A rare statistical anomaly occurred at UFC 328 when two fighters lost title fights despite recording eight or more takedowns. Historically, fighters landing five or more takedowns in UFC title fights win 81.08% of the time, and those with seven-plus win 83% of the time. Hamzat Chimaev landed nine takedowns against Sean Strickland but lost by split decision, while Tatsuro Taira executed eight takedowns with nearly 11 minutes of control against Joshua Van yet was stopped. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling remains an 80% predictor of success, total well-rounded skills are superior, as wrestling is energy-intensive and vulnerable to health variables like weight cuts, injuries, and jet lag. The post argues that fighters like Chimaev would benefit from developing more complete striking games rather than relying primarily on wrestling.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
