UFC 328 sees rare double occurrence: fighters with 8+ takedowns lose title bouts

At UFC 328, a rare statistical anomaly occurred twice in one event: fighters who executed eight or more takedowns in title fights both lost their bouts. 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. However, Khamzat Chimaev landed nine takedowns against Sean Strickland and still lost, while Tatsuro Taira completed eight takedowns with nearly 11 minutes of control time against Joshua Van but was finished. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling remains an 80% winning formula, total versatility in all aspects of MMA is superior, as wrestling is energy-intensive and highly dependent on weight cut, health conditions, and other circumstances that can dramatically shift odds against even skilled strikers.