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

At UFC 328, a statistical rarity occurred twice when fighters who completed 8 or more takedowns in title fights still lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5+ takedowns in title fights win 81% of the time, and those with 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Kai Kara-France landed 8 takedowns with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling remains highly effective, total well-roundedness is superior since wrestling is energy-intensive and heavily dependent on weight cuts, health, and other circumstances. The post argues that elite strikers who are also well-rounded can neutralize even dominant wrestling when conditions aren't perfect for the wrestler.