Let’s be honest: Every now and then it’s fun to get down into the nitty-gritty statistics and see if we can’t perform some MMAth. It helps us analyze future fights and make predictions based on previous history. Fans of all sports do it, so why can’t we? It can help us look for potential trends in a fighter as well. So, with thanks to Sherdog and FightMetric.com for the raw data, let’s examine the main event of the upcoming UFC 175: Lyoto Machida vs. Chris Weidman for the UFC Middleweight Title.
Statistics |
Lyoto Machida |
Chris Weidman |
| Age | 36 | 30 |
| Camp | Black House/Team Machida | Serra-Longo Fight Team |
| Record | 21-4 | 11-0 |
| Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
| Reach | 74.0″ | 78.0″ |
| Win Percentage | 8 (T)KO (38%) 2 Submission (10%) 11 Decisions (52%) |
5 (T)KO (45%) 3 Submissions (27.5%) 3 Decisions (27.5%) |
| Loss Percentage | 1 (T)KO (25%) 1 Submission (25%) 2 Decisions (50%) |
N/A |
| Last (T)KO Victory | Oct. 26th, 2013, over Mark Munoz | Dec, 31st, 2013, over Anderson Silva |
| Last Submission Victory | Dec. 29th, 2007, over Rameau Thierry Sokodjou | Nov. 19th, 2011, over Tom Lawlor |
| Last Decision Victory | Feb. 15th, 2014, over Gegard Mousasi | Jan. 28th, 2012, over Demian Maia |
| Last (T)KO Loss | May 8th, 2010, to Mauricio Rua | N/A |
| Last Submission Loss | Dec. 10th, 2011, to Jon Jones | N/A |
| Last Decision Loss | Aug. 3rd, 2013, to Phil Davis | N/A |
| Submission Victories by Method | Arm Triangle 1x (50%) Forearm Choke 1x (50%) |
Brabo Choke 1x (33%) Kimura 1x (33%) Guillotine 1x (33%) |
| Submission Losses by method | Guillotine x1 (100%) | N/A |
| Most Takedowns Allowed in a Fight | 2 | 0 |
| Most Guard Passes in a Fight | 13 | 5 |
| Decision Victories in the UFC | 7 | 2 |
| Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute | 2.64 | 3.15 |
| Striking Accuracy | 54% | 42% |
| Significant Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 1.39 | 1.9 |
| Striking Defense | 63% | 64% |
| Average Takedown Attempts per 15 Min. | 1.54 | 4 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 65% | 68% |
| Takedown Defense Percentage | 80% | 100% |
| Average Submission per 15 Min. | 0.5 | 1.9 |
| Average Submission Completion Rate | 20.45% | 30.16% |
| Most Significant Strikes Landed in a Fight | 70, against Kazuhiro Nakamura, Sep. 22nd, 2007 | 58, against Demian Maia, on Jan. 28th, 2012 |
| Total Fight Time | 4 hrs, 53 min, 22 sec | 1 hr, 18 min, 31 sec |
A lot of the attention surrounding Chris Weidman’s upcoming UFC Middleweight Title defense against Lyoto Machida is focused on how the champ will deal with “The Dragon’s” elusive counter-striking style. One need only look at how the New Jersey native fought Anderson Silva to figure out that he is not one to be drawn into an opponent’s game. The more important question is, “How will Machida deal with the superlative wrestling of Weidman?” It’s really the most necessary question, if only because the last decision defeat the karate-ka suffered was against Phil Davis – who took him down 5 times. So, look for Weidman to hit those takedowns strong, and use his top control to pound Machida out sometime in the championship rounds. Expect Weidman via TKO.
