BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Nick Penner vs.
Cody Donovan

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

0-2-0 Nick Penner · UFC
1-3-0 Cody Donovan · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

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

0-2-0
UFC record
1-3-0
Light Heavyweight
Division (benchmark)
Light Heavyweight
46.4
AgeΔ 0.9 yrs
45.5
6'4"
HeightΔ 1"
6'3"
Reach
74"
Southpaw
Stance
Orthodox
163.7
Layoff (months)Δ 19.1 mo
144.6
LL
Last 5 (newest first)
LLLW
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.

Cody Donovan is a submission threat — 1.67 attempts per 15 minutes, vs a 0.27 Light Heavyweight norm.
Cody Donovan carries real power — 1.67 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.40 Light Heavyweight norm.
Nick Penner carries real power — 1.57 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.40 Light Heavyweight 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.

Nick Penner

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

In the UFC: 0-0 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record -0.5 wins over .500

Cody Donovan

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

In the UFC: 0-1 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record -0.5 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

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

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

121.25/min · norm 3.41
Sig. strikes landed
1015.61/min · norm 3.41
444.60/min · norm 3.35
Sig. strikes absorbed
985.44/min · norm 3.35
30.0%norm 48.3%
Striking accuracy
59.1%norm 48.3%
38.9%norm 52.9%
Striking defense
45.9%norm 52.9%
11.57/15 · norm 0.40
Knockdowns
21.67/15 · norm 0.40

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

Nick Penner

Distance 77.5% (norm 80.5%) · Clinch 10.0% (norm 8.6%) · Ground 12.5% (norm 10.4%)

Cody Donovan

Distance 64.9% (norm 80.5%) · Clinch 29.2% (norm 8.6%) · Ground 5.8% (norm 10.4%)

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

Nick Penner

Head 95.0% (norm 79.2%) · Body 5.0% (norm 11.7%) · Legs 0.0% (norm 9.7%)

Cody Donovan

Head 76.0% (norm 79.2%) · Body 22.2% (norm 11.7%) · Legs 1.8% (norm 9.7%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

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

Zone Penner L/AAccLight Heavyweight med Donovan L/AAccLight Heavyweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 8 / 31 25.8% 41.4% 59 / 111 53.2% 41.4%
In the clinch 2 / 4 too few to rate 70.9% 36 / 50 72.0% 70.9%
On the ground 2 / 5 too few to rate 72.3% 6 / 10 too few to rate 72.3%
BY TARGET
To the head 10 / 38 26.3% 38.9% 64 / 130 49.2% 38.9%
To the body 2 / 2 too few to rate 71.9% 34 / 38 89.5% 71.9%
To the legs 0 / 0 too few to rate 81.8% 3 / 3 too few to rate 81.8%

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 (Light Heavyweight: 93 fighters · Light Heavyweight: 93 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 Penner L/AOpp accLight Heavyweight med vs Donovan L/AOpp accLight Heavyweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 8 / 20 too few to rate 40.4% 54 / 116 46.6% 40.4%
In the clinch 10 / 12 too few to rate 68.7% 23 / 36 63.9% 68.7%
On the ground 26 / 40 65.0% 70.4% 21 / 29 72.4% 70.4%
BY TARGET
To the head 33 / 60 55.0% 37.5% 74 / 149 49.7% 37.5%
To the body 9 / 10 too few to rate 72.3% 15 / 22 too few to rate 72.3%
To the legs 2 / 2 too few to rate 83.0% 9 / 10 too few to rate 83.0%
Grappling

The ground war.

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

0— acc · 0.00/15 · norm 0.87
Takedowns landed
228.6% acc · 1.67/15 · norm 0.87
240.0% def · norm 66.7%
Takedowns stopped
00.0% def · norm 66.7%
1:5820.6% of cage time · norm 16.5%
Control time
4:0022.2% of cage time · norm 16.5%
3:275:24 per 15 · norm 2:48
Time under control
4:443:56 per 15 · norm 2:48
00.00/15 · norm 0.27
Submission attempts
21.67/15 · norm 0.27

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

Next move

Let the engine settle it.