UFC 328 sees rare double occurrence of fighters losing despite 8+ takedowns

At UFC 328, a highly unusual statistical anomaly occurred twice in one event when fighters who completed 8 or more takedowns still lost their title fights. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5 or more takedowns in championship bouts win 81.08% of the time, while those with 7 or more 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 lost their respective fights. The analysis suggests this highlights how even elite-level wrestling carries inherent vulnerabilities related to energy expenditure, weight cuts, and injuries. The post argues that total well-roundedness in MMA skills remains superior to wrestling-heavy approaches, as wrestling effectiveness can drop dramatically from 80% success to 20% against skilled strikers when circumstances aren't optimal.