Chimaev and Taira lose despite landing 8+ takedowns at UFC 328

A rare occurrence happened twice at UFC 328 when fighters who landed 8 or more takedowns in title fights lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5+ takedowns in title fights win 81% of the time, while those landing 7+ win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed 8 with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The analysis suggests this demonstrates the value of complete mixed martial arts skills over specialization in wrestling alone. Despite strong grappling performances, both fighters were outperformed by more well-rounded strikers.