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UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje
Joel Alvarez
Joel Alvarez
17-2 · ESP
VS
Alexander Yakovlev
Alexander Yakovlev
25-10-1 · RUS
October 24, 2020 · Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Lightweight · 3 rounds
159.5lbMissed +3.5
Weigh-in
155.5lb
Joel Alvarez def. Alexander Yakovlev by SUB (Armbar), R1 3:00
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1 · 3:00
Alvarez4/60/000:00
Yakovlev1/11/101:57
Total
Alvarez4/60/000:00
Yakovlev1/11/101:57

Pre-fight

The model's read going in

The walk-forward model's call at the time of the bout — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.

Prediction
AlvarezWin probabilityYakovlev
51.5%48.5%
KO / TKO
18%
Submission
16%
Decision
66%
Expected fight time: 11.7 min
Retrospective pick: the walk-forward model's call at the time of the fight — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.
What drives the pick

Each bar is a feature's push on the model from the center axis. Red pushes toward Alvarez, blue toward Yakovlev. Tap a bar for why.

Predicted outcomes
Alvarez52%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO8%15%
Submission11%22%
Decision33%63%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes37 (1550)act 4
Takedowns0.7 (0.02.7)act 0
Yakovlev48%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO10%21%
Submission5%9%
Decision33%70%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes31 (1342)act 1
Takedowns0.8 (0.02.9)act 1
Combined totals~68 sig strikes~1.4 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R119%
R210%
R35%
Distance66%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.4%
Alvarez
54.5%-124
Yakovlev
+12444.1%
Most takedownstie 41.6%
Alvarez
25.6%+128
Yakovlev
-12832.8%
Significant strikes — over/under
Alvarez
Expected: 36.9
37
Over 37
39.0%
+153
Exactly 37
1.3%
push
Under 37
59.7%
-153
04793
Yakovlev
Expected: 31.4
31.5
Over 31.5
39.5%
+153
Under 31.5
60.5%
-153
04079
Takedowns — over/under
Alvarez
Expected: 0.7
0.5
Over 0.5
34.3%
+192
Under 0.5
65.7%
-192
035
Yakovlev
Expected: 0.8
1
Over 1
26.6%
+219
Exactly 1
15.3%
push
Under 1
58.1%
-219
035

Odds are model-implied (no real prop market is priced for these). The “most” prices are draw-no-bet — a tie (for takedowns, usually 0–0) is a push, so each side is priced off its chance of winning given a result, while the % shown is the raw chance of landing strictly more. Drag a line in half-point steps: a half line (e.g. 2.5) is a clean over/under, while a whole number adds a third outcome — landing exactly on it, a push — so over, exact and under sum to 100%. On a whole number the over/under odds are draw-no-bet (priced off the decisive mass, since the push refunds), so the two sides stay mirror images rather than implying an arbitrage.

Expected fight time 11.7 min. Predicted-output ranges are percentiles of the model’s simulated fights: sig strikes the middle 50% (25th–75th); takedowns the wider 10th–90th, since they’re 0 in most fights so a narrow band would collapse to 0. Win-by-method = win probability × that fighter’s own method split: the model forecasts how the fight ends, and that forecast is divided between the corners by each fighter’s finishing record — UFC wins in full, earlier-career wins at half weight, as of fight night — reconciled so the fighters’ totals still equal their win probabilities and the methods still total the fight-level forecast above. “Equity” is each of those over that fighter’s win % — how they win given that they win — so a column adds to 100%, and it differs by corner. A fighter with no classifiable wins at any level leans on the fight-level split. “How it ends” is the model’s round-of-finish split. “Mkt” is the de-vigged market prop (consensus across books), shown for context, not as a betting signal; rounds & totals slots fill as that data lands. Percentages are apportioned by largest remainder, so each set adds to its total exactly and an individual figure can sit a point off its own rounding.

Model vs market
Final
ModelMarketGapLine
To win
Alvarez51.5%60.2%−8.7-175
Yakovlev48.5%39.8%+8.7+138

Market % is the de-vigged (no-vig) consensus across the books that price both fighters; the line is the average across books with the min–max range in parentheses. Gap is the model minus the market in points (+ = the model rates that outcome above the market). Thin or one-sided markets are flagged or left blank rather than shown as a fabricated %. Shown for context, not as a bet — the closing line is the sharpest public price and the model trails it on average. For 5-round bouts the model splits its round-3+ finish mass into rounds 3–5 by the historical within-bucket rate, so the over-3.5 / 4.5 lines carry a model estimate.

Trait web
57.2Striking64.0
Yakovlev +6.8
7.6Grappling45.0
Yakovlev +37.4
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
AlvarezYakovlev
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1560
Pound-for-pound
1523
1560
Divisional
1562
1507
Striking offense
1486
1501
Striking defense
1525
1502
Grappling offense
1498
1495
Grappling defense
1493
Physical
27 yrs
Age
36 yrs
6'3"
Height
6'3"
77"
Reach
74"
Orthodox
Stance
Southpaw
Striking (UFC career)
3.03
Strikes landed / min
1.79
37%
Strike accuracy
47%
3.67
Strikes absorbed / min
2.44
54%
Strike defense
59%
Grappling (UFC career)
0.00
Takedowns / 15 min
1.56
Takedown accuracy
33%
0%
Takedown defense
72%
0.6
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.2
Form & résumé
67%
UFC win rate
38%
+2
Win/loss streak
-1
67%
Last-5 win rate
40%
100%
Finish rate
67%
Recent opp. quality
98
Days since last fight
350
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Joel Alvarez
  • WJoe DuffySUB R1
    Close +2503mo before
  • WDanilo BelluardoKO/TKO R2
    Close -1051y 5mo before
  • LDamir IsmagulovU-DEC R3
    Close +2651y 8mo before
Alexander Yakovlev
  • LRoosevelt RobertsU-DEC R3
    Close +11011mo before
  • WAlex Da SilvaSUB R2
    Close -1501y 6mo before
  • LZak CummingsSUB R2
    opp missedClose +1503y 11mo before
  • LKamaru UsmanU-DEC R3
    Close +2104y 3mo before
  • WGeorge SullivanKO/TKO R1
    Close -1054y 9mo before
Alvarez — win / loss by method
Record: 17-2-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
2 wins, 1 loss
W
12% of wins
L
50% of losses
Submission
15 wins, 0 losses
W
88% of wins
L
0% of losses
Decision
0 wins, 1 loss
W
0% of wins
L
50% of losses
UFC
2win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (50%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
1 (50%)Submission(0%) 0
0 (0%)Decision(100%) 1
Non-UFC
15win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (7%)KO/TKO(100%) 1
14 (93%)Submission(0%) 0
0 (0%)Decision(0%) 0
Yakovlev — win / loss by method
Record: 25-10-1

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
9 wins, 1 loss
W
36% of wins
L
10% of losses
Submission
9 wins, 4 losses
W
36% of wins
L
40% of losses
Decision
7 wins, 5 losses
W
28% of wins
L
50% of losses
UFC
3win5loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (33%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
1 (33%)Submission(20%) 1
1 (33%)Decision(80%) 4
Non-UFC
22win5loss1draw0NC
WinsLosses
8 (36%)KO/TKO(20%) 1
8 (36%)Submission(60%) 3
6 (27%)Decision(20%) 1

Profiles

Experience
Alvarez
Yakovlev
3
UFC fights
8
24.8 min · 8.3 avg
Octagon time
96.2 min · 12.0 avg
12y 7m
Career length
22y 5m
UFC schedule strength

Opponents' records on fight night — toggle their full cross-promotional record vs UFC bouts only.

Alvarez
Yakovlev
48W–8L · 85.7%
Overall
112W–25L · 81.8%
28W–7L · 80.0%
Wins
48W–9L · 84.2%
20W–1L · 95.2%
Losses
64W–16L · 80.0%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Alvarez
Yakovlev
100W–35L · 74.1%
Overall
103W–39L · 72.5%
99W–35L · 73.9%
Wins
81W–38L · 68.1%
1W–0L · 100.0%
Losses
22W–1L · 95.7%
Distance striking
Alvarez
Yakovlev
3.03
Landed / min
3.14
32.4%
Accuracy
41.1%
54.5%
Defense
68.7%
0.00
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.31
80.0%
Time at distance
40.8%
Grappling & control
Alvarez
Yakovlev
0.00
Takedowns / 15 min
1.56
Takedown accuracy
33.3%
0.0%
Takedown defense
72.2%
0.61
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.16
5.9%
Control share
24.5%
Strike target map
Alvarez
  • Head65%(49)div 63%
  • Body12%(9)div 20%
  • Legs23%(17)div 17%
Yakovlev
  • Head49%(85)div 63%
  • Body27%(46)div 20%
  • Legs24%(41)div 17%

Where each fighter lands significant strikes (career). “div” = the weight-class average.

Joel Alvarez
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.

Alexander Yakovlev
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.