Beginner's Guide to UFC Rules & Scoring
New to UFC? Learn the basic rules, scoring criteria, and judging methods so you can enjoy every fight like a pro. This guide explains everything a beginner needs to know to follow UFC events confidently.
UFC Rules Overview
Legal Strikes & Techniques
- • Punches to the head and body
- • Kicks to the head, body, and legs
- • Knee strikes (standing and clinch)
- • Elbow strikes
- • Takedowns and grappling
- • Submission holds (chokes, joint locks)
Common Fouls
- • Eye pokes or gouging
- • Groin strikes
- • Strikes to the back of the head
- • Kicks to a grounded opponent's head
- • Fish hooking or small joint manipulation
- • Fence grabbing
Fight Structure
Regular Fights
3 rounds, 5 minutes each
1 minute rest between rounds
Title Fights
5 rounds, 5 minutes each
1 minute rest between rounds
Scoring System
10-Point Must System
UFC uses the 10-point must system where the winner of each round gets 10 points, and the loser typically gets 9 points.
10-9 Round
Close round, slight edge to winner
10-8 Round
Clear domination by winner
10-7 Round
Extreme domination (rare)
How Fights End
Before Final Bell
- • Knockout (KO)
- • Technical Knockout (TKO)
- • Submission
- • Doctor/Referee Stoppage
After Final Bell
- • Unanimous Decision
- • Majority Decision
- • Split Decision
- • Draw (rare)
Judging Criteria
Judges score fights based on these criteria, listed in order of importance:
1. Effective Striking & Grappling
Most Important: Clean, hard strikes that cause damage or submission attempts that threaten to end the fight.
- • Quality over quantity of strikes
- • Knockdowns and near-submissions
- • Visible damage caused
2. Effective Aggression
Moving forward and initiating exchanges while landing effective strikes.
- • Pressing the action
- • Forcing exchanges
- • Must be combined with effective striking
3. Fighting Area Control
Controlling the pace, distance, and location of the fight.
- • Dictating where the fight takes place
- • Controlling the center of the octagon
- • Only matters if striking/grappling is equal
Common Scoring Mistakes to Watch For
- • Don't just count total strikes - quality matters more than quantity
- • Takedowns alone don't win rounds - what happens after matters
- • Moving forward isn't always effective aggression
- • Control time doesn't automatically win rounds
Ready to Watch UFC Like a Pro?
Now that you understand the rules and scoring, check out upcoming fights and put your knowledge to the test!