UFC 328 sees rare losses despite 8+ takedowns in title fights

At UFC 328, an unusual statistical anomaly occurred twice as fighters who executed 8 or more takedowns in championship bouts both lost their fights. Historically, fighters completing 5+ takedowns in UFC title fights win 81.08% of the time, while those with 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed 8 takedowns with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The analysis suggests this demonstrates that total skill universality remains superior to pure wrestling dominance, as wrestling is highly energy-intensive and dependent on health conditions, weight cutting, and other circumstantial factors. The post examines how even elite wrestlers maintain only 80% win probability and discusses implications for fighters like Chimaev developing more well-rounded striking games.