UFC 328 featured an unusual statistical occurrence when both Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira lost their title fights despite landing 8 or more takedowns. Historically, fighters who land 5+ takedowns in UFC title fights win 81.08% of the time, while those with 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Chimaev landed 9 takedowns and Taira secured 8 with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both lost their championship bouts. The analysis suggests this demonstrates that while elite wrestling provides an 80% win probability, complete versatility across all fighting disciplines remains superior. The post argues that wrestling is highly energy-intensive and dependent on weight cuts, health status, and other circumstances that can dramatically shift odds against pure strikers who possess well-rounded skills.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
