UFC 328 saw rare double occurrence of 8+ takedown title fight losses

At UFC 328, a rare statistical anomaly occurred twice when fighters who completed 8 or more takedowns in title fights still lost their bouts. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5 or more takedowns in title fights win 81.08% of the time, while those landing 7 or more win 83% of the time. Hamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira both defied these odds, completing 9 and 8 takedowns respectively but still losing. Taira's takedowns were particularly effective, with full control positions lasting nearly 11 minutes, yet he was still finished by Joshua Van. The analysis suggests this highlights the importance of well-rounded universal skills over pure wrestling ability, as wrestling is energy-intensive and dependent on various factors like weight cutting, injuries, and overall health. The post notes that against high-level strikers with universal skills, even dominant wrestlers can see their win probability drop significantly if any physical factors are compromised.