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

At UFC 328, a rare statistical anomaly occurred twice as fighters who completed 8 or more takedowns in title fights ended up losing their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters who land 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, yet both lost their respective fights. Taira's takedowns were particularly high-quality with full position and nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet he was still finished by his opponent. The post analyzes how even elite wrestling can fall to complete mixed martial arts skill sets, particularly when factors like weight cutting, injuries, or other circumstances affect a wrestler's performance. The analysis suggests this demonstrates that while wrestling remains highly effective, total versatility is even more valuable in championship competition.