Sometimes statistics mean absolutely nothing.
But a lot of the time, they’re perfectly reflective of whatever it is they’re attempting to express.
The statistical breakdown of the main event of UFC 196 certainly falls into the latter category, as Nate Diaz’s dominance over Conor McGregor on Saturday night is represented by the numbers.
Striking
According to FightMetric, Diaz landed 77 of 152 significant strikes so not only was he more frequent a striker than McGregor (61 of 140) but he was also substantially more precise with his 50% accuracy rate trumping McGregor’s 43%.
And here’s the accuracy of how their significant strikes broke down.
As you can see, the most jarring stat is the one that shows just how much better Diaz was at catching McGregor’s chin, something he achieved with an expertly distanced jab and perfectly timed lead right hooks.
McGregor, who spoke about the very issue in the post-fight press conference, struggled to find Diaz with a lot of his shots. He was reaching, finding glove and missing the target which is reflected in the stats.
Grappling
The ground game is what eventually led to the rear naked choke finish, and here’s how the pair matched up in the grappling realm.
Diaz completed his only takedown of the night and attempted two submissions, one a high elbow guillotine and the other the rear naked choke that resulted in the tap from McGregor.
You knew McGregor was in trouble when he jumped on a takedown after being rocked on the feet.
He didn’t complete it and his inferiority in the grappling stakes became evident quite quickly. He struggled to contain Diaz on the mat, tapping at 4:12 of the second round.
