Tapology has implemented a new feature displaying opponent quality levels in UFC fighter profiles, calculated using a special formula and expressed on a scale from 1 to 99. The metric considers only a fighter's last six UFC bouts, excluding fights in other organizations. For UFC 328, Sean Strickland leads with a score of 74, followed by Khamzat Chimaev at 69 and Alexander Volkov at 67. Joaquin Buckley and Sean Brady round out the top five with scores of 55 and 54 respectively. At the bottom of the card, Baysangur Susurkaev and Ozzy Diaz both scored 4, while Jorgen Santos, Yaroslav Amosov, and Ateba Gautier each registered 6-7. This new metric provides fans with quantifiable data on the level of competition fighters have faced.
Tapology has rolled out a new opponent quality metric for UFC fighter profiles, offering fans a data-driven look at the caliber of competition each fighter has faced heading into UFC 328 on May 9.
The tool assigns every fighter a score from 1 to 99, derived from a proprietary formula that evaluates only their last six bouts inside the UFC. Fights completed in other organizations are excluded from the calculation entirely.
Among the UFC 328 roster, middleweight champion Sean Strickland sits atop the leaderboard with a score of 74. The 35-year-old American, who fights out of Xtreme Couture and carries a 31-7-0 record, has built his resume against consistently high-level opposition. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, Strickland averages 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute, one of the higher output rates in the division.
Khamzat Chimaev follows at 69, with Alexander Volkov third at 67. Volkov, a 37-year-old Russian heavyweight ranked number one in his division, holds a 40-11-0 record and boasts a 57 percent striking accuracy across his UFC career. At six-foot-seven with an 80-inch reach, the Strela Team product has logged 4.78 significant strikes landed per minute.
Joaquin Buckley and Sean Brady round out the top five at 55 and 54 respectively.
At the opposite end of the scale, Baysangur Susurkaev and Ozzy Diaz each scored a 4, reflecting limited UFC-level track records. Jorgen Santos, Yaroslav Amosov, and Ateba Gautier registered scores between 6 and 7. Gautier, 24 years old and fighting out of a switch stance, carries an 11-1-0 record with a six-foot-four frame and an 81-inch reach, but his short UFC tenure naturally limits his score under this formula.
Why it matters
- The metric gives context beyond win-loss records by isolating UFC-specific competition quality
- Fighters near the top of the rankings, like Volkov at number one heavyweight, tend to score higher due to mandatory bouts against elite opponents
- New or recently promoted fighters are structurally disadvantaged by the six-fight window, which the data for Gautier illustrates clearly
Saturday, May 9, 2026
