UFC 328 saw rare back-to-back losses despite 8+ takedowns in title fights

A statistical anomaly occurred at UFC 328 when two fighters lost title fights despite landing 8 or more takedowns. Historically, UFC fighters who land 5+ takedowns in title fights win 81.08% of the time, and those landing 7+ takedowns win 83% of the time. Khamzat Chimaev and Tatsuro Taira both defied these odds, landing 9 and 8 takedowns respectively yet losing their bouts. Taira controlled his opponent for nearly 11 minutes with quality takedowns but was still finished. The analysis suggests that while elite wrestling remains highly effective, total versatility is increasingly important as wrestling is energy-intensive and vulnerable to various factors like weight cutting issues, injuries, or travel fatigue.