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

A highly unusual statistical anomaly occurred at UFC 328 when two fighters who executed 8 or more takedowns in title fights both lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5+ takedowns in championship fights win 81% of the time, while those landing 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed 8, with Taira achieving nearly 11 minutes of control time and quality positions, yet both were defeated. The post analyzes that while elite wrestlers maintain strong win percentages, total universalism in skillsets proves more reliable as wrestling is energy-intensive and dependent on health factors like weight cutting, injuries, and overall conditioning. The results underscore that even dominant grappling performances can be overcome by well-rounded strikers.