The UFC is wasting no time in 2014, and just four days into the fresh calendar year, the organization kicks off its first event.

“UFC Fight Night 34: Saffiedine vs. Lim” is far from a star-studded affair for the promotion, but it does represent another step forward in terms of global expansion and showcasing its product to spectators around the world.

After visiting China and Japan this year, octagon sets up in Singapore for the first time with UFC Fight Night 34 at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay. And perhaps most importantly, the card is the first to stream on “UFC Fight Pass,” which means it won’t be televised stateside.

The card may lack meaningful fights since 15 of the 20 competitors make their UFC debut, but the headliner is intriguing as former Strikeforce champion Tarec Saffiedine (14-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his long-overdue UFC debut against dangerous South Korean welterweight Hyun Gyu Lim (12-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).

The first UFC card of the year is rapidly approaching and with the help of FightMetric research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll, here are 25 pre-fight facts about UFC Fight Night 34.

MAIN EVENT

Saffiedine enters the event on a 357-day layoff, the longest break of inactivity in his MMA career.

Saffiedine was the final welterweight champion of the now-defunct Strikeforce organization, where he won the belt from Nate Marquardt in January.

Saffiedine’s 55 leg kicks landed in his title-winning effort against Marquardt were a single-fight record for the organization.

Saffiedine owned the seventh and eighth largest totals for significant strike landed in Strikeforce history in his winning efforts against Marquardt and Scott Smith.

Saffiedine out-landed Smith by 92 strikes in their fight, which was the third largest discrepancy in Strikeforce history.

Saffiedine’s 50.7 percent significant strike accuracy ranked fourth all-time in Strikeforce history. His 494 significant strikes landed in Strikeforce competition were fifth in history.

Saffiedine’s 85.4 percent takedowns defense was the best in Strikeforce history.

Lim is one of two fighters in UFC history (Thiago Alves) to win two consecutive fights with a knockout stemming from a knee strike.

MAIN CARD

Tatsuya Kawajiri’s (32-7-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) 3.4 takedowns landed per 15 minutes of fighting in his PRIDE career stands as the fourth highest rate in the now-defunct organization’s history.

Kawajiri has completed 37 successful takedowns in his past 15 MMA fights. His 68.5 percent takedown accuracy over those 15 fights is 26.5 percent higher than the UFC average of 41 percent.

Kawajiri has landed 45.1 percent of his significant strikes on the ground over his past 15 MMA fights. The UFC average for the category is 23.3 percent.

Kawajiri has absorbed an average of just 1.26 significant strikes per minute over his past 15 MMA fights. The UFC average for the category is 2.61.

Luiz Dutra (11-2-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will compete in just his second MMA fight since November 2009.

Dutra’s lone defeat dating back to June 2004 is the result of an in-fight knee injury against UFC veteran Paulo Thiago.

Kiichi Kunimoto (15-5-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) enters the event on a four-fight MMA winning streak, the longest of his professional career.

Shunichi Shimizu (28-8-10 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has 10 draws on his official MMA record, the most of any fighter currently signed to the UFC roster.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Quinn Mulhern (18-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) enters the event on the heels of the first and only knockout loss of his 21-fight career.

Tae Hyun Bang (16-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut with just two victories in his past five MMA fights.

Max Holloway (7-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), 22, is the youngest fighter on the card.

Holloway enters the event on the first two-fight losing skid of his career.

Holloway is one of the just two fighters in UFC/WEC featherweight history to land 100 or more significant strikes in two or more fights. Nam Phan has accomplished the feat three times.

Holloway’s 120 significant strikes landed against Leonard Garcia at UFC 155 are tied for the fifth most in a single UFC/WEC featherweight fight.

Holloway’s 70.3 percent striking defense ranks fourth in UFC/WEC featherweight history.

Holloway’s 5.14 significant strikes landed per minute of fighting is the second highest rate in UFC/WEC featherweight history behind Phan (5.37).

Will Chope (19-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut on a 14-fight winning streak with 12 of those victories coming by knockout or submission.

For more on UFC Fight Night 34, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Hyun Gyu Lim)