BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Daron Cruickshank vs.
KJ Noons

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

6-6-0 (1 NC) Daron Cruickshank · UFC
2-3-0 (1 NC) KJ Noons · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

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

6-6-0 (1 NC)
UFC record
2-3-0 (1 NC)
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
41
AgeΔ 2 yrs
43
5'8"
HeightΔ 2"
5'10"
72"
ReachΔ 2"
70"
Switch
Stance
Orthodox
126.6
Layoff (months)Δ 0.6 mo
126
LLLNCW
Last 5 (newest first)
LLNCWW
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.

Daron Cruickshank carries real power — 0.57 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 Lightweight norm.
KJ Noons rarely shoots — 0.00 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.38 Lightweight norm.
Daron Cruickshank hunts takedowns — 2.04 per 15 minutes, vs a 1.38 Lightweight norm.
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.

Daron Cruickshank

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

In the UFC: 2-3 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +0.5 wins over .500

KJ Noons

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

In the UFC: 2-1 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.5 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

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

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

3812.88/min · norm 3.42
Sig. strikes landed
1633.03/min · norm 3.42
3952.98/min · norm 3.37
Sig. strikes absorbed
2164.02/min · norm 3.37
38.1%norm 43.5%
Striking accuracy
38.7%norm 43.5%
57.4%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
59.9%norm 56.3%
50.57/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
10.28/15 · norm 0.25

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

Daron Cruickshank

Distance 84.8% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 9.6% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 5.6% (norm 8.0%)

KJ Noons

Distance 94.8% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 4.3% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 1.0% (norm 8.0%)

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

Daron Cruickshank

Head 74.4% (norm 78.2%) · Body 18.2% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 7.4% (norm 7.9%)

KJ Noons

Head 65.3% (norm 78.2%) · Body 23.0% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 11.6% (norm 7.9%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

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

Zone Cruickshank L/AAccLightweight med Noons L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 276 / 849 32.5% 37.9% 145 / 399 36.3% 37.9%
In the clinch 62 / 96 64.6% 67.3% 16 / 18 too few to rate 67.3%
On the ground 43 / 56 76.8% 69.1% 2 / 4 too few to rate 69.1%
BY TARGET
To the head 216 / 745 29.0% 35.0% 86 / 275 31.3% 35.0%
To the body 105 / 182 57.7% 69.1% 50 / 97 51.5% 69.1%
To the legs 60 / 74 81.1% 81.9% 27 / 49 55.1% 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 Cruickshank L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Noons L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 299 / 769 38.9% 38.9% 182 / 487 37.4% 38.9%
In the clinch 38 / 77 49.4% 68.6% 9 / 12 too few to rate 68.6%
On the ground 58 / 81 71.6% 68.0% 25 / 40 62.5% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 218 / 682 32.0% 35.1% 111 / 409 27.1% 35.1%
To the body 82 / 126 65.1% 68.1% 38 / 54 70.4% 68.1%
To the legs 95 / 119 79.8% 81.5% 67 / 76 88.2% 81.5%
Grappling

The ground war.

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

1841.9% acc · 2.04/15 · norm 1.38
Takedowns landed
0— acc · 0.00/15 · norm 1.38
1260.0% def · norm 64.0%
Takedowns stopped
1959.4% def · norm 64.0%
17:0612.9% of cage time · norm 19.5%
Control time
0:050.2% of cage time · norm 19.5%
27:263:06 per 15 · norm 2:46
Time under control
11:003:04 per 15 · norm 2:46
20.23/15 · norm 0.49
Submission attempts
00.00/15 · norm 0.49

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

Next move

Let the engine settle it.