UFC 328 featured an unusual occurrence happening twice: fighters who landed 8+ takedowns in title fights both lost. Historically, UFC fighters landing 5+ takedowns in title bouts win 81.08% of the time, while those landing 7+ win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev landed nine takedowns and Tatsuro Taira landed eight with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling maintains an 80% win rate, total well-rounded skills are superior, as wrestling is energy-intensive and highly dependent on health, weight cut, and circumstances. The post notes Chimaev showed potential as a more complete striker and argues both fighters would benefit from developing more universally mixed approaches rather than wrestling-heavy strategies.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
