Most Combined 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
22
Takedowns
2
Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen
20
Takedowns
3
Chris Curtis vs Myktybek Orolbai
19
Takedowns
4
Farman Hasanov vs Eric Nolan
17
Takedowns
5
Sean Sherk vs Hermes Franca
16
Takedowns
6
Rob Font vs Raul Rosas Jr.
16
Takedowns
7
Curtis Blaydes vs Alexander Volkov
15
Takedowns
8
Demetrious Johnson vs Kyoji Horiguchi
15
Takedowns
9
Makhmud Muradov vs Bryan Barberena
13
Takedowns
10
Rafael Estevam vs Jesus Aguilar
13
Takedowns
11
Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
13
Takedowns
12
Luigi Fioravanti vs Luke Cummo
13
Takedowns
13
Rodney Wallace vs Jared Hamman
13
Takedowns
14
Merab Dvalishvili vs Gustavo Lopez
13
Takedowns
15
Louis Smolka vs Tim Elliott
13
Takedowns
16
Demetrious Johnson vs John Moraga
13
Takedowns
17
Bryan Barberena vs Colby Covington
12
Takedowns
18
Montel Jackson vs Felipe Colares
12
Takedowns
19
Natan Levy vs Mike Breeden
12
Takedowns
20
Tyson Griffin vs Nik Lentz
12
Takedowns
21
Muhammad Mokaev vs Charles Johnson
12
Takedowns
22
Richie Vaculik vs Danny Martinez
12
Takedowns
23
Corey Anderson vs Patrick Cummins
12
Takedowns
24
Joanderson Brito vs Isaac Thomson
12
Takedowns
25
Vitor Petrino vs Anton Turkalj
12
Takedowns
26
Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili
12
Takedowns
27
Diego Sanchez vs Karo Parisyan
12
Takedowns
28
Carlos Condit vs Johny Hendricks
12
Takedowns
29
Rafael Dos Anjos vs Kamaru Usman
12
Takedowns
30
Deron Winn vs Antonio Arroyo
12
Takedowns
31
Casey Kenney vs Merab Dvalishvili
12
Takedowns
32
Jessica Andrade vs Tecia Pennington
12
Takedowns
33
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista
11
Takedowns
34
Tony Gravely vs Saimon Oliveira
11
Takedowns
35
Demetrious Johnson vs Ray Borg
11
Takedowns
36
Brett Johns vs Kwan Ho Kwak
11
Takedowns
37
Gleison Tibau vs Josh Neer
11
Takedowns
38
Mateusz Gamrot vs Rafael Dos Anjos
11
Takedowns
39
Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy
11
Takedowns
40
Punahele Soriano vs Nick Maximov
11
Takedowns
41
Nam Phan vs Jimy Hettes
11
Takedowns
42
Esteban Ribovics vs Loik Radzhabov
11
Takedowns
43
Clay Guida vs Mac Danzig
11
Takedowns
44
Marc Diakiese vs Viacheslav Borshchev
11
Takedowns
45
Brett Johns vs Tony Gravely
11
Takedowns
46
Cody Durden vs Charles Johnson
11
Takedowns
47
Marvin Vettori vs Kevin Holland
11
Takedowns
48
Dominick Cruz vs Demetrious Johnson
11
Takedowns
49
Junior Dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez
11
Takedowns
50
Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern
11
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.