How are UFC fights scored? Everything you need to know about judging criteria

Judging in UFC fights has been one of the most hotly discussed topics for quite some time. And if you're wondering how fights are scored, you've come to the right place.

For those unaware, the UFC has adopted the Unified Rules of MMA since November of 2000. As per the rules, all fights conducted by the promotion are scored by three judges using the 10-point system. Fighters are scored out of 10 points after the end of each round.

The winner of the round will receive 10 points while the loser receives nine. If the judges feel that a certain round is too close to call, they can award 10 points to both fighters and call it a draw. Moreover, if the loser of a round gets completely dominated, he is awarded eight points instead of nine.

Furthermore, points can sometimes be deducted for illegal strikes. A fighter using an illegal strike might also get disqualified depending upon the severity of damage such a strike has caused.

As far as the scoring of a round goes, the judges consider four main factors: striking, grappling, octagon control, and aggressiveness.

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When is the next UFC pay-per-view?

The leading MMA promotion hosted the first pay-per-view of the year last weekend. UFC 297 was headlined by a middleweight championship bout between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. The bout was won by du Plessis via split decision.

For the next pay-per-view, the promotion will be heading over to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on February 17. The UFC 298 card will be headlined by a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

Topuria was last seen in action against Josh Emmett in June of 2023 and won the bout via unanimous decision. On the flip side, Volkanovski is coming off a brutal KO loss at the hands of Islam Makhachev in their rematch for the lightweight championship.

Furthermore, the card will feature a middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. A welterweight fight between Geoff Neal and Ian Garry and a bantamweight fight between Merab Dvalishvili and former champion Henry Cejudo are also on the card.