Reading UFC fighter stats starts with understanding what each number measures. Conventional UFC stats are rates, not raw counts. Striking accuracy, SLPM, takedown average: each one measures how often something happens per minute or per attempt, not how many times it happened total. CageQuant tracks eight core stats on every fighter profile, plus derived analytics you won't find on any other MMA site:
- Striking Accuracy (str_acc): the percentage of significant strikes attempted that land
- Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute (SLPM): how many significant strikes a fighter lands per minute of fight time
- Significant Strikes Absorbed Per Minute (SAPM): how many significant strikes a fighter absorbs per minute
- Striking Defense (str_def): the percentage of opponent significant strike attempts a fighter avoids
- Takedown Average (td_avg): takedowns landed per 15 minutes of fight time
- Takedown Accuracy (td_acc): the percentage of takedown attempts that succeed
- Takedown Defense (td_def): the percentage of opponent takedown attempts a fighter successfully stops
- Submission Average (sub_avg): submission attempts per 15 minutes of fight time
On CageQuant, each stat is benchmarked against the fighter's division average, not a single UFC-wide figure. A 45% striking accuracy means something different at heavyweight than it does at flyweight.
A note on medians: All UFC medians cited in this article are calculated across fighters with five or more UFC appearances. One-fight wonders and early-cut fighters are excluded — their numbers skew every rate stat and don't reflect what a typical UFC-caliber fighter looks like.
Striking stats
Striking Accuracy (str_acc)
The percentage of significant strikes attempted that land. The UFC median is 45%, meaning the average fighter connects on fewer than half their shots.
Fighters above 55% are connecting on more than one in two shots, a threshold only a small share of the roster reaches. Tom Aspinall leads active fighters with 10 or more UFC bouts at 67%, while also averaging 7.63 significant strikes per minute. High accuracy at high volume is rare.
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute (SLPM)
How many significant strikes a fighter lands per minute of fight time. The UFC median is 3.42 per minute.
Fighters with high SLPM tend to have lower str_acc. Fighters with low SLPM tend to have higher str_acc.
Significant Strikes Absorbed Per Minute (SAPM)
How many significant strikes a fighter absorbs per minute. The UFC median is 3.33. Lower is better.
A fighter whose SAPM is well below their SLPM is consistently out-landing opponents on the stat sheet. A fighter with high SAPM and low str_acc is absorbing more than they are landing.
Striking Defense (str_def)
The percentage of opponent significant strike attempts a fighter avoids. The UFC median is 54%. Fighters above 60% are avoiding nearly two out of every three significant strike attempts thrown at them.
str_def and SAPM can diverge: a fighter who faces low volume will post low SAPM regardless of how often they get hit when opponents do throw. str_def measures avoidance rate independently of how much opponents attempt.
Significant strikes include power shots to the head, body, and legs, plus strikes in the clinch and on the ground. Pawing jabs and non-damaging touches are excluded.
Grappling stats
Takedown Average (td_avg)
Takedowns landed per 15 minutes of fight time. The UFC median is 1.38. Fighters above 3.0 are landing roughly one takedown every five minutes of fight time. Merab Dvalishvili averages 5.97, the highest rate among fighters with 10 or more UFC bouts.
td_avg counts successful takedowns only. A fighter can attempt constantly and post a low td_avg if opponents are stuffing the majority. The stat reflects what lands, not what is being threatened.
Takedown Accuracy (td_acc)
The percentage of takedown attempts that succeed. The UFC median is 40%, meaning the average fighter completes fewer than half their attempts.
td_acc and td_avg measure different things. A fighter with high td_avg and low td_acc is landing takedowns through volume, not precision. A fighter with high td_acc and low td_avg is attempting selectively.
Takedown Defense (td_def)
The percentage of opponent takedown attempts a fighter successfully stops. The UFC median is 63%. Fighters above 80% are stopping four out of every five attempts. Below 45% means the fighter is getting taken down in most fights where an opponent commits to it.
Fighters with high td_def face fewer completed takedowns per fight. Tom Aspinall has not been taken down across 10 UFC appearances. Opponents have attempted two takedowns in his entire UFC run and landed zero.
Submission Average (sub_avg)
Submission attempts per 15 minutes of fight time. The UFC median is 0.6 — most fighters attempt fewer than one submission per fight. Fighters above 1.0 are reaching submission positions in nearly every fight. Charles Oliveira averages 2.6 across 37 UFC fights, the highest rate among active fighters with 15 or more bouts.
sub_avg counts attempts, not completions. A high sub_avg means a fighter is consistently reaching positions where submissions are available, which has value independent of finish rate.
How the stats connect
Striking accuracy, SLPM, SAPM, and striking defense describe how a fight plays out on the feet. Takedown average, takedown accuracy, takedown defense, and submission average describe what happens if it goes to the mat.
The gaps between two fighters across all eight stats are where edges show up.
Use the CageQuant matchup tool to compare any two fighters side-by-side across all eight stats, or pull up any fighter profile to see how their numbers rank within their weight class.