UFC Leaders - Strikes Absorbed per Minute
Posted
11:00 AM
The eleventh in our series going through the categories on our UFC Official Records page, this post deals with the record holders for the lowest number of strikes absorbed per minute.
What: This rate stat is another of our defensive statistics. SApM (pronounced "sap 'em) is the complementary statistic to SLpM (pronounced "slap 'em). Where SLpM adds together all the strikes a fighter lands in his career and divides by time, SApM adds together all the strikes landed on a fighter by all of his opponents. Note that this number only includes significant strikes landed against a fighter.
Why: It doesn't get any simpler than this. The more a fighter gets hit, the harder it is for him to succeed. As we mentioned in relation to SLpM, reducing these number to a per-minute basis is the only way to ensure that all fighters are evaluated on a level playing field. To do otherwise would penalize fighters with longer careers or those who participate in longer fights.
Who:
Who's Next: Two words: Phil Davis. If Davis had one more fight, not only would he be #1, he'd be so far ahead of the next fighter to almost be funny. Mr. Wonderful's current SApM is just 0.32.
The Breakdown: A big shocker at #1, as Pete Spratt comes in ahead of even Georges St-Pierre. Spratt's presence is a strong reminder that striking is not the only way to win or lose in MMA. During his UFC tenure, Spratt went 3-5, with all five losses coming via submission. In two of those losses, his opponent didn't even need to land a single strike, just a submission hold.
What: This rate stat is another of our defensive statistics. SApM (pronounced "sap 'em) is the complementary statistic to SLpM (pronounced "slap 'em). Where SLpM adds together all the strikes a fighter lands in his career and divides by time, SApM adds together all the strikes landed on a fighter by all of his opponents. Note that this number only includes significant strikes landed against a fighter.
Why: It doesn't get any simpler than this. The more a fighter gets hit, the harder it is for him to succeed. As we mentioned in relation to SLpM, reducing these number to a per-minute basis is the only way to ensure that all fighters are evaluated on a level playing field. To do otherwise would penalize fighters with longer careers or those who participate in longer fights.
Who:
| Rank | Fighter | Total |
| 1 | Pete Spratt | 0.89 |
| 2 | Georges St-Pierre | 0.99 |
| 3 | Ivan Salaverry | 1.01 |
| 4 | Chael Sonnen | 1.02 |
| 5 | Ricardo Almeida | 1.05 |
| 6 | Vladimir Matyushenko | 1.09 |
| 7 | Cain Velasquez | 1.10 |
| 8 | Ricco Rodriguez | 1.10 |
| 9 | CB Dolloway | 1.11 |
| 10 | Lyoto Machida | 1.12 |
Who's Next: Two words: Phil Davis. If Davis had one more fight, not only would he be #1, he'd be so far ahead of the next fighter to almost be funny. Mr. Wonderful's current SApM is just 0.32.
The Breakdown: A big shocker at #1, as Pete Spratt comes in ahead of even Georges St-Pierre. Spratt's presence is a strong reminder that striking is not the only way to win or lose in MMA. During his UFC tenure, Spratt went 3-5, with all five losses coming via submission. In two of those losses, his opponent didn't even need to land a single strike, just a submission hold.
The remainder of the list is quite eclectic, with a mix of champions (GSP, Velasquez, Machida), journeymen (Salaverry, Rodriguez), and controlling wrestlers (Sonnen, Matyushenko, Dolloway)
The Takeaway: As the mix of fighters indicates, there are several ways to survive in the UFC without getting hit very often. The list also indicates that not getting hit is not an automatic recipe for success. Fighters can still be submitted, knocked out with a single strike, or laid upon for minutes at a time without absorbing anything significant.
The Takeaway: As the mix of fighters indicates, there are several ways to survive in the UFC without getting hit very often. The list also indicates that not getting hit is not an automatic recipe for success. Fighters can still be submitted, knocked out with a single strike, or laid upon for minutes at a time without absorbing anything significant.