Most Takedowns in a UFC Fight
The most takedowns ever landed in a single UFC fight — the definitive wrestling-domination record, by one fighter and by both combined.
50 record performances
1
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Abel Trujillo
21
Takedowns
2
Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen
20
Takedowns
3
Myktybek Orolbai vs Chris Curtis
19
Takedowns
4
Farman Hasanov vs Eric Nolan
17
Takedowns
5
Sean Sherk vs Hermes Franca
16
Takedowns
6
Raul Rosas Jr. vs Rob Font
16
Takedowns
7
Curtis Blaydes vs Alexander Volkov
14
Takedowns
8
Demetrious Johnson vs Kyoji Horiguchi
14
Takedowns
9
Merab Dvalishvili vs Gustavo Lopez
13
Takedowns
10
Makhmud Muradov vs Bryan Barberena
13
Takedowns
11
Luigi Fioravanti vs Luke Cummo
13
Takedowns
12
Johny Hendricks vs Carlos Condit
12
Takedowns
13
Deron Winn vs Antonio Arroyo
12
Takedowns
14
Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis
12
Takedowns
15
Merab Dvalishvili vs Casey Kenney
12
Takedowns
16
Muhammad Mokaev vs Charles Johnson
12
Takedowns
17
Colby Covington vs Bryan Barberena
12
Takedowns
18
Demetrious Johnson vs John Moraga
12
Takedowns
19
Kamaru Usman vs Rafael Dos Anjos
12
Takedowns
20
Tim Elliott vs Louis Smolka
12
Takedowns
21
Corey Anderson vs Patrick Cummins
12
Takedowns
22
Zabit Magomedsharipov vs Sheymon Moraes
11
Takedowns
23
Gray Maynard vs Teruto Ishihara
11
Takedowns
24
Andre Muniz vs JunYong Park
11
Takedowns
25
Marvin Vettori vs Kevin Holland
11
Takedowns
26
Brett Johns vs Kwan Ho Kwak
11
Takedowns
27
Rafael Estevam vs Jesus Aguilar
11
Takedowns
28
Loik Radzhabov vs Esteban Ribovics
11
Takedowns
29
Rodney Wallace vs Jared Hamman
11
Takedowns
30
Cody Durden vs Charles Johnson
11
Takedowns
31
Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos
11
Takedowns
32
Montel Jackson vs Felipe Colares
11
Takedowns
33
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista
11
Takedowns
34
Tony Gravely vs Saimon Oliveira
11
Takedowns
35
Jimy Hettes vs Nam Phan
11
Takedowns
36
Gleison Tibau vs Josh Neer
11
Takedowns
37
Mateusz Gamrot vs Rafael Dos Anjos
11
Takedowns
38
Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy
11
Takedowns
39
Nick Maximov vs Punahele Soriano
11
Takedowns
40
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
11
Takedowns
41
Merab Dvalishvili vs Frankie Saenz
11
Takedowns
42
Marc Diakiese vs Viacheslav Borshchev
11
Takedowns
43
Bartosz Fabinski vs Garreth McLellan
10
Takedowns
44
Jake O'Brien vs Josh Shockman
10
Takedowns
45
Anthony Hernandez vs Michel Pereira
10
Takedowns
46
Nik Lentz vs Diego Nunes
10
Takedowns
47
Georges St-Pierre vs Thiago Alves
10
Takedowns
48
Ray Borg vs Rogerio Bontorin
10
Takedowns
49
Demetrious Johnson vs Norifumi Yamamoto
10
Takedowns
50
Aaron Simpson vs Mario Miranda
10
Takedowns
The Most Takedowns in a Single UFC Fight
Few numbers capture total dominance like a towering takedown count. This record book ranks the greatest single-fight takedown performances in UFC history — the nights a wrestler put an opponent on the mat again and again — by one fighter and by both fighters combined.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's 21 takedowns against Abel Trujillo set a bar that defines the wrestling era, but relentless modern grapplers keep chasing it. Use the Single Fighter and Combined tabs and the division filter to explore the most suffocating grappling nights ever recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the record for most takedowns in a single UFC fight?
The single-fight takedown record belongs to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who scored 21 takedowns against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160 in 2013 — a wrestling clinic that remains one of the most dominant grappling performances the promotion has ever seen.
Who else appears near the top of the takedown list?
Modern wrestling machines like Merab Dvalishvili sit right behind Khabib, having built entire fights around chain-wrestling and relentless takedown entries. The combined view highlights bouts where both fighters traded takedowns in a back-and-forth grappling battle.
Does landing the most takedowns guarantee a win?
Usually, but not always. Takedowns are a core scoring metric and a sign of control, yet a fighter can be taken down repeatedly and still win via submission attempts, sweeps, or damage from the bottom. Each row shows the result so you can see how often takedown dominance translated to victory.
Are takedown totals affected by fight length?
Yes. A five-round bout gives a wrestler far more opportunities to accumulate takedowns than a three-round fight, which is why championship and main-event grappling clinics dominate the top of this leaderboard.