Chimaev and Taira suffer rare losses despite landing 8+ takedowns at UFC 328

UFC 328 saw an unusual statistical anomaly occur twice in title fights. Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira both landed 8+ takedowns in their respective championship bouts but still lost their fights. Historically, fighters who complete 5+ takedowns in UFC title fights win 81% of the time, and those with 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Taira particularly executed high-quality takedowns with full mount positions and nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet was still finished by Kai Asakura. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling remains highly effective, complete mixed martial arts skill sets are becoming increasingly important. Factors like weight cutting issues, injuries, or fighting in unfavorable locations can significantly impact even dominant wrestlers' performance.