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

At UFC 328, two fighters who completed 8 or more takedowns in title fights both lost, a rare statistical anomaly. Historically in UFC championship bouts, fighters who land 5+ takedowns win 81.08% of the time, while those landing 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev and Taiyo Taira landed 9 and 8 takedowns respectively but both lost their title fights. Taira's takedowns were particularly high-quality with full positions and nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet he was still finished by Joshua Van without showing fatigue or mental breakdown. The analysis suggests this demonstrates that while elite wrestling provides approximately 80% win probability, total MMA versatility remains superior, as wrestling is highly energy-intensive and vulnerable to variables like weight cut issues, minor injuries, or opponent's defensive skills.