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UFC on FOX: Johnson vs Dodson
Rafael Natal
Rafael Natal
14-4-1 · BRA
VS
Sean Spencer
Sean Spencer
9-1 · USA
January 26, 2013 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
Middleweight · 3 rounds
185.0lb
Weigh-in
186.0lb
Rafael Natal def. Sean Spencer by SUB (Arm Triangle), R3 2:13
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1
Natal22/511/200:30
Spencer7/590/000:11
R2
Natal19/322/203:25
Spencer5/200/000:00
R3 · 2:13
Natal23/281/201:47
Spencer0/50/000:00
Total
Natal64/1114/605:42
Spencer12/840/000:11

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
NatalWin probabilitySpencer
35.5%64.5%
KO / TKO
28%
Submission
12%
Decision
60%
Expected fight time: 11.5 min
What drives the pick

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

Predicted outcomes
Natal36%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO10%27%
Submission6%17%
Decision20%56%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes44 (2557)act 64
Takedowns1.1 (0.03.3)act 4
Spencer64%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO18%28%
Submission6%9%
Decision40%63%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes43 (2456)act 12
Takedowns0.2 (0.00.7)act 0
Combined totals~87 sig strikes~1.3 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R119%
R212%
R39%
Distance60%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.3%
Natal
50.0%-103
Spencer
+10348.7%
Most takedownstie 43.4%
Natal
47.7%-534
Spencer
+5348.9%
Significant strikes — over/under
Natal
Expected: 43.9
44
Over 44
41.7%
+136
Exactly 44
1.5%
push
Under 44
56.8%
-136
055110
Spencer
Expected: 43.3
43.5
Over 43.5
42.3%
+137
Under 43.5
57.7%
-137
055109
Takedowns — over/under
Natal
Expected: 1.1
1
Over 1
35.4%
+137
Exactly 1
16.1%
push
Under 1
48.5%
-137
035
Spencer
Expected: 0.2
0
Over 0
14.6%
Exactly 0
85.4%
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 11.5 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
Natal35.5%68.8%−33.3-235
Spencer64.5%31.2%+33.3+215

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
NatalSpencer
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1528
Pound-for-pound
1525
1528
Divisional
1525
1488
Striking offense
1500
1508
Striking defense
1500
1519
Grappling offense
1500
1511
Grappling defense
1500
Physical
30 yrs
Age
25 yrs
6'0"
Height
5'10"
77"
Reach
74"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
2.76
Strikes landed / min
45%
Strike accuracy
2.06
Strikes absorbed / min
60%
Strike defense
Grappling (UFC career)
3.22
Takedowns / 15 min
38%
Takedown accuracy
75%
Takedown defense
0.4
Sub attempts / 15 min
Form & résumé
50%
UFC win rate
-1
Win/loss streak
40%
Last-5 win rate
0%
Finish rate
Recent opp. quality
199
Days since last fight
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Rafael Natal
  • LAndrew CraigKO/TKO R2
    Close +1307mo before
  • WMichael KuiperU-DEC R3
    Close -1521y before
  • WPaul BradleyU-DEC R3
    Close +1301y 6mo before
  • DJesse BongfeldtM-DEC R3
    !Close -1652y 2mo before
  • LRich AttonitoU-DEC R3
    Close -1952y 4mo before
Sean Spencer
No prior UFC fights.
Natal — win / loss by method
Record: 14-4-1

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
3 wins, 3 losses
W
21% of wins
L
75% of losses
Submission
7 wins, 0 losses
W
50% of wins
L
0% of losses
Decision
4 wins, 1 loss
W
29% of wins
L
25% of losses
UFC
2win2loss1draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 (0%)KO/TKO(50%) 1
0 (0%)Submission(0%) 0
2 (100%)Decision(50%) 1
Non-UFC
12win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
3 (25%)KO/TKO(100%) 2
7 (58%)Submission(0%) 0
2 (17%)Decision(0%) 0
Spencer — win / loss by method
Record: 9-1-0

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, 0 losses
W
22% of wins
L
0% of losses
Submission
2 wins, 1 loss
W
22% of wins
L
100% of losses
Decision
5 wins, 0 losses
W
56% of wins
L
0% of losses
UFC
0win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 ()KO/TKO() 0
0 ()Submission() 0
0 ()Decision() 0
Non-UFC
9win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (22%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
2 (22%)Submission(100%) 1
5 (56%)Decision(0%) 0

Profiles

Experience
Natal
Spencer
5
UFC fights
0
69.9 min · 14.0 avg
Octagon time
21y 3m
Career length
UFC schedule strength

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

Natal
Spencer
44W–5L · 89.8%
Overall
29W–2L · 93.5%
Wins
15W–3L · 83.3%
Losses
Non-UFC schedule strength
Natal
Spencer
65W–22L · 74.7%
Overall
47W–13L · 78.3%
58W–22L · 72.5%
Wins
46W–12L · 79.3%
7W–0L · 100.0%
Losses
1W–1L · 50.0%
Distance striking
Natal
Spencer
4.02
Landed / min
39.5%
Accuracy
72.7%
Defense
0.43
Knockdowns / 15 min
49.5%
Time at distance
Grappling & control
Natal
Spencer
3.22
Takedowns / 15 min
38.5%
Takedown accuracy
75.0%
Takedown defense
0.43
Sub attempts / 15 min
50.0%
Control share
Strike target map
Natal
  • Head59%(113)div 63%
  • Body14%(27)div 19%
  • Legs27%(53)div 17%
Spencer
  • Head0%(0)div 63%
  • Body0%(0)div 19%
  • Legs0%(0)div 17%
  • No strike data on record.

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

Rafael Natal
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

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

Sean Spencer

No UFC fights on record.

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