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By The Numbers: Tyrone Spong vs. Sergei Kharitonov



Home run hitters shoulder the marquee for Eagle Fighting Championship, as the Khabib Nurmagomedov-fronted organization breaks into the American market for the first time.

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Kickboxing superstar Tyrone Spong will return to mixed martial arts for the first time in more than eight years when he faces Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA veteran Sergei Kharitonov in the EFC 44 main event on Friday at the FLX Arena in Miami. Spong operates out of the star-studded Sanford MMA camp in Boca Raton, Florida, where he sharpens his skills under famed trainer Henri Hooft. He was originally slated to meet former EliteXC champion Antonio Silva. Kharitonov, meanwhile, has won three of his past five bouts. He last competed under the Modern Fighting Pankration banner on Nov. 6, when he wiped out Fabio Maldonado with punches in less than four minutes.

As Spong and Kharitonov approach their headlining attraction, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:

36: Years of age for Spong, who was born on Sept. 3, 1985 in Paramaribo, Suriname.

1: Spong win by knockout, accounting for 50% of his career total (two). He buried Travis Bartlett with punches 3:15 into the first round of their World Series of Fighting 1 pairing in November 2012. Spong owns one other win by decision.

3,093: Days since Spong last appeared as a mixed martial artist. He laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Angel DeAnda at WSOF 4 on Aug. 10, 2013.

2: Professional boxing championships on the Spong mantle. He holds the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization Latino heavyweight titles.

1,095: Seconds spent by Spong in MMA competition. That equates to 18:15 of actual fight time, or a little less than four total rounds. However, Spong wields plenty of combat sports experience, as he carries a perfect 14-0 record as a boxer and a 107-7-1 mark as a kickboxer.

41: Years of age for Kharitonov, who was born in Plesetsk, Russia, on Aug. 18, 1980.

29: Kharitonov victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, accounting for 94% of his career total (31). His list of victims includes Matt Mitrione, Roy Nelson, Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem, Pedro Rizzo and Semmy Schilt. Kharitonov sports two other victories by decision.

9: Countries in which Kharitonov has fought as a mixed martial artist. He has gone 10-4 in Japan, 8-0 with one no contest in Russia, 5-3 with one no contest in the United States, 3-0 in Ukraine, 2-0 in the United Arab Emirates, 1-0 in China, 1-0 in Kazakhstan, 1-0 in Belarus and 0-1 in Israel.

15: First-round finishes on the Kharitonov resume, including three of the sub-minute variety. He submitted Osmanli Vagabov by undisclosed means in 47 seconds at Tournament of Real Men 8 on Feb. 20, 2003, subdued John Delgado with a keylock in 34 seconds at a Russian MMA Championship event on June 1, 2012 and punched out Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in 40 seconds at M-1 Challenge 80 on June 15, 2017.

.720: Cumulative winning percentage between the eight men—Overeem, Cheick Kongo, Linton Vassell, Javy Ayala, Josh Barnett, Jeff Monson, Aleksander Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira—who have beaten Kharitonov. They boast a combined record of 267-99-5.
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