Rare UFC 328 stat: Two title fighters with 8+ takedowns both lost

UFC 328 saw a rare statistical anomaly occur twice, as both Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira landed eight or more takedowns in their title fights yet both lost. Historically, fighters who land five or more takedowns in UFC title fights win 81% of the time, and those with seven or more win 83% of the time. Chimaev landed nine takedowns while Taira landed eight with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The post analyzes that this demonstrates the importance of well-rounded skills over pure wrestling, as factors like weight cutting, injuries, and fatigue can significantly impact wrestling-heavy approaches against elite strikers.