UFC 328 sees rare occurrence as two title fighters lose despite 8+ takedowns

At UFC 328, an unusual statistical anomaly occurred twice when fighters who completed 8 or more takedowns in title bouts both lost their fights. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5+ takedowns in championship fights win 81.08% of the time, while those landing 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed 8 takedowns with almost 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestlers maintain roughly 80% win probability, total well-roundedness remains superior to specialized grappling, as wrestling is energy-intensive and heavily dependent on health conditions and circumstances.