Takedowns happen in most UFC fights. Across 9,257 UFC bouts fought under unified rules, 72% featured at least one successful takedown, a figure that has held steady from the early 2000s through 2024. The other 28% are primarily striker vs. striker matchups that never hit the mat.
What Is a Takedown in the UFC?
A takedown is any technique that brings an opponent from standing to the ground, with the attacking fighter ending up in an advantageous position. Double legs, single legs, trips, throws, and slams all count. A scramble where both fighters end up neutral, or where the defender recovers immediately, does not.
Why Fighters Take Opponents Down
Takedowns are not just a path to submissions. Most fighters use them to control where the fight happens, dictate pace, and accumulate damage from a position opponents cannot easily escape. Ground and pound from top position scores with judges and wears opponents down. Control time drains cardio. And the threat of a takedown alone changes how an opponent moves on the feet, opening up strikes they would otherwise defend.
Submissions are the least common outcome. Only 19% of UFC fights end by submission, meaning the majority of takedowns are positional rather than finishing moves.
How Judges Score Takedowns
Takedowns do not have a fixed point value in UFC scoring. Judges use the 10-point must system, awarding 10 points to the round winner and 9 or fewer to the loser. Effective striking and grappling is the first priority in scoring, with aggression and cage control only considered if striking and grappling are judged equal.
The unified rules are explicit on one point: "merely holding a dominant position shall not be a primary factor in assessing dominance." What a fighter does after a takedown matters more than completing it.
Takedowns by Weight Class
Not all divisions grapple equally. Flyweight bouts feature at least one takedown 81% of the time, the highest rate among men's divisions. Heavyweight sits at 59%, the lowest. Women's flyweight and strawweight lead the entire roster at 84% and 84% respectively, driven by the prevalence of wrestling-heavy fighters in those divisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are takedowns common in the UFC?
Yes. Across 9,257 UFC fights fought under unified rules, 72% featured at least one successful takedown. The figure has held steady across eras, sitting at 70% since 2020.
Do takedowns score points in the UFC?
Takedowns do not have a fixed point value. They contribute to a judge's assessment of effective grappling, the first priority in UFC scoring. What happens after the takedown matters more than completing it. The unified rules explicitly state that merely holding a dominant position is not a primary factor in scoring.
Why do UFC fighters take opponents down?
Control, damage, and pace. Takedowns let fighters dictate where the fight happens, accumulate ground and pound from positions opponents cannot easily escape, and drain an opponent's cardio through control time. The threat of a takedown also changes how opponents move on the feet, creating striking openings that would not otherwise exist.
Do most takedowns lead to submissions?
No. Only 19% of UFC fights end by submission, making it the least common finish method after decisions and KO/TKO.