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UFC Live: Cruz vs Johnson
Paul Sass
Paul Sass
11-0 · GBR
VS
Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson
9-5 · USA
October 1, 2011 · Washington, DC, USA
Lightweight · 3 rounds
Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson by SUB (Heel Hook), R1 3:00
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1 · 3:00
Sass2/160/300:05
Johnson8/260/000:39
Total
Sass2/160/300:05
Johnson8/260/000:39

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
SassWin probabilityJohnson
50.1%49.9%
KO / TKO
45%
Submission
6%
Decision
49%
Expected fight time: 9.7 min
What drives the pick

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

Predicted outcomes
Sass50%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO19%37%
Submission5%10%
Decision26%53%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes31 (1741)act 2
Takedowns0.4 (0.01.6)act 0
Johnson50%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO26%53%
Submission1%2%
Decision23%45%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes41 (2353)act 8
Takedowns0.1 (0.00.6)act 0
Combined totals~72 sig strikes~0.5 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R131%
R218%
R32%
Distance49%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.5%
Sass
37.1%+165
Johnson
-16561.4%
Most takedownstie 55.8%
Sass
32.1%-264
Johnson
+26412.1%
Significant strikes — over/under
Sass
Expected: 31.4
31.5
Over 31.5
42.3%
+136
Under 31.5
57.7%
-136
04079
Johnson
Expected: 41.1
41
Over 41
41.8%
+135
Exactly 41
1.6%
push
Under 41
56.6%
-135
052103
Takedowns — over/under
Sass
Expected: 0.4
0.5
Over 0.5
36.2%
+176
Under 0.5
63.8%
-176
035
Johnson
Expected: 0.1
0
Over 0
16.7%
Exactly 0
83.3%
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 9.7 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
Sass50.1%37.5%+12.6+163
Johnson49.9%62.5%−12.6-173

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
69.8Striking64.7
Sass +5.1
25.0Grappling47.9
Johnson +22.9
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
SassJohnson
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1547
Pound-for-pound
1504
1547
Divisional
1504
1494
Striking offense
1495
1509
Striking defense
1508
1507
Grappling offense
1548
1498
Grappling defense
1548
Physical
23 yrs
Age
25 yrs
6'0"
Height
5'10"
73"
Reach
73"
Orthodox
Stance
Southpaw
Striking (UFC career)
0.42
Strikes landed / min
2.89
50%
Strike accuracy
42%
0.63
Strikes absorbed / min
2.49
70%
Strike defense
55%
Grappling (UFC career)
0.00
Takedowns / 15 min
0.76
0%
Takedown accuracy
50%
Takedown defense
77%
12.6
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.0
Form & résumé
100%
UFC win rate
50%
+1
Win/loss streak
+1
100%
Last-5 win rate
50%
100%
Finish rate
100%
Recent opp. quality
350
Days since last fight
97
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Paul Sass
  • WMark HolstSUB R1
    Close -18511mo before
Michael Johnson
  • WEdward FaalolotoKO/TKO R1
    Close -5603mo before
  • LJonathan BrookinsU-DEC R3
    Close +19010mo before
Sass — win / loss by method
Record: 11-0-0

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
0 wins, 0 losses
W
0% of wins
L
Submission
10 wins, 0 losses
W
91% of wins
L
Decision
1 win, 0 losses
W
9% of wins
L
UFC
1win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 (0%)KO/TKO() 0
1 (100%)Submission() 0
0 (0%)Decision() 0
Non-UFC
10win0loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 (0%)KO/TKO() 0
9 (90%)Submission() 0
1 (10%)Decision() 0
Johnson — win / loss by method
Record: 9-5-0

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
5 wins, 0 losses
W
56% of wins
L
0% of losses
Submission
2 wins, 4 losses
W
22% of wins
L
80% of losses
Decision
2 wins, 1 loss
W
22% of wins
L
20% of losses
UFC
1win1loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (100%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
0 (0%)Submission(0%) 0
0 (0%)Decision(100%) 1
Non-UFC
8win4loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
4 (50%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
2 (25%)Submission(100%) 4
2 (25%)Decision(0%) 0

Profiles

Experience
Sass
Johnson
1
UFC fights
2
4.8 min · 4.8 avg
Octagon time
19.7 min · 9.8 avg
19y 0m
Career length
18y 6m
UFC schedule strength

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

Sass
Johnson
8W–2L · 80.0%
Overall
13W–4L · 76.5%
8W–2L · 80.0%
Wins
2W–1L · 66.7%
0W–0L
Losses
11W–3L · 78.6%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Sass
Johnson
49W–22L · 69.0%
Overall
104W–60L · 63.4%
49W–22L · 69.0%
Wins
65W–47L · 58.0%
0W–0L
Losses
39W–13L · 75.0%
Distance striking
Sass
Johnson
1.40
Landed / min
4.74
50.0%
Accuracy
31.8%
87.5%
Defense
72.1%
0.00
Knockdowns / 15 min
1.52
30.2%
Time at distance
28.9%
Grappling & control
Sass
Johnson
0.00
Takedowns / 15 min
0.76
0.0%
Takedown accuracy
50.0%
Takedown defense
76.9%
12.63
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.00
0.0%
Control share
19.0%
Strike target map
Sass
  • Head50%(1)div 65%
  • Body50%(1)div 18%
  • Legs0%(0)div 17%
Johnson
  • Head72%(41)div 65%
  • Body21%(12)div 18%
  • Legs7%(4)div 17%

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

Paul Sass
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

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

Michael Johnson
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

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