Most Control Time in a UFC Fight

Most control time by one fighter in a single fight. UFC bouts with round-by-round data, 1994–present.

Filters All divisions · Single fighter
50 record performances
16
Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman vs Rafael Dos Anjos
30 Nov 2018
18:24
17
Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman vs Tyron Woodley
2 Mar 2019
18:13
18
Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson vs Ray Borg
7 Oct 2017
17:47
19
Kevin Randleman vs Pete Williams
19 Nov 1999
17:39
20
Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos
19 Oct 2013
17:23
21
Benson Henderson
Benson Henderson vs Nate Diaz
8 Dec 2012
16:58
22
Derek Brunson
Derek Brunson vs Kevin Holland
20 Mar 2021
16:55
23
Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas vs Paige VanZant
10 Dec 2015
16:40
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24
Kamaru Usman
Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal
11 Jul 2020
16:38
25
Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson vs Tim Elliott
3 Dec 2016
16:36
26
Stipe Miocic
Stipe Miocic vs Mark Hunt
9 May 2015
16:27
27
Matt Hughes
Matt Hughes vs Carlos Newton
13 Jul 2002
16:15
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28
Colby Covington
Colby Covington vs Jorge Masvidal
5 Mar 2022
16:14
29
Frankie Edgar
Frankie Edgar vs Cub Swanson
22 Nov 2014
16:10
30
Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos
19 Aug 2023
16:07

The most control time ever logged in a single UFC fight — total minutes spent dominating from top position or the clinch.

The Most Control Time in a Single UFC Fight

Control time is the quiet stat of total domination — the accumulated minutes a fighter spends pinning, mounting, and smothering an opponent. This record book ranks the most suffocating single-fight control performances in UFC history, in minutes and seconds, by one fighter and by both combined.

Topping out above twenty-two minutes of control in a single fight means an opponent barely had a moment of freedom across five rounds. Use the Single Fighter and Combined tabs and filter by division to explore the most complete grappling shutouts on record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does control time actually measure?
Control time counts every second a fighter spends controlling an opponent on the ground or against the cage in the clinch — mount, back, half guard, side control, or a pinning clinch. It is the clearest single number for positional grappling dominance.
What is the difference between the single and combined control records?
The single view ranks one fighter's control across a whole bout; the combined view adds both fighters together for the same bout. Combined control is best read as how much of the fight was spent with somebody in control, so it surfaces the bouts fought almost entirely on the mat or against the fence.
Why is control time shown in minutes and seconds?
Because it is a duration, not a count. A figure like 22:18 means twenty-two minutes and eighteen seconds of accumulated control across the fight. In a five-round bout with 25 minutes of total action, that represents near-complete positional domination.
Does high control time always mean a boring fight?
Not necessarily. Elite control often comes with ground-and-pound damage, submission attempts, and constant advancement. The most memorable control performances pair suffocating position with real offense, which is why many appear alongside high strike and submission-attempt counts.
Most Control Time in a UFC Fight - top 10 (MMA.SOCIAL): 1. Sean Sherk vs Hermes Franca (22:18), 2. Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis (21:40), 3. Tito Ortiz vs Vladimir Matyushenko (21:32), 4. Randy Couture vs Tito Ortiz (21:14), 5. Jailton Almeida vs Derrick Lewis (21:10), 6. Charles Oliveira vs Max Holloway (20:49), 7. Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy (20:31), 8. Marvin Vettori vs Kevin Holland (20:01), 9. Chael Sonnen vs Anderson Silva (19:53), 10. Curtis Blaydes vs Alexander Volkov (19:52)
Most Control Time in a UFC Fight - top 10, updated Oct 23, 2026.
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Most Control Time in a UFC Fight: top 10

The top 10 as one image. Free to share, updated after every UFC card.

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