Tag: Stats

UFC 167: GSP Set to Break Multiple Records with Win over Johny Hendricks

Georges St-Pierre is pretty good, guys and gals. 
Already the owner of the longest title reign in UFC welterweight history, GSP can snag several other honorable distinctions with a victory over title challenger Johny Hendricks Saturday evening at …

Georges St-Pierre is pretty good, guys and gals. 

Already the owner of the longest title reign in UFC welterweight history, GSP can snag several other honorable distinctions with a victory over title challenger Johny Hendricks Saturday evening at UFC 167. 

A win in the night’s main event would give GSP 19 victories in his UFC career, breaking his current tie with former 170-pound champion Matt Hughes for the most ever. 

Beyond those two welterweight legends, esteemed fighters Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture sit at 16 UFC victories, while slightly-less-esteemed-but-still-pretty-esteemed mixed martial artists Tito Ortiz and Jon Fitch rest on a comfy 15 wins inside the Octagon. 

GSP‘s record-smashing potential does not end here, however.

The Canadian superstar is currently locked in a tie with Silva for most title-bout victories at 11. A 12th triumph in championship action would separate GSP from “The Spider” and plant the Canadian flag atop that particular mountain. 

But wait! There’s more. 

If GSP defeats Hendricks Saturday evening, it probably won’t happen in under 40 seconds, right? 

Well, check this out: 

A third record awaits GSP in victory lane, and this one is particularly interesting because two of the next four closest fighters are retired, ensuring that they will not tack any additional time to their current marks. 

BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, the next closest threats, will fight each other for a third time after a coaching stint on Season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter. Their first two fights—both title fights—went the full 25 minutes, so it is entirely possible that Penn could re-take the crown in short order.  

Still, with several records on the line, another GSP win represents much more than just another title defense. 

As one of the most decorated fighters in UFC history, GSP‘s mantle of successes will look just a little bit fuller should he take home the victory and pencil his name into the record books a few more times Saturday at UFC 167. 

 

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Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler II: Breaking Down the Compustrike Numbers

Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler are evenly matched, folks. 
In their first fight at Bellator 58, each man nearly ended the fight on several occasions, and their rematch Saturday evening at Bellator 106 featured a similarly back-and-forth affair…

Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler are evenly matched, folks. 

In their first fight at Bellator 58, each man nearly ended the fight on several occasions, and their rematch Saturday evening at Bellator 106 featured a similarly back-and-forth affair. 

While Chandler eventually secured a rear-naked choke in Round 4 of their first encounter, it was the challenger, Alvarez, who took home a split-decision victory in the rematch. 

Did he deserve it? 

Let’s check out the CompuStrike numbers. 

Where striking is concerned, this fight was very close. 

Alvarez holds a small advantage in terms of total strikes landed, but each man landed at the same rate, and Chandler held an advantage in power shots, an area which judges usually weigh more heavily. 

Really, there is nothing definitive to draw from these statistics. They simply restate the fact that this fight was closely contested on the feet. 

This is where things get interesting.

The fight’s most significant disparity is seen in the takedown department. 

Chandler finished 10 takedowns to Alvarez’s zero, but Chandler also attempted 21 to Alavrez’s three. 

When you consider this, Alvarez’s takedown defense is quite impressive. He nullified more attempts than not, an impressive feat considering Chandler’s stellar wrestling thus far in his career. 

In addition, Alvarez secured more dominant positions in the fight and came close to finishing the champ with a rear-naked choke in Round 5. 

So who held the advantage?

That depends. Do you value takedowns or takedown defense? Is it more impressive that Chandler completed 10 takedowns or that Alvarez defended 11?

Usually, successful takedowns take precedent over takedown defenses, but it appears the judges in this one were swayed a bit by Alvarez’s takedown defense. 

 

Conclusion

This fight could have gone either way. 

One cannot reasonably call it a “robbery,” but one can also make a case for Chandler through his takedowns and efficient, powerful ground striking. 

Personally, I’m fine with an Alvarez split-decision victory. 

The fact that the decision was split and that all judges saw the contest 48-47 is perfect, regardless of the victor. That alone demonstrates that they all saw an incredibly close fight, and the official statistics corroborate this notion. 

To say either fighter got “ripped off” is irresponsible. This was a close contest between two exceptional fighters, and Alvarez’s win was well earned and justifiable. 

Bring on the third installment, please. 

 

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UFC 165 Start Time: When and Where to Watch Jones vs. Gustafsson

Greatness within reach.
On Saturday night, that hotly debated slogan penned for UFC 165 will see one of two conclusions: Either Jon Jones will decimate a similarly tall and similarly long opponent en route to his record sixth title defense, o…

Greatness within reach.

On Saturday night, that hotly debated slogan penned for UFC 165 will see one of two conclusions: Either Jon Jones will decimate a similarly tall and similarly long opponent en route to his record sixth title defense, or Alexander Gustafsson will positively shock the world by toppling the nigh unstoppable light heavyweight kingpin.

Regardless of the outcome, you’re going to want to tune in.

Factor in the epic bantamweight championship showdown between interim champ Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland and you have a fight card that’s almost guaranteed to deliver thrills.

Here’s a full breakdown of the timeline for UFC 165.

 

Fight Night 28 Key Stats

Jon Jones’ UFC record reach: 84.5 inches

Distance knockdown defense (“Chin”) shared by both Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson: 100 percent

Takedown defense rate shared by both Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov: 100 percent

Percent of time Jon Jones is in control when a fight hits the canvas: 99 percent

Average combined significant strikes per minute of Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland: 21.6 

Matt Mitrione’s total career takedown attempts: Zero

 

*Stats courtesy of Fightnomics Reed

 

Artem Moshkovich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for MMA news and more. 

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Teixeira vs. Bader: Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 28 Fight Card

Capping off three UFC events inside of eight days, UFC Fight Night 28 marks the organization’s awaited return to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. With emphasis on the main event showdown between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader—a bout that could have t…

Capping off three UFC events inside of eight days, UFC Fight Night 28 marks the organization’s awaited return to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. With emphasis on the main event showdown between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader—a bout that could have title implications if Teixeira wins in a dominant fashion—this fight card marks the end of this recent MMA spree as we enter a few weeks of hibernation until UFC 165.

As a whole, Wednesday night’s fight card isn’t necessarily as action-packed as UFC 164 or Fight Night 26 were, but thanks to a pair of exciting fights scheduled to take place just before Teixeira vs. Bader, there’s plenty of reason to tune in.

Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga will blaze around the Octagon just before Yushin Okami looks to stifle Ronaldo Souza’s renowned grappling skills with his own formidable ground game.

Thankfully, Bleacher Report has you covered with a breakdown for all the essential details for Wednesday night’s fight card.

 

 

Fight Night Belo: Teixeira vs Bader Preview

 

Fight Night 28 Key Stats

Glover Teixeira’s significant strike rate: 6.48 per minute

Glover Teixeira’s takedown defense rate: 100 percent

Percent of Ronaldo Souza’s 18 career victories that have come by way of submission: 78 percent

*Stats courtesy of FightMetric

 

Main Card Odds

Glover Teixeira -450 favorite over Ryan Bader +325

Ronaldo Souza -260 favorite over Yushin Okami +200

Joseph Benavidez -600 favorite over Jussier Formiga +400

Francisco Trinaldo -315 favorite over Piotr Hallmann +245

Rafael Natal -270 favorite over Tor Troeng +210

Ali Bagautinov -310 favorite over Marcos Vinicius +240

*Betting odds via Bovada 

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Henderson vs. Pettis 2: Breaking Down the FightMetric Numbers

A fight involving Benson Henderson usually leaves us scrambling for the FightMetric numbers to dissect the data and to determine a true winner of a close decision. 
Anthony Pettis spared us that inconvenience at UFC 164 with a slick and devas…

A fight involving Benson Henderson usually leaves us scrambling for the FightMetric numbers to dissect the data and to determine a true winner of a close decision. 

Anthony Pettis spared us that inconvenience at UFC 164 with a slick and devastating first-round armbar finish Saturday in Milwaukee. 

With the victory, Pettis became the newly minted UFC lightweight champion, ending an impressive 18-month run by Henderson atop the 155-pound mountain. 

Before the finish, Henderson enjoyed an advantage in the striking department, edging Pettis in both significant strikes (11 to nine) and total strikes (26 to 10). 

However, Henderson failed to complete any of his three takedown attempts, a testament to Pettis‘ continued evolution as a mixed martial artist. 

Even the striking data is a bit misleading, as it was a series of powerful body kicks from Pettis that changed the complexion of the fight and shifted the momentum in his favor. 

These kicks backed Henderson against the cage, allowing Pettis to get comfortable and to throw a hand-stand kick. When this failed, Henderson secured top position, giving Pettis the opportunity to attack from his guard. 

Here is where the only number that matters—submission attempts—comes into play. 

Pettis had one to Henderson’s zero, and “Showtime” made that singular act of Brazilian jiu-jitsu count, twisting and cranking until the champion was forced to verbally tap out. 

Statistics are fun, but let’s be honest here: The FightMetric numbers in this one are of no relevance.

The ending was quick, it was brutal and it was definitive—Pettis convincingly earned his belt at UFC 164. 

 

 

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Henderson vs. Pettis: Complete Guide to UFC 164 Fight Card

With Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann II on deck for Wednesday night, fans might already feel more than excited for what this week has in store. But after Fight Night 27 comes to a close, the combat will only be getting started—on Saturday, Augu…

With Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann II on deck for Wednesday night, fans might already feel more than excited for what this week has in store. But after Fight Night 27 comes to a close, the combat will only be getting started—on Saturday, August 31 the UFC will finish off this frenzied week by granting Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis a second go at one of the most iconic matchups in MMA history when the two square off during UFC 164‘s championship main event.

Will Henderson erase any memory of the “Showtime kick,” or will Pettis dazzle us all with a new technique that manages to overshadow one of the most memorable strikes to ever grace a highlight reel?

It’s worth noting the nostalgia doesn’t end with the main event. Two of the sport’s grittiest veterans will square off as Frank Mir and Josh Barnett go toe-to-toe in the evening’s co-main event. 

And just think: this will all be taking place when the result of Condit vs. Kampmann II will still be fresh in our minds. So many bouts in so little time.

Super fight week, indeed.

It’s easy to get a bit overwhelmed as to the specifics. Thankfully, Bleacher Report has you covered with an in-depth guide as to the what, when, where and how of UFC 164 on Saturday night.

 

Full Fight Card and Start Times

Main Card PPV 10PM EST
Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson vs. challenger Anthony Pettis
Josh Barnett  vs.  Frank Mir 
 Clay Guida vs. Chad Mendes 
Ben Rothwell  vs.  Brandon Vera 
 Erik Koch  vs. Dustin Poirier 
 Preliminary Card  Fox Sports 1 8PM EST 
 Gleison Tibau  vs. Jamie Varner 
 Tim Elliott  vs.  Louis Gaudinot
 Pascal Krauss vs.  Hyun Gyu Lim 
 Chico Camus  vs.   Kyung Ho Kang
Preliminary Card Facebook 6:30PM EST
Nikita Krylov vs. Soa Palelei
Ryan Couture vs. Al Iaquinta
Magnus Cedenblad vs. Jared Hamman

 

 

Countdown to UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis

Countdown to UFC 164: Mir vs. Barnett

Countdown to UFC 164: Mendes vs. Guida

 

UFC 164 Main Card Key Stats

Number of losses shared by both Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis: Two

Percent of Benson Henderson’s 18 victories that have gone to decision: 47 percent

Total number of career fights between Josh Barnett and Frank Mir: 61

Percent of victories by submission shared by both Josh Barnett and Frank Mir: 56 percent

Chad Mendes‘ takedown average: 4.72 per 15 minutes

Chad Mendes‘ takedown defense: 100 percent

Percent of Ben Rothwell‘s 32 victories that have gone to decision: nine percent

Dustin Poirier‘s significant strike average: 4.14 per minute

*Stats courtesy of FightMetric

Main Card Odds

Champion Benson Henderson -130 favorite over challenger Anthony Pettis +100

Josh Barnett -190 favorite over Frank Mir +155

Chad Mendes -450 favorite over Clay Guida +325

Brandon Vera -140 favorite over ben Rothwell +110

Erik Koch -150 favorite over Dustin Poirier +120

*Betting odds via Bovada 

 

Artem Moshkovich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for MMA news and more. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com