SUMMARY
- Islam Makhachev is one of the best grapplers in the UFC, currently.
- However, there is one record held by UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall that is far away from the reach of Makhachev.
In the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), as the name suggests, fighters use diverse skill sets to prove their supremacy. Some fighters use thunderous strikes to rock their opponents while others use their grappling prowess and take the fight down on the ground.
Usually, the ground battle is a commonality in the lighter-weight classes. In the UFC, currently, lightweight fighter Islam Makhachev is known to be one of the best grapplers in the business. However, there is one grappling stat where Makhachev is left far behind by heavyweight fighter Tom Aspinall: Bottom position time.
The current interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall, boasts an almost mythical takedown defense record. He has spent a mere 1 second on his back across his entire UFC career, according to stats from UFC.com. That’s right, in all his UFC fights combined, Aspinall has never been taken down for more than a fleeting moment.
Aspinall, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has fought eight times in the UFC and he has won seven of those fights. The Englishman has seen only one of those eight fights go into the second round. All his other fights have finished in the first round itself.
Grappling is not a mainstream fight technique in the heavyweight division. However, Aspinall excels in it. He is a strong heavyweight who is light on his feet. The London-born fighter’s fight IQ is exceptional and he has even won two of his seven fights via submission. He tries to incorporate grappling into his fighting but still holds the extraordinary record of being on his back for a mere second.
How does Islam Makhachev’s bottom position time fair against Tom Aspinall’s?
Makhachev has taken to the UFC Octagon 14 times in his career. The Russian has racked up 13 wins after losing on his UFC debut. The overall bottom position time for Makhachev is 6:16 minutes. Makhachev could only dream of a scenario where his bottom position time is so low. With the stark differences in their divisions and reliance on grappling it is not possible for the Russian to be close to the Brit’s record.
Comparing average fight times, Aspinall’s average time is 2:10 minutes while Makhachev’s is 9:46 minutes. This clearly leaves much more time for Makhachev to be taken down and face more bottom time.
Moreover, Aspinall’s top position time is 2:37 minutes, meanwhile, Makhachev’s is 59:00. There is a stark difference between the fighters’ top position time which again clearly indicates the amount of grappling time they have had in their fights.
It’s important to acknowledge that while Aspinall’s takedown defense is phenomenal, it doesn’t necessarily make him a superior grappler to someone like Makhachev. After all, takedown defense is just one aspect of grappling, and Makhachev’s dominance on the ground speaks for itself.
However, Aspinall‘s record serves as a testament to his exceptional ability to stay upright and avoid being entangled in grappling exchanges, a valuable skill for any fighter, regardless of weight class.
