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

UFC 328 saw an unusual statistical anomaly occur twice on the same card, with fighters losing title fights despite recording eight or more takedowns. Historically, UFC fighters who land five or more takedowns in title fights win 81.08 percent of the time, while those landing seven or more win 83 percent. Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira both defied these odds, completing nine and eight takedowns respectively while still losing their bouts. Taira maintained nearly 11 minutes of control time with quality takedowns but was ultimately finished by Joshua Van. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling maintains an 80 percent win probability, total mixed martial arts versatility proves superior, as wrestling's energy demands create vulnerabilities when facing well-rounded strikers under less-than-optimal conditions.