Lightweight

Chris Padilla

Taco

17-6-1

Age
30
Height
5'9"
Reach
6'2"
Stance
Orthodox
Camp
Fight Science MMA
Out of
USA
Style
striker
Fight IQ
C+ · 63
Finish rate
29%
Win rate
74%

Career methods

KO/TKO
1
Sub
5
Dec
11

FightMetric

SLpM

6.19

SApM

7.47

Str Acc

60%

Str Def

38%

TD Avg

1.13

TD Acc

29%

TD Def

83%

Sub Avg

0.28

Tape read

Volume pressure striker — porous pocket

Fight IQ

63C+

Built from FightMetric rates, method shares, and 6 loaded UFC rows. Timing and agility are tape proxies, not lab measurements.

IQ

C+

Ground

D

Defense

D

Counter

D

Reaction

proxy

D

Agility

proxy

C

TD react

C+

Chin

B+

What they do well

  • Durability

    Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.

Where they leak

  • Striking defense

    Defensive liability. Opponents land at a clip that turns every exchange into a finish window.

  • Counter punching

    This is a first-strike, pressure profile more than a counter. Wins come from owning the center, not waiting.

  • Ground game

    Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

Scouting report

Chris Padilla “Taco” is a 30-year-old Orthodox lightweight out of USA, camped at Fight Science MMA. The tape read: volume pressure striker — porous pocket. Career mark 17-6-1 — 1 by KO/TKO, 5 by submission, 11 by decision. Fight IQ grades C+ (63).

What works. Durability is the standout at 79 (B+). Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean. Ground game D on 1.13 TD/15 and 0.28 sub attempts. Striking defense D at 38% / 7.47 SApM. Counter punching D; punching agility C (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction C+ on 83% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 6 loaded UFC rows.

Where it breaks. Striking defense is the soft spot (30, D). Defensive liability. Opponents land at a clip that turns every exchange into a finish window. Opponents who draw them into the pocket and throw with bad intentions have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.

Recent tape (6 bouts): D Mederos (Draw R3) · W 3093513 (KO/TKO R2) · W 4078246 (Decision - Split R3) · W 4773371 (TKO - Doctor's Stoppage R2) · W 5075748 (Submission R1). Form index positive over the last 5. 1 of those wins reached the championship minutes — cardio and late IQ are real.

Ground game

34 D

Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • 1.13 takedowns / 15 at 29% accuracy
  • 0.28 submission attempts / 15 · 5 career sub wins

Striking defense

30 D

Defensive liability. Opponents land at a clip that turns every exchange into a finish window.

  • 38% striking defense · 7.47 SApM
  • 0 KO/TKO losses in 6 defeats

Counter punching

32 D

This is a first-strike, pressure profile more than a counter. Wins come from owning the center, not waiting.

  • 60% accuracy on 6.19 SLpM
  • 0.00 knockdowns / 15 · 1 KO/TKO wins

Timing & reaction

36 D

Late on the read. High absorb or a leaking TD defense suggests the first move often belongs to the opponent.

  • Str def 38% · TD def 83% — the two read-and-react rates
  • 7.47 shots absorbed / min (lower = sees it earlier)

Punching agility

59 C

Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

  • 6.19 SLpM at 60% — output with cleanliness
  • Throws without paying full retail: 7.47 SApM

Takedown reaction

60 C+

Hips arrive late. A committed wrestler will get them down; the question is what happens next.

  • 83% takedown defense — the live reaction to level changes
  • 2 submission losses (once the fight hits the mat)

Durability

79 B+

Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.

  • 0 times finished by strikes in 6 losses
  • 11 decision wins — proof they last and still score

Fight history

DateOpponentResMethodRndSig
Apr 11, 2026MarQuel MederosDDraw3 5:00147/271
Nov 9, 2025Fighter 3093513WKO/TKO2 4:3064/109
Mar 22, 2025Fighter 4078246WDecision - Split3 5:0039/98
Sep 7, 2024Fighter 4773371WTKO - Doctor's Stoppage2 4:1468/105
Apr 27, 2024Fighter 5075748WSubmission1 4:3312/26
Oct 22, 2023Fighter 3112009WKO/TKO2 3:100/0