At UFC 328, an unusual statistical anomaly occurred twice when fighters who secured 8 or more takedowns in title fights still lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters landing 5 or more takedowns in title fights win 81.08% of the time, and those with 7 or more win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed 8 with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both lost their championship fights. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling remains highly effective, complete mixed martial arts versatility is increasingly crucial, as wrestling is energy-intensive and highly dependent on weight cut, health, and other variables that can drastically shift winning percentages against well-rounded strikers.
UFC 328 produced a striking statistical rarity on Saturday night when two fighters each secured a high volume of takedowns in championship bouts and still came away empty-handed, raising fresh questions about the limits of elite wrestling at the sport's highest level.
Khamzat "Borz" Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-ten pound-for-pound fighter in the world, landed nine takedowns in his title challenge yet fell short of capturing the belt. The 32-year-old representing the UAE out of Allstars Training Center carries a 15-1-0 record and is one of the most physically imposing grapplers in the division, standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. He averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes in his career and lands significant strikes at a rate of 4.04 per minute with 60 percent accuracy, making his defeat all the more unexpected on paper.
In the flyweight title fight, Japan's Tatsuro Taira told a similarly frustrating story. The 26-year-old from The Blackbelt Japan, ranked fifth at 125 pounds, landed eight takedowns and accumulated nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet could not secure the championship. Taira owns an 18-2-0 record, averages 3.12 takedowns per 15 minutes, and attempts submissions at a rate of 1.6 per 15 minutes, underlining just how active he was on the mat.
Why it matters
- UFC data shows fighters landing five or more takedowns in title fights win 81 percent of the time, and those with seven or more win 83 percent — making two losses in the same night at those thresholds historically unusual.
- Both results suggest well-rounded championship-level strikers can neutralize even dominant wrestlers when the latter cannot finish.
- Wrestling remains energy-intensive and sensitive to variables like weight cuts and conditioning, factors that appear increasingly decisive against complete mixed martial artists at title level.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
