An extremely rare statistical anomaly occurred at UFC 328 when two fighters both lost their title bouts despite securing 8 or more takedowns. Historically, UFC fighters who complete 5+ takedowns in championship fights win 81% of the time, while those with 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira recorded 9 and 8 takedowns respectively but both lost their championship contests. Taira particularly achieved high-quality takedowns with nearly 11 minutes of control time and full mount positions, yet was still finished by Kai Asakura. The post analyzes that despite elite wrestling remaining an 80% winning strategy, total versatility in fighting styles proves even more critical at the championship level, as wrestling is extremely energy-intensive and vulnerable to numerous variables like weight cutting issues, injuries, and cardio limitations.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
