent bout.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.
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