BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Damir Ismagulov vs.
Rafael Alves

Two full careers, measured against each man's own division and against each other — the tape, the read, and every number behind them.

5-2-0 Damir Ismagulov · UFC
1-3-0 Rafael Alves · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

Frame, age, layoff and recent form — green marks the edge on each line.

5-2-0
UFC record
1-3-0
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
35
AgeΔ 0 yrs
35
5'10"
HeightΔ 2"
5'8"
74"
ReachΔ 6"
68"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
37.2
Layoff (months)Δ 4.1 mo
41.3
LLWWW
Last 5 (newest first)
LLWL
The read

What the numbers say.

Scouting notes, auto-generated — only stats deviating more than 25% from the division median make this list. No narratives, just deviations.

Rafael Alves is a submission threat — 1.39 attempts per 15 minutes, vs a 0.49 Lightweight norm.
Rafael Alves rarely shoots — 0.35 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.38 Lightweight norm.
Opponents land 88% of their ground strikes on Damir Ismagulov, vs a 68% Lightweight norm — a hole in the guard.
Level of competition

Who did they actually beat?

Full-career records re-graded by the tier of opposition — the same grading the Contender Series pick model uses. Records built on tier-4 competition are worth less than records built on killers.

Damir Ismagulov

Full career not yet synced for Damir Ismagulov — tier grading appears once their record documentation lands (refreshes weekly).

In the UFC: 1-2 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.6 wins over .500

Rafael Alves

Full career not yet synced for Rafael Alves — tier grading appears once their record documentation lands (refreshes weekly).

In the UFC: 1-2 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.8 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

Career totals; norms are the medians of each man's own division.

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

3533.36/min · norm 3.42
Sig. strikes landed
791.82/min · norm 3.42
2562.44/min · norm 3.37
Sig. strikes absorbed
1403.23/min · norm 3.37
42.8%norm 43.5%
Striking accuracy
49.7%norm 43.5%
61.2%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
58.2%norm 56.3%
10.14/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
10.35/15 · norm 0.25

Where the fight happens (share of sig. strike attempts)

Damir Ismagulov

Distance 89.7% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 3.0% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 7.3% (norm 8.0%)

Rafael Alves

Distance 92.5% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 1.9% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 5.7% (norm 8.0%)

What they throw (share of sig. strike attempts by target)

Damir Ismagulov

Head 72.5% (norm 78.2%) · Body 20.4% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 7.2% (norm 7.9%)

Rafael Alves

Head 78.0% (norm 78.2%) · Body 11.9% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 10.1% (norm 7.9%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

Green ≥ division median, red below. UFCStats tracks position and target as separate splits.

Zone Ismagulov L/AAccLightweight med Alves L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 294 / 740 39.7% 37.9% 71 / 147 48.3% 37.9%
In the clinch 18 / 25 72.0% 67.3% 3 / 3 too few to rate 67.3%
On the ground 41 / 60 68.3% 69.1% 5 / 9 too few to rate 69.1%
BY TARGET
To the head 192 / 598 32.1% 35.0% 49 / 124 39.5% 35.0%
To the body 111 / 168 66.1% 69.1% 17 / 19 too few to rate 69.1%
To the legs 50 / 59 84.7% 81.9% 13 / 16 too few to rate 81.9%

Zones with fewer than 25 attempts are marked "too few to rate". Each fighter is measured against the median of leaderboard-eligible fighters in his own division (Lightweight: 201 fighters · Lightweight: 201 fighters).

What lands on them Opponents' accuracy against each man

Green ≤ division median — harder to hit than the typical man in his division.

Zone vs Ismagulov L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Alves L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 206 / 602 34.2% 38.9% 101 / 276 36.6% 38.9%
In the clinch 28 / 33 84.8% 68.6% 0 / 0 too few to rate 68.6%
On the ground 22 / 25 88.0% 68.0% 39 / 59 66.1% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 138 / 500 27.6% 35.1% 87 / 261 33.3% 35.1%
To the body 62 / 89 69.7% 68.1% 37 / 52 71.2% 68.1%
To the legs 56 / 71 78.9% 81.5% 16 / 22 too few to rate 81.5%
Grappling

The ground war.

Takedowns, control and submissions — career totals with each man's per-minute rates against his division norm.

728.0% acc · 1.00/15 · norm 1.38
Takedowns landed
125.0% acc · 0.35/15 · norm 1.38
2670.3% def · norm 64.0%
Takedowns stopped
337.5% def · norm 64.0%
19:4618.8% of cage time · norm 19.5%
Control time
3:559.0% of cage time · norm 19.5%
23:083:18 per 15 · norm 2:46
Time under control
18:416:28 per 15 · norm 2:46
00.00/15 · norm 0.49
Submission attempts
41.39/15 · norm 0.49

Bars compare the two men's rates (per-minute / per-15 figures), not raw totals — Ismagulov has more cage time on record.

Next move

Let the engine settle it.