BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Thomas Gifford vs.
Mike Davis

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 Thomas Gifford · UFC
5-3-0 Mike Davis · 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
5-3-0
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
34
AgeΔ 0.2 yrs
33.8
6'1"
HeightΔ 1"
6'0"
75"
ReachΔ 3"
72"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
81.8
Layoff (months)Δ 81.4 mo
0.4
LL
Last 5 (newest first)
LWLWW
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.

Mike Davis carries real power — 0.60 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 Lightweight norm.
Mike Davis is a submission threat — 1.05 attempts per 15 minutes, vs a 0.49 Lightweight norm.
Thomas Gifford absorbs 6.45 sig. strikes per minute, well above the 3.37 Lightweight norm — hittable.
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.

Thomas Gifford

Full career not yet synced for Thomas Gifford — 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 +0.0 wins over .500

Mike Davis

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

In the UFC: 1-3 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.2 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

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

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

1183.97/min · norm 3.42
Sig. strikes landed
4174.18/min · norm 3.42
1926.45/min · norm 3.37
Sig. strikes absorbed
4244.25/min · norm 3.37
37.8%norm 43.5%
Striking accuracy
54.7%norm 43.5%
37.5%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
56.3%norm 56.3%
00.00/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
40.60/15 · norm 0.25

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

Thomas Gifford

Distance 93.6% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 5.1% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 1.3% (norm 8.0%)

Mike Davis

Distance 79.0% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 5.2% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 15.7% (norm 8.0%)

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

Thomas Gifford

Head 77.6% (norm 78.2%) · Body 9.6% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 12.8% (norm 7.9%)

Mike Davis

Head 72.4% (norm 78.2%) · Body 21.0% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 6.6% (norm 7.9%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

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

Zone Gifford L/AAccLightweight med Davis L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 104 / 292 35.6% 37.9% 300 / 602 49.8% 37.9%
In the clinch 12 / 16 too few to rate 67.3% 32 / 40 80.0% 67.3%
On the ground 2 / 4 too few to rate 69.1% 85 / 120 70.8% 69.1%
BY TARGET
To the head 61 / 242 25.2% 35.0% 262 / 552 47.5% 35.0%
To the body 23 / 30 76.7% 69.1% 116 / 160 72.5% 69.1%
To the legs 34 / 40 85.0% 81.9% 39 / 50 78.0% 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 Gifford L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Davis L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 129 / 232 55.6% 38.9% 349 / 852 41.0% 38.9%
In the clinch 20 / 21 too few to rate 68.6% 34 / 53 64.2% 68.6%
On the ground 43 / 54 79.6% 68.0% 41 / 65 63.1% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 137 / 239 57.3% 35.1% 263 / 774 34.0% 35.1%
To the body 39 / 47 83.0% 68.1% 69 / 97 71.1% 68.1%
To the legs 16 / 21 too few to rate 81.5% 92 / 99 92.9% 81.5%
Grappling

The ground war.

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

133.3% acc · 0.50/15 · norm 1.38
Takedowns landed
1650.0% acc · 2.40/15 · norm 1.38
233.3% def · norm 64.0%
Takedowns stopped
1851.4% def · norm 64.0%
1:415.7% of cage time · norm 19.5%
Control time
24:5625.0% of cage time · norm 19.5%
11:075:36 per 15 · norm 2:46
Time under control
26:464:01 per 15 · norm 2:46
00.00/15 · norm 0.49
Submission attempts
71.05/15 · norm 0.49

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

Next move

Let the engine settle it.