Fightnomics Charts Striking of Entire UFC Welterweight Division

Sherdog.com StaffMar 14, 2013



Even with injuries revamping its lineup, UFC 158 has been presented as something of a mini welterweight tournament. While 170-pound king Georges St. Pierre looks to emphatically end his feud with Nick Diaz in the headliner, the winner of the Johny Hendricks-Carlos Condit co-main event will emerge as the division’s next No. 1 contender. Additionally, Jake Ellenberger and Nate Marquardt will square off in another featured bout to complete the talented welterweight field on Saturday night.

With the welterweight-flavored card just around the corner, Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics.com has charted the striking tendencies of the entire 170-pound division . Focusing primarily on accuracy, pace and knockdown rate, Kuhn analyzes the standup of everyone from St. Pierre to Stephen Thompson and presents the results in a visually-friendly form.

Some of the highlights:

Nate Marquardt is the most accurate fighter under Zuffa employ when it comes to power head striking at 40 percent, while David Mitchell’s checks in at a promotion low 9 percent.

Brazilian prospect Erick Silva has the highest knockdown rate per power strikes landed. Fourteen of the 52 welterweights have yet to score a knockdown during their UFC and Strikeforce tenures, including veterans Demian Maia and Jake Shields, who have logged more than two hours of fight time.

Thompson has set a rapid pace in two Octagon appearances thus far, as “Wonderboy” has outlanded foes two to one on the feet. British grappler John Maguire is at the opposite end of the spectrum, getting outstruck two to one by opponents in four UFC bouts.