5 UFC weight classes with the highest knockdown rates
Knockdowns are one of the most electrifying aspects of fights in the UFC, especially when they end in knockouts. An interesting bit of analysis has revealed some facts about how the divisions in the UFC stack up against each other when it comes to knockdowns.
A study by MMAI Analytics has calculated knockdown rates for all the divisions in the UFC. Knockdown rate is the percentage of standing strikes (without including leg kicks) that cause a knockdown, and the 11 divisions in the UFC have been ranked based on this statistic.
The women's divisions see the lowest knockdown rates in the UFC in standard order - strawweight < flyweight < bantamweight. They are followed by the men's featherweight and flyweight divisions, which have the lowest knockdown rate among men of 0.82%. Interestingly, the UFC lightweight division has the third-lowest knockdown rate in the men's weight classes - 0.85%.
Here are the five UFC divisions with the highest knockdown rates.
#5 UFC men's bantamweight division - 0.93%
The outlier on this list, the UFC bantamweight division boasts of a 0.93% knockdown rate. This isn't surprising, given how many killers are in the division right now and how many have fought at 135 lbs over the years.
Former champions Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt, apart from a series of top contenders in Cory Sandhagen, Rob Font and Jose Aldo, undoubtedly have contributed to this stat. Most top bantamweights are primarily strikers in what is a scarily stacked division.
Yan brutalized Urijah Faber before finishing him in the third round, while Sandhagen has spectacular knockout victories over Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes. Dillashaw has knocked out Cody Garbrandt twice, and 'No Love' has in turn dominated former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
The UFC men's bantamweight division promises entertainment in the years to come, with several up-and-coming talents like Sean O'Malley part of the roster as well.