A rare occurrence happened twice at UFC 328, as both Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira lost their championship bouts despite executing eight or more takedowns. Historically, UFC fighters who land five or more takedowns in title fights win 81.08% of the time, and those with seven or more win 83% of the time. Chimaev landed nine takedowns while Taira achieved eight with good control time of nearly 11 minutes against Brandon Moreno. The losses highlight that even elite-level wrestling combined with high takedown numbers doesn't guarantee victory against well-rounded strikers. The analysis suggests that total universalism in skillset remains superior to wrestling-heavy approaches, as wrestling is highly energy-intensive and vulnerable to weight cut issues, injuries, and other variables that can dramatically shift win probability.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
