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UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith
Ben Askren
Ben Askren
18-0 · USA
VS
Robbie Lawler
Robbie Lawler
28-12 · USA
March 2, 2019 · Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Welterweight · 3 rounds
170.5lb
Weigh-in
170.0lb
Ben Askren def. Robbie Lawler by SUB (Bulldog Choke), R1 3:20
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1 · 3:20
Askren0/11/201:59
Lawler26/291/100:33
Total
Askren0/11/201:59
Lawler26/291/100:33

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
AskrenWin probabilityLawler
78.3%21.7%
KO / TKO
36%
Submission
15%
Decision
50%
Expected fight time: 10.0 min
What drives the pick

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

Predicted outcomes
Askren78%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO25%32%
Submission13%17%
Decision40%51%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes36 (2047)act 0
Takedowns1.3 (0.03.5)act 1
Lawler22%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO11%51%
Submission1%5%
Decision10%44%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes39 (2250)act 26
Takedowns0.1 (0.00.5)act 1
Combined totals~75 sig strikes~1.4 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R127%
R220%
R33%
Distance50%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.5%
Askren
46.2%+113
Lawler
-11352.4%
Most takedownstie 30.3%
Askren
63.5%-1027
Lawler
+10276.2%
Significant strikes — over/under
Askren
Expected: 36.2
36
Over 36
41.9%
+134
Exactly 36
1.8%
push
Under 36
56.3%
-134
04691
Lawler
Expected: 38.7
38.5
Over 38.5
42.8%
+134
Under 38.5
57.2%
-134
04997
Takedowns — over/under
Askren
Expected: 1.3
1.5
Over 1.5
44.7%
+124
Under 1.5
55.3%
-124
035
Lawler
Expected: 0.1
0
Over 0
13.7%
Exactly 0
86.3%
push
Under 0
0.0%
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 10.0 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
Askren78.3%71.5%+6.8-280
Lawler21.7%28.5%−6.8+240

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
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
AskrenLawler
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1576
Pound-for-pound
1635
1576
Divisional
1632
1474
Striking offense
1498
1500
Striking defense
1509
1561
Grappling offense
1486
1558
Grappling defense
1535
Physical
34 yrs
Age
36 yrs
5'11"
Height
5'11"
73"
Reach
74"
Orthodox
Stance
Southpaw
Striking (UFC career)
Strikes landed / min
3.88
Strike accuracy
46%
Strikes absorbed / min
4.37
Strike defense
59%
Grappling (UFC career)
Takedowns / 15 min
0.95
Takedown accuracy
76%
Takedown defense
71%
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.0
Form & résumé
UFC win rate
68%
Win/loss streak
-1
Last-5 win rate
60%
Finish rate
46%
Recent opp. quality
Days since last fight
441
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Ben Askren
No prior UFC fights.
Robbie Lawler
  • LRafael Dos AnjosU-DEC R5
    Close +1051y 2mo before
  • WDonald CerroneU-DEC R3
    Close -1551y 7mo before
  • LTyron WoodleyKO/TKO R1
    Close -1202y 7mo before
  • WCarlos ConditS-DEC R5
    Close -1153y 2mo before
  • WRory MacDonaldKO/TKO R5
    Close +1453y 8mo before
Askren — win / loss by method
Record: 18-0-0, 1 NC

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
6 wins, 0 losses
W
33% of wins
L
Submission
5 wins, 0 losses
W
28% of wins
L
Decision
7 wins, 0 losses
W
39% of wins
L
UFC
0win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 ()KO/TKO() 0
0 ()Submission() 0
0 ()Decision() 0
Non-UFC
18win0loss0draw1NC
WinsLosses
6 (33%)KO/TKO() 0
5 (28%)Submission() 0
7 (39%)Decision() 0
Lawler — win / loss by method
Record: 28-12-0, 1 NC

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
20 wins, 2 losses
W
71% of wins
L
17% of losses
Submission
1 win, 5 losses
W
4% of wins
L
42% of losses
Decision
7 wins, 5 losses
W
25% of wins
L
42% of losses
UFC
13win6loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
6 (46%)KO/TKO(33%) 2
0 (0%)Submission(33%) 2
7 (54%)Decision(33%) 2
Non-UFC
15win6loss0draw1NC
WinsLosses
14 (93%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
1 (7%)Submission(50%) 3
0 (0%)Decision(50%) 3

Profiles

Experience
Askren
Lawler
0
UFC fights
19
Octagon time
253.9 min · 13.4 avg
Career length
25y 4m
UFC schedule strength

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

Askren
Lawler
Overall
356W–101L · 77.9%
Wins
251W–75L · 77.0%
Losses
105W–26L · 80.2%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Askren
Lawler
270W–61L · 81.6%
Overall
285W–78L · 78.5%
270W–61L · 81.6%
Wins
176W–56L · 75.9%
0W–0L
Losses
109W–22L · 83.2%
Distance striking
Askren
Lawler
Landed / min
4.11
Accuracy
39.9%
Defense
63.1%
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.53
Time at distance
63.6%
Grappling & control
Askren
Lawler
Takedowns / 15 min
0.95
Takedown accuracy
76.2%
Takedown defense
71.3%
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.00
Control share
44.3%
Strike target map
Askren
  • Head0%(0)div 63%
  • Body0%(0)div 20%
  • Legs0%(0)div 16%
  • No strike data on record.
Lawler
  • Head76%(751)div 63%
  • Body20%(198)div 20%
  • Legs4%(35)div 16%

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

Ben Askren

No UFC fights on record.

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

Robbie Lawler
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

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