BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Mitch Clarke vs.
Al Iaquinta

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

2-5-0 Mitch Clarke · UFC
9-6-0 Al Iaquinta · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

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

2-5-0
UFC record
9-6-0
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
40.7
AgeΔ 1.4 yrs
39.3
5'10"
HeightΔ 0"
5'10"
73"
ReachΔ 3"
70"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
106.9
Layoff (months)Δ 49.9 mo
57
LLLWW
Last 5 (newest first)
LLLWL
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.

Al Iaquinta carries real power — 0.55 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 Lightweight norm.
Al Iaquinta rarely shoots — 0.63 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.38 Lightweight norm.
Mitch Clarke rarely shoots — 0.64 takedowns 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.

Mitch Clarke

Full career not yet synced for Mitch Clarke — 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 +0.4 wins over .500

Al Iaquinta

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

In the UFC: 7-4 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +3.7 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

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

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

1662.35/min · norm 3.42
Sig. strikes landed
7744.06/min · norm 3.42
2313.27/min · norm 3.37
Sig. strikes absorbed
8634.53/min · norm 3.37
34.0%norm 43.5%
Striking accuracy
40.5%norm 43.5%
47.9%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
61.2%norm 56.3%
00.00/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
70.55/15 · norm 0.25

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

Mitch Clarke

Distance 86.3% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 10.9% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 2.9% (norm 8.0%)

Al Iaquinta

Distance 95.3% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 2.7% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 2.0% (norm 8.0%)

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

Mitch Clarke

Head 70.1% (norm 78.2%) · Body 11.7% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 18.2% (norm 7.9%)

Al Iaquinta

Head 81.4% (norm 78.2%) · Body 12.3% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 6.3% (norm 7.9%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

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

Zone Clarke L/AAccLightweight med Iaquinta L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 124 / 421 29.5% 37.9% 715 / 1819 39.3% 37.9%
In the clinch 38 / 53 71.7% 67.3% 31 / 51 60.8% 67.3%
On the ground 4 / 14 too few to rate 69.1% 28 / 39 71.8% 69.1%
BY TARGET
To the head 82 / 342 24.0% 35.0% 521 / 1553 33.5% 35.0%
To the body 31 / 57 54.4% 69.1% 145 / 235 61.7% 69.1%
To the legs 53 / 89 59.6% 81.9% 108 / 121 89.3% 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 Clarke L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Iaquinta L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 129 / 305 42.3% 38.9% 740 / 2046 36.2% 38.9%
In the clinch 45 / 59 76.3% 68.6% 12 / 29 41.4% 68.6%
On the ground 57 / 79 72.2% 68.0% 111 / 150 74.0% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 184 / 383 48.0% 35.1% 639 / 1928 33.1% 35.1%
To the body 33 / 45 73.3% 68.1% 106 / 161 65.8% 68.1%
To the legs 14 / 15 too few to rate 81.5% 118 / 136 86.8% 81.5%
Grappling

The ground war.

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

315.0% acc · 0.64/15 · norm 1.38
Takedowns landed
818.6% acc · 0.63/15 · norm 1.38
1250.0% def · norm 64.0%
Takedowns stopped
4074.1% def · norm 64.0%
10:2314.7% of cage time · norm 19.5%
Control time
11:236.0% of cage time · norm 19.5%
27:315:50 per 15 · norm 2:46
Time under control
26:492:06 per 15 · norm 2:46
20.43/15 · norm 0.49
Submission attempts
30.24/15 · norm 0.49

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

Next move

Let the engine settle it.