BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Josh Thomson vs.
Hermes Franca

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

3-4-0 Josh Thomson · UFC
6-5-0 Hermes Franca · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

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

3-4-0
UFC record
6-5-0
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
47.9
AgeΔ 4 yrs
51.9
5'10"
HeightΔ 4"
5'6"
71"
ReachΔ 0"
71"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
132.7
Layoff (months)Δ 69.8 mo
202.5
LLLWL
Last 5 (newest first)
LWLLW
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.

Hermes Franca is a submission threat — 2.31 attempts per 15 minutes, vs a 0.49 Lightweight norm.
Hermes Franca carries real power — 0.40 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 Lightweight norm.
Josh Thomson carries real power — 0.35 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 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.

Josh Thomson

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

In the UFC: 2-4 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +3.7 wins over .500

Hermes Franca

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

In the UFC: 2-5 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.4 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

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

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

1972.29/min · norm 3.42
Sig. strikes landed
2581.73/min · norm 3.42
2472.87/min · norm 3.37
Sig. strikes absorbed
3952.64/min · norm 3.37
43.1%norm 43.5%
Striking accuracy
39.2%norm 43.5%
52.7%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
56.8%norm 56.3%
20.35/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
40.40/15 · norm 0.25

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

Josh Thomson

Distance 73.3% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 13.8% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 12.9% (norm 8.0%)

Hermes Franca

Distance 77.7% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 11.7% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 10.6% (norm 8.0%)

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

Josh Thomson

Head 68.5% (norm 78.2%) · Body 14.4% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 17.1% (norm 7.9%)

Hermes Franca

Head 82.5% (norm 78.2%) · Body 5.2% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 12.3% (norm 7.9%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

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

Zone Thomson L/AAccLightweight med Franca L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 128 / 335 38.2% 37.9% 186 / 512 36.3% 37.9%
In the clinch 37 / 63 58.7% 67.3% 43 / 77 55.8% 67.3%
On the ground 32 / 59 54.2% 69.1% 29 / 70 41.4% 69.1%
BY TARGET
To the head 98 / 313 31.3% 35.0% 173 / 544 31.8% 35.0%
To the body 41 / 66 62.1% 69.1% 26 / 34 76.5% 69.1%
To the legs 58 / 78 74.4% 81.9% 59 / 81 72.8% 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 Thomson L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Franca L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 168 / 416 40.4% 38.9% 194 / 546 35.5% 38.9%
In the clinch 36 / 50 72.0% 68.6% 37 / 62 59.7% 68.6%
On the ground 43 / 56 76.8% 68.0% 164 / 306 53.6% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 131 / 339 38.6% 35.1% 232 / 719 32.3% 35.1%
To the body 65 / 113 57.5% 68.1% 52 / 65 80.0% 68.1%
To the legs 51 / 70 72.9% 81.5% 111 / 130 85.4% 81.5%
Grappling

The ground war.

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

1136.7% acc · 1.92/15 · norm 1.38
Takedowns landed
1638.1% acc · 1.60/15 · norm 1.38
541.7% def · norm 64.0%
Takedowns stopped
2536.8% def · norm 64.0%
20:1323.5% of cage time · norm 19.5%
Control time
18:2012.3% of cage time · norm 19.5%
14:342:32 per 15 · norm 2:46
Time under control
65:516:36 per 15 · norm 2:46
00.00/15 · norm 0.49
Submission attempts
232.31/15 · norm 0.49

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

Next move

Let the engine settle it.