// Roster Index›Middleweight›Dossier · Clifford Starks
UFC FIGHTER PROFILE_
UFC · UNKNOWNMIDDLEWEIGHT

Clifford
Starks

NICKNAME"Big Cat"·UNITED STATES
PROFESSIONAL RECORD
14-5-0
CURRENT FORM
1L STREAK
NEXT FIGHT
NO BOUT ANNOUNCED
Clifford Starks
FIGHTER -
UNI🇺🇸
PROFILE PHOTO
PROFILE
PROFILE DATA! COLD
HEIGHT
6'0"
REACH
6'6"
AGE
45
STANCE
ORTHODOX
WEIGHT
Middleweight
PROFESSIONAL RECORD_
19 BOUTS
WIN
14
LOSS
5
DRAW
0
WIN RATE
74%
14/19 bouts
FINISH RATE
50%
of professional wins
LAST 5 FIGHTS1L STREAK · 2-3
WLLWL
STYLE SUMMARY_
DATA: COLD
FIGHTING STYLE
WELL ROUNDED

Well rounded fighter with no dominant single weapon — 50% of wins are by dec.

KEY STRENGTHS

Banks rounds on the scorecard — pace and positioning over splash damage.

KEY RISKS

Top-position grapplers who can chain transitions force submissions when scrambles open up.

// PERFORMANCE_METRICS · 02_

STRIKE / GRAPPLE
VITALS

Observed profile rates compared with stored weight-class medians where coverage exists. Any fallback uses a labeled UFC reference average; no fallback is presented as a division median.

// SLPM▼ BELOW
1.94
Strikes Landed/Min
Reference value 2.70
// STR. ACC▼ BELOW
33%
Striking Accuracy
Reference value 47%
// SAPM▲ ABOVE
2.49
Strikes Absorbed/Min
Reference value 2.72
// STR. DEF▲ ABOVE
58%
Striking Defense
Reference value 53%
// TD AVG▲ ABOVE
1.94
Takedowns/15 min
Reference value 1.50
// TD ACC▲ ABOVE
100%
Takedown Accuracy
Reference value 40%
// TD DEF▲ ABOVE
60%
Takedown Defense
Reference value 58%
// SUB AVG▼ BELOW
0.00
Submissions/15 min
Reference value 0.50
// QUALITY_OF_COMPETITION · 02B_

WHO THEY
ACTUALLY FOUGHT

A record says how often a fighter won, not against whom. These ratings weigh every result by the opponent's strength at the time, then compare this fighter with the 90 rated fighters on the UFC middleweight roster (anyone with a UFC bout in the last two years or one booked).

// RATING
#44
against the 90 rated on the UFC middleweight roster · Elo 1552
// STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
46th
percentile · average opponent rated 1534 at fight time (recent fights count most)
// RESULTS VS EXPECTATION
38th
percentile · fell short of what opponents' ratings predicted (-0.03 per fight)

12 rated fights · opponents rated in 71% of recorded fights · last rated fight AUG 19, 2017

// CAREER_BREAKDOWN · 03_

WIN CONDITION MAP

Where the wins come from, and where the losses came from. Method splits by knockout, submission, and decision.

// WINS (14)
n = 14
KO/TKO · 3
SUB · 4
DEC · 7
3
KO/TKO
21%
4
SUB
29%
7
DEC
50%
// LOSSES (5)
n = 5
KO/TKO · 1
SUB · 2
DEC · 2
1
KO/TKO
20%
2
SUB
40%
2
DEC
40%
// PATH_TO_VICTORY_
50% FINISH
KO/TKOEARLY ROUNDS · 3 fights
21%
SUBANY ROUND · 4 fights
29%
DECFULL FIGHT · 7 fights
50%
Top win condition: ko/tko · early rounds.
// DNA_PROFILE · 04_

ATTRIBUTE FINGERPRINT

Evidence-backed 0-100 scores built only from observed profile stats and disclosed bout-history proxies. This is a fixed Blueprint scoring model, not a division percentile; missing axes remain unknown.

// DNA_PROFILE_
3 OBSERVED7 DERIVED0 UNKNOWN
// BENCHMARK
FIXED SCORE SCALE
// LINKED SAMPLE
19 BOUTS
// PROFILE UPDATED
OCT 3, 2026
// RECORDED SOURCE
ufcstats
Fighter attribute fingerprint10 of 10 attributes have evidence-backed scores on the Blueprint fixed scale. Unknown axes are not plotted and no score represents a division percentile.KO POWER31TD DEFENSE44GRAPPLING60CHIN82STRIKING20CARDIO66AGGRESSION25SUB THREAT20STR DEFENSE62RECOVERY50
// BANDS
90+ELITE
70-89STRONG
45-69AVERAGE
30-44BELOW
<30LOW
N/AUNKNOWN
Highest scored axis: Chin. Lowest scored axis: Sub Threat.
// EVIDENCE REGISTER
10 SCORED · 0 OPEN
KO Power31
DERIVED PROXY

KO wins divided by total career wins

N=14 wins
TD Defense44
OBSERVED INPUT

Observed takedown defense rate (60%)

Grappling60
DERIVED PROXY

Composite of observed takedown volume, accuracy, and submission rate

Chin82
DERIVED PROXY

KO-loss durability proxy from career record

N=19 bouts
Striking20
DERIVED PROXY

Composite of observed striking volume and accuracy

Cardio66
DERIVED PROXY

Long-fight exposure proxy from bout duration and decision-win share

Aggression25
DERIVED PROXY

Activity proxy from observed strike and takedown volume

Sub Threat20
OBSERVED INPUT

Observed submission rate (0 per 15 min)

Str Defense62
OBSERVED INPUT

Observed striking defense rate (58%)

Recovery50
DERIVED PROXY

Share of recorded losses followed by a win in the next recorded bout.

N=5 losses
Fighter attribute fingerprint accessible data summary
AttributeScoreProvenanceEvidenceSample
KO Power31 out of 100DERIVED PROXYKO wins divided by total career wins14 wins
TD Defense44 out of 100OBSERVED INPUTObserved takedown defense rate (60%)Not recorded
Grappling60 out of 100DERIVED PROXYComposite of observed takedown volume, accuracy, and submission rateNot recorded
Chin82 out of 100DERIVED PROXYKO-loss durability proxy from career record19 bouts
Striking20 out of 100DERIVED PROXYComposite of observed striking volume and accuracyNot recorded
Cardio66 out of 100DERIVED PROXYLong-fight exposure proxy from bout duration and decision-win shareNot recorded
Aggression25 out of 100DERIVED PROXYActivity proxy from observed strike and takedown volumeNot recorded
Sub Threat20 out of 100OBSERVED INPUTObserved submission rate (0 per 15 min)Not recorded
Str Defense62 out of 100OBSERVED INPUTObserved striking defense rate (58%)Not recorded
Recovery50 out of 100DERIVED PROXYShare of recorded losses followed by a win in the next recorded bout.5 losses
// CAREER_MOMENTUM · 05_

THE ARC SO FAR

Rolling momentum score (0-100) recomputed after every bout. Weighted blend of result, opponent context, and method-of-finish, designed to show the shape, not the destination.

// MOMENTUM_TIMELINE_
SCOREWINLOSS
0255075100DEC 2009WDEC 2009WFEB 2010WSEP 2010WFEB 2011WAPR 2011WMAY 2011WOCT 2011WOCT 2011LFEB 2012LAPR 2013WSEP 2013WSEP 2014WMAR 2015WAUG 2015WSEP 2015LAPR 2016LAUG 2017WSEP 2017LNOV 2017// SCORE

  1. Start, DEC 2009, momentum score 45.
  2. Start, DEC 2009, momentum score 55, SUB R2.
  3. Start, FEB 2010, momentum score 62, DEC R3.
  4. Start, SEP 2010, momentum score 72, KO/TKO R1.
  5. Start, FEB 2011, momentum score 79, DEC R3.
  6. Start, APR 2011, momentum score 90, KO/TKO R1.
  7. Start, MAY 2011, momentum score 100, KO/TKO R1.
  8. Start, OCT 2011, momentum score 100, DEC R3.
  9. Start, OCT 2011, momentum score 100, DEC R3.
  10. Start, FEB 2012, momentum score 93, SUB R2.
  11. Start, APR 2013, momentum score 83, KO/TKO R1.
  12. Start, SEP 2013, momentum score 90, DEC R3.
  13. Start, SEP 2014, momentum score 100, SUB R2.
  14. Start, MAR 2015, momentum score 100, SUB R2.
  15. Start, AUG 2015, momentum score 100, DEC R3.
  16. Start, SEP 2015, momentum score 100, DEC R3.
  17. Start, APR 2016, momentum score 93, DEC R5.
  18. Start, AUG 2017, momentum score 86, SUB R2.
  19. Start, SEP 2017, momentum score 96, SUB R1.
  20. Start, NOV 2017, momentum score 89, DEC R3.

Peaked at 100 (W vs Aguilar), bottomed at 45 (Debut). Current reading: 89.

// KILL_SHOT_MATRIX · 06_

WHEN THE FINISHES COME

Cross-tab of fight outcome by method and round. Reads top-down for method, left-right for round. Cyan intensity scales with frequency.

// METHOD × ROUND_
19/19 fights mapped
METHOD ↓ / ROUND →R1R2R3R4R5FREQ
KO/TKO
4
21%
-
-
-
-
4
total
SUB
1
5%
5
26%
-
-
-
6
total
DEC
-
-
8
42%
-
1
5%
9
total
// PRIMARY KILL ZONE
R1-R2 KO/TKO · 4 of 19 mapped
// LATE-FIGHT GAP
No R5 finishes either way
// DECISION RATE
47%, fights often go the distance
// FIGHT_HISTORY · 08_

BOUT LOG
19 FIGHTS

Detailed bout records for the indexed tenure. Sorted most recent first.

L
VS Abdul-Rahman DzhanaevNov 18, 2017
DecisionR3 · 5:00
ACB 74 - Vienna
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Decision (Majority)
W
VS Waylon QuotskuyvaSep 23, 2017
SubmissionR1 · 3:35
RUF MMA - RUF 22: Quotskuyva vs. Starks
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Submission (Keylock)
L
VS Albert DuraevAug 19, 2017
SubmissionR2 · 2:34
ACB 67 - Grozny: Cooper vs. Berkhamov
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
L
VS David BranchApr 2, 2016
DecisionR5 · 5:00
WSOF 30 - Branch vs. Starks
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Decision (Unanimous)
W
VS Krasimir MladenovSep 18, 2015
DecisionR3 · 5:00
WSOF 23 - Gaethje vs. Palomino 2
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Decision (Unanimous)
W
VS Mike KyleAug 1, 2015
DecisionR3 · 5:00
WSOF 22 - Palhares vs. Shields
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Decision (Unanimous)
W
VS Jake HeunMar 28, 2015
SubmissionR2 · 4:11
WSOF 19 - Gaethje vs. Palomino
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
W
VS Jacob OrtizSep 26, 2014
SubmissionR2 · 0:52
Bellator MMA - Bellator 126
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke)
W
VS Joe YagerSep 20, 2013
DecisionR3 · 5:00
Bellator MMA - Bellator 100
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Decision (Unanimous)
L
VS Yoel RomeroApr 20, 2013
KO/TKOR1 · 1:32
UFC on Fox 7 - Henderson vs. Melendez
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
KO (Flying Knee and Punches)
L
VS Ed HermanFeb 4, 2012
SubmissionR2 · 1:43
UFC 143 - Diaz vs. Condit
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
W
VS Dustin JacobyOct 29, 2011
DecisionR3 · 5:00
UFC 137 - Penn vs. Diaz
SECONDARY DETAILS
METHOD
DETAIL
Decision (Unanimous)
// FAQ · 09_

CITATION-READY ANSWERS

Quick answers based on the public fighter profile and fight history shown on this page.

Middleweight. Professional record 14-5. Unranked at the time of indexing.

Research Clifford Starks

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// FORECAST_AVAILABLE_
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// LAST INDEX SYNC · 2026-10-28