The numbers reveal more to Merab Dvalishvili's game than takedowns

Merab Dvalishvili is 1 of the astir ascendant wrestlers successful MMA. He holds the UFC grounds for astir takedowns landed with 92 successful 14 fights. Colby Covington, a erstwhile assemblage wrestler, is the adjacent closest among progressive fighters with 70 takedowns landed, seventh astir successful the promotion's history. Covington has 3 much fights successful the UFC than Dvalishvili.

In 9 UFC fights that person gone a afloat 3 rounds, Dvalishvili has averaged 15.6 takedown attempts. In 3 vocation five-round bouts, that takedown mean doubles to 31.3 attempts. By comparison, Georges St-Pierre, the combatant with the second-most takedowns landed astatine 90, averaged 7.8 attempts successful 12 UFC fights that went the distance.

At archetypal glance, Dvalishvili's outlandish takedown statistic mightiness suggest that the UFC men's bantamweight champion has lone 1 strategy -- wrestle opponents down to the mat and support them warring disconnected their backs -- but determination is overmuch much to the 34-year-old's approach.

It's existent that Dvalishvili leans connected his beardown wrestling background, but a spread successful his wrestling-heavy warring benignant has required him to blend successful different areas of his crippled to enactment atop the UFC's astir talented division.

Here's a look astatine the 3 deceiving statistic to assistance enactment "The Machine's" accrued fame and ascendant title tally into perspective.

58.2% takedown accuracy

Dvalishvili's takedowns grounds -- 1 that volition lone turn arsenic helium continues warring -- is well-known, but what isn't discussed is his 158 unsuccessful takedown attempts. That 58.2% takedown accuracy percent does not fertile successful the apical 10 successful UFC history, but an statement tin beryllium made that his missed attempts are the driving unit down his wrestling-heavy warring style.

For immoderate combatant to onshore arsenic galore takedowns arsenic Dvalishvili has, opponents indispensable support getting up aft being enactment connected the mat. Getting up forces opponents to support the inevitable: much takedown attempts. And defending takedowns depletes energy. So ideate however exhausted opponents indispensable consciousness erstwhile facing a combatant who averages astir six palmy takedowns per fight.

Former champion Petr Yan knows amended than anyone however hard it tin beryllium to fend disconnected Dvalishvili wrong the Octagon. Yan was connected the incorrect extremity of a record-setting 11 takedowns landed by Dvalishvili during their bout successful March 2023. Dvalishvili's 49 attempted takedowns during that five-round combat was besides a UFC record.

In the combat earlier that, Dvalishvili attempted to instrumentality José Aldo to the mat 16 times but didn't onshore a azygous one. He inactive won each 3 rounds.

2,202 full strikes landed

What gets mislaid successful each of the treatment astir Dvalishvili's wrestling and grappling quality is that his 2,202 full strikes landed pb the bantamweight division, according to UFC Stats.

Opponents consistently managing to enactment backmost to their feet allows the MMA champion to dip into his amateur Golden Gloves boxing roots. Whether opponents permission themselves unfastened for strikes portion defending takedown attempts oregon Dvalishvili sets up wrestling opportunities by landing strikes, his operation of measurement striking and relentless wrestling has fixed each of his past 12 opponents fits.

Against Yan, each 3 judges scored each circular of their five-round combat successful favour of Dvalishvili. He besides earned cleanable sweeps connected the judge's scorecards against John Dodson, Gustavo Lopez, Brad Katona and Terrion Ware during his 12-fight winning streak.

8.3% decorativeness rate

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Merab Dvalishvili successfully defends rubric successful epic co-main event

Merab Dvalishvili someway comes retired with a singular triumph implicit Umar Nurmagomedov successful the co-main lawsuit of UFC 311.

The cardinal to Dvalishvili starring his part successful some takedowns and strikes landed is his cardio. The Georgian astir apt enters the Octagon expecting each of his fights to spell doorbell to bell, considering 1 of his 12 UFC wins has travel via decorativeness (8.3% rate).

Dvalishvili's quality to resistance opponents into heavy waters successful the precocious rounds by continually pressing guardant with strikes and shooting for takedowns lone highlights his endurance. When an opponent's vigor and volition to combat statesman to fade, that's erstwhile Dvalishvili looks to entertain the crowd.

We saw examples of this showmanship successful his astir caller fights against Sean O'Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov. After scoring 2 takedowns successful Round 1, Dvalishvili enactment O'Malley connected the mat again successful the 2nd circular and mockingly kissed O'Malley's back. A fewer days aboriginal helium posted connected societal media that did it to "show him who the daddy was of the fight." And successful his title defence versus Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili taunted the challenger aggregate times passim the fight.

Despite the well-known disdain MMA fans person for fighters who continually triumph by decision, Dvalishvili's unsocial blend of pace, measurement striking, takedowns and showmanship has allowed him to interruption done and go a instrumentality favourite -- adjacent with 11 of his 12 wins wrong the Octagon coming via unanimous decision.