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UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier
Muslim Salikhov
Muslim Salikhov
15-2 · RUS
VS
Nordine Taleb
Nordine Taleb
15-6 · CAN
September 7, 2019 · Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Welterweight · 3 rounds
171.0lb
Weigh-in
170.0lb
Muslim Salikhov def. Nordine Taleb by KO/TKO (Punch), R1 4:26
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1 · 4:26
Salikhov10/230/010:02
Taleb6/260/000:00
Total
Salikhov10/230/010:02
Taleb6/260/000:00

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
SalikhovWin probabilityTaleb
63.2%36.8%
KO / TKO
18%
Submission
5%
Decision
77%
Expected fight time: 13.2 min
What drives the pick

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

Predicted outcomes
Salikhov63%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO14%23%
Submission5%7%
Decision44%70%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes51 (2967)act 10
Takedowns0.3 (0.01.3)act 0
Taleb37%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO4%11%
Submission1%1%
Decision32%88%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes49 (2764)act 6
Takedowns0.5 (0.01.9)act 0
Combined totals~100 sig strikes~0.8 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R19%
R26%
R38%
Distance77%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.1%
Salikhov
51.9%-110
Taleb
+11047.0%
Most takedownstie 52.0%
Salikhov
17.9%+168
Taleb
-16830.1%
Significant strikes — over/under
Salikhov
Expected: 51.4
51.5
Over 51.5
42.4%
+136
Under 51.5
57.6%
-136
065129
Taleb
Expected: 48.8
49
Over 49
41.5%
+137
Exactly 49
1.4%
push
Under 49
57.1%
-137
062123
Takedowns — over/under
Salikhov
Expected: 0.3
0.5
Over 0.5
23.6%
+323
Under 0.5
76.4%
-323
035
Taleb
Expected: 0.5
0.5
Over 0.5
35.6%
+181
Under 0.5
64.4%
-181
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 13.2 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
Salikhov63.2%45.7%+17.5+110
Taleb36.8%54.3%−17.5-130

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
70.5Striking75.1
Taleb +4.6
17.4Grappling55.6
Taleb +38.2
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
SalikhovTaleb
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1541
Pound-for-pound
1563
1541
Divisional
1551
1503
Striking offense
1502
1538
Striking defense
1528
Grappling offense
Grappling defense
Physical
35 yrs
Age
38 yrs
5'11"
Height
6'1"
70"
Reach
74"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
1.99
Strikes landed / min
3.74
47%
Strike accuracy
52%
1.42
Strikes absorbed / min
2.64
63%
Strike defense
67%
Grappling (UFC career)
0.00
Takedowns / 15 min
2.01
0%
Takedown accuracy
76%
63%
Takedown defense
74%
0.0
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.0
Form & résumé
50%
UFC win rate
64%
+1
Win/loss streak
+1
50%
Last-5 win rate
60%
100%
Finish rate
29%
Recent opp. quality
511
Days since last fight
126
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Muslim Salikhov
  • WRicky RaineyKO/TKO R2
    Close -2101y 5mo before
  • LAlex GarciaSUB R2
    Close -2201y 9mo before
Nordine Taleb
  • WKyle PrepolecU-DEC R3
    Close -4204mo before
  • LSean StricklandKO/TKO R2
    Close -12010mo before
  • LClaudio SilvaSUB R1
    Close -4001y 3mo before
  • WDanny RobertsKO/TKO R1
    Close -1551y 9mo before
  • WOliver EnkampU-DEC R3
    Close -3352y 3mo before
Salikhov — win / loss by method
Record: 15-2-0

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
12 wins, 0 losses
W
80% of wins
L
0% of losses
Submission
2 wins, 2 losses
W
13% of wins
L
100% of losses
Decision
1 win, 0 losses
W
7% of wins
L
0% of losses
UFC
1win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (100%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
0 (0%)Submission(100%) 1
0 (0%)Decision(0%) 0
Non-UFC
14win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
11 (79%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
2 (14%)Submission(100%) 1
1 (7%)Decision(0%) 0
Taleb — win / loss by method
Record: 15-6-0

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
7 wins, 2 losses
W
47% of wins
L
33% of losses
Submission
0 wins, 2 losses
W
0% of wins
L
33% of losses
Decision
8 wins, 2 losses
W
53% of wins
L
33% of losses
UFC
7win4loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (29%)KO/TKO(25%) 1
0 (0%)Submission(50%) 2
5 (71%)Decision(25%) 1
Non-UFC
8win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
5 (63%)KO/TKO(50%) 1
0 (0%)Submission(0%) 0
3 (38%)Decision(50%) 1

Profiles

Experience
Salikhov
Taleb
2
UFC fights
11
17.6 min · 8.8 avg
Octagon time
119.4 min · 10.9 avg
15y 0m
Career length
18y 8m
UFC schedule strength

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

Salikhov
Taleb
27W–8L · 77.1%
Overall
140W–29L · 82.8%
13W–4L · 76.5%
Wins
79W–22L · 78.2%
14W–4L · 77.8%
Losses
61W–7L · 89.7%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Salikhov
Taleb
117W–52L · 69.2%
Overall
56W–30L · 65.1%
115W–52L · 68.9%
Wins
37W–24L · 60.7%
2W–0L · 100.0%
Losses
19W–6L · 76.0%
Distance striking
Salikhov
Taleb
2.48
Landed / min
4.63
45.1%
Accuracy
48.0%
64.8%
Defense
69.8%
0.85
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.25
73.4%
Time at distance
63.1%
Grappling & control
Salikhov
Taleb
0.00
Takedowns / 15 min
2.01
0.0%
Takedown accuracy
76.2%
62.5%
Takedown defense
73.9%
0.00
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.00
9.0%
Control share
74.1%
Strike target map
Salikhov
  • Head40%(14)div 63%
  • Body31%(11)div 20%
  • Legs29%(10)div 16%
Taleb
  • Head49%(217)div 63%
  • Body24%(106)div 20%
  • Legs28%(124)div 16%

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

Muslim Salikhov
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

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

Nordine Taleb
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

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