Chimaev and Taira lose despite landing 8+ takedowns at UFC 328

At UFC 328, a rare statistical occurrence happened twice: fighters who executed 8 or more takedowns in title fights still lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters landing 5 or more takedowns in championship fights win 81.08% of the time, while those landing 7 or more win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed 8 with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The post analyzes that this demonstrates the importance of being a complete mixed martial artist, as wrestling alone—despite being highly effective—can be compromised by weight cutting issues, injuries, or strong defensive opponents. The analysis suggests Chimaev should develop more diverse striking skills and tactical approaches rather than relying primarily on wrestling.