UFC 167 will be one of the more memorable cards from 2013. We saw big names in action, a controversial decision in the main event, a few fighters potentially thinking about retirement and some young guns prove their mettle.
Amidst that whirlwind of activity, some interesting stats were generated in the Octagon. Take a look at some of the noteworthy numbers.
Rashad Evans Shuts Down Chael Sonnen‘s Takedown Attempts
When was the last time we saw Sonnen fail to register one takedown in a fight in which he actually attempted one? Sonnen didn’t take Jon Jones down, but he didn’t officially have an attempt in that bout.
You have to go back more than eight years to UFC 55 to find an instance where all of Sonnen‘s takedown attempts were snuffed. Renato “Babalu” Sobral shut Sonnen out then and submitted him via triangle choke.
On Saturday night, Evans stopped Sonnen‘s only attempt to take him to the mat. He subsequently landed his own and simply beat up the sport’s best self-promoter. At this point, I’m hoping this is the loss that sends Sonnen where he belongs, the WWE.
Georges St-Pierre Got Hit a Lot
The main event was close. Johny Hendricks seemed to earn the win, but GSP came away with the victory officially. After the fight, GSP certainly looked like the guy who had taken the beating.
Those bumps and bruises were a product of an assault that was beyond any level of damage the champion had ever faced. Hendricks landed 85 significant strikes (44 percent) and 142 attacks in all (50 percent) against GSP.
To put those numbers in perspective, Hendricks’ significant strikes percentage was more than double the amount Carlos Condit landed against GSP in another tough defense for the champion back in 2012. It is no wonder GSP talked about retirement in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
Each round has to be scored individually, and I think that’s what many people don’t understand. You can’t just look at the fighters and say, “Look at GSP, and look at Hendricks. Who looks like the winner?” Most of GSP‘s damage came in the second and fourth rounds.
That said, the key round for the judges was the first one. Two judges gave GSP the first frame despite the fact that Hendricks seemed to do the better work in the round.
Had this round been scored differently, we’d have a new UFC welterweight champion.
86 Significant Strikes in 13 Minutes and 35 Seconds
After UFC 167, where Josh Koscheck was brutally knocked out by up-and-coming star Tyron Woodley, Kos texted UFC head man Dana White with what sounded like his notice of retirement, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
Koscheck has lost three fights in a row with two coming via KO. Prior to the loss to Woodley, Koscheck was finished by another devastating puncher in “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. Before that fight, he lost a split decision to Hendricks.
That’s three fights against massively strong and heavy-hitting competition. Over the course of 13:35, Koscheck has absorbed 86 significant strikes from these men. With no wins to show for the damage he’s taken, it is easy to understand how the 35-year-old would be contemplating retirement.
All stat references per FightMetric.com
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