Chimaev and Taira become rare title fight losers despite 8+ takedowns at UFC 328

At UFC 328, a rare statistical anomaly occurred twice as both Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira lost their title fights despite recording 8+ takedowns each. Historically, fighters who complete 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 while Taira completed 8 with nearly 11 minutes of control time, yet both were defeated. The post analyzes how wrestling, while highly effective, remains energy-intensive and dependent on weight cut conditions, health status, and other circumstances. The author suggests that total versatility and striking skills are increasingly important, even for elite grapplers, as opponents can neutralize grappling advantages with strong defensive skills and counter-striking.