A rare statistical anomaly occurred twice at UFC 328, where fighters who landed eight or more takedowns in title fights still lost their bouts. Historically, fighters landing 5+ takedowns in UFC title fights win 81.08% of the time, while those with 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Chimaev and Taisumov landed nine and eight takedowns respectively but both lost. Taisumov particularly had quality takedowns with full top control and nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet was still finished. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling provides approximately 80% win probability, total MMA universalism is superior. Wrestling is energy-intensive and highly dependent on health conditions, weight cuts, and other circumstances that can dramatically shift win probabilities against skilled strikers.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
