Highlights
- UFC fights are scored on a 10-point system, with dominance potentially earning a fighter 10-8 or 10-7 rounds.
- Judges decide winners based on striking, grappling, and aggressiveness, but scores can be affected by deductions for fouls.
- Fighter control and significant strikes play a role in scoring, but controversial decisions have led to fan outrage in the past.
Being unaware of the UFC scoring system could be detrimental to understanding how a fighter can win a fight. When a knockout or submission does not happen, the fate lies in the hands of the judges.
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The Scoring System Explained
Most Matches Favor The winner Of A Round 10-9
- On the 10-point scale, losing fighters are awarded with nine points or fewer.
- In rare cases, draws and three-point margins can happen in a round.
To score fights, judges use what's known as a 10-point must sustem. Every round in the UFC, most bouts are scored 10-9 in favor of the winner. However, a fighter can win a round 10-8, or even 10-7, depending on dominance. The latter of the two is extremely rare, but Josh Emmet, in 2017 at UFC Fight Night 118, was awarded a three-point win by judge Paul Sutherland after knocking down opponent Felipe Arantes for a record four times.
But fighters who have significant control in a round, are much more likely to be awarded a 10-8. The loser of the round will get nine points or fewer, while the winner will get 10. If a round is deemed a draw, then a judge can score it 10-10.
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In a standard UFC three-round fight that goes to a decision, scores can range anywhere from 30-21. For five-round fights, the numbers can be between 50-35. When it comes to determining scores, judges consider multiple factors including striking, grappling, octagon control time, and even how aggressive a fighter is in trying to get a finish. Also, keep in mind that points can be deducted by referees to negatively impact scores. This might be the case if a fighter commits a foul such as hair pulling, biting, spitting, strikes to the back of the head/throat, and kneeing or kicking a grounded opponent.
How Judges Are Selected And Criteria
The UFC Does Not Pick Its Own Judges
- State Athletic Commissions decide on who judges UFC fights.
- Judges must meet criteria including having at least five years of MMA experience.
If you're a fan of the sport, you've probably in the past heard the UFC President complain about the judges and some of the decisions. Sure, maybe he's not happy about some of them – but his company is not in charge of picking its own judges. That's the responsibility of state Athletic Commissions. Also, some governing bodies, including Texas, have different MMA rules in place.
But still, to become a judge, that person must meet specific criteria, according to guidelines posted by the UFC. This includes having at least five years of mixed martial arts experience and having sufficient knowledge about various techniques in the sport, such as takedowns, holds, throws, and submissions.
Some Controversial Scores
UFC Legends Georges St-Pierre And Michael Bisping Have Been Involved In Tough Scores
- One judge gave Bisping a three-point win despite not having much control.
- Dana White was furious with St-Pierre after considering taking time off following a controversial decision from the judges.
- Most recently, MMA fans said Da'Mon Blackshear was robbed at UFC 292.
Of course, decisions with the UFC scoring system have led to controversy in the past. Sometimes, the judges just get it wrong to have to make a tough call. One of the most head-scratching ones occurred at UFC 75. It was Matt Hamill against Michael Bisping in a Light Heavyweight bout. In round one, Hamill out-landed Bisping 33-16 in significant strikes, plus had 32 seconds more in control time. While Bisping had more significant strikes in rounds two and three, it was by a pretty narrow margin (16-13 and 15-10). The controversy is the control time, which favored Hamill by 1:16 and 2:19 in those rounds, respectively. But still, Bisping was given the nod by a split decision. Judge Chris Watts somehow determined Bisping won the match 30 - 27.
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In recent memory, Mario Bautista faced off against Da'Mon Blackshear at UFC 292. Judging by the control time and significant strikes, Blackshear won round one, while Bautista took round three with ease. However, round two is where things got a little dicey. Blackshear delivered 40 significant blows compared with Bautista's 32. While control favored the latter of the two fighters by 34 seconds, fans were furious after the judges gave Bautista the nod by unanimous decision. Users on X, formerly Twitter, called it "robbery." Also, judge Steve Rita bafflingly scored it 30-27 in favor of Bautista.
But some would argue that fighters should never allow a close contest to get into the hands of the judges because scores can be all over the place at times. While recklessness isn't encouraged, pushing forward for a submission or a knockout is to avoid controversy.
