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Reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov might be one of the most dominant grapplers ever in mixed martial arts, but the most dominant UFC fighter on the ground for the year of 2020 was none other than featherweight Bryce Mitchell.
The undefeated Mitchell owns a perfect 14-0 professional record, with his last five victories coming inside the UFC Octagon. In 2020, Mitchell continued his impressive run in the UFC by picking up a pair of unanimous decision victories against Charles Rosa and Andre Fili.
According to the MMA By The Numbers Twitter account, Mitchell had the most control time for any UFC fighter in 2020. Out of a total fight time of 30 minutes, Mitchell clocked in an astounding 23 minutes and 3 seconds of time in control of the fight:
In just five total fights with the UFC, Mitchell has already logged in a total of 32 minutes and 26 seconds of control time. That figure is good for seventh best in the featherweight division (among active UFC fighters).
If Mitchell can continue to be as dominant in 2021, expect him to move even higher up that list.
Also see: UFC rankings 2021
Bryce Mitchell still has a long way to go to reach the level of Khabib Nurmagomedov in terms of grappling dominance
UFC featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell may have had an amazing 2020 in terms of grappling dominance, but he still has a long way to go before he can reach the level of someone like reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In just five UFC fights, Mitchell has managed a total of 32 minutes and 26 seconds of control time, which is good for 7th in the featherweight division among active UFC fighters.
Nurmagomedov, however, has record a total of 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 41 seconds of control time, which is good for 10th among all active fighters in the UFC.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's only Octagon appearance in 2020 happened at UFC 254 back in October. Nurmagomedov needed just two rounds to submit Justin Gaethje and successfully defend the UFC lightweight championship for a third time. After the fight, Nurmagomedov shocked the world by announcing his retirement from MMA.
To be fair to Mitchell, Khabib Nurmagomedov had a longer UFC career. The undefeated Russian star has 13 UFC fights and four 5-round fights under his belt.
If Mitchell can compete in the UFC for as long as Nurmagomedov has and maintain the same level of grappling control, it is likely that he can equal, or even surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov in terms of fight control time.
Still, there is no doubt that Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the most dominant grapplers that the sport of mixed martial arts has ever seen.
