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In the world of the UFC, largely due to the use of the 10 point must system in scoring, draws tend to be rare, even if a fight is very close.
Over the years, though, there have been a number of draws in the UFC, and while a tie is often a frustrating result, the fights have sometimes been tremendous.
The best draws we’ve seen in the octagon have tended to be five-round fights, but sometimes there have been exceptions to this rule, too.
Here are the five best fights in UFC history to end in draws.
#5. Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC 205
Tyron Woodley’s second welterweight title defense against Stephen Thompson is widely regarded as one of the worst title fights in UFC history.
However, the reason for that rematch was because the first time ‘The Chosen One’ fought ‘Wonderboy’, it ended in a draw. What’s more, the fight was actually fantastic.
Sure, it wasn’t a wild, action-packed brawl like some of the other bouts on this list, but what it lacked in insanity, it made up for in tactical skill and swings in momentum.
Early on, it looked like Woodley’s superiority on the ground would pay dividends. He took Thompson down in the early going, and landed a series of thudding elbows to dominate the first round.
From there, though, the momentum swung towards ‘Wonderboy’. Apparently working out the perfect distance to strike from, he began to pick the champion apart from the outside throughout the second and third rounds.
In the fourth, though, the famed kickboxer left himself a little too open, allowing Woodley to almost decapitate him with a right hand before clamping onto a guillotine choke.
It looked like the fight was over, but miraculously, ‘Wonderboy’ was able to survive, and then stunned observers to edge out the fifth and final round.
It was anyone’s guess as to who the winner would be. In the end, despite an announcing error calling Woodley the victor, the fight was declared a majority draw, leading directly to that awful rematch.
Overall, though, the fight remains one of the most memorable of Woodley’s career in the octagon, and stands as one of the best fights to end in a tie.
Watch Woodley vs. Thompson below.
#4. Bobby Green vs. Lando Vannata – UFC 216
There were plenty of talking points coming out of UFC 216, which took place in October 2017. However, one thing was for certain: the show was stolen by a wild lightweight brawl between Bobby Green and Lando Vannata.
This bout was a back-and-forth, all action war that could well have gone either way. In the end, though, a draw was probably the right result.
The first round was arguably the craziest part of the fight. Early in the stanza, Vannata decked Green with a right hand behind the ear, but in his hurry to finish ‘King’, he threw a clearly illegal knee to the head.
Referee Herb Dean had no choice but to dock ‘Groovy’ a point, but the round was so one-sided that Vannata arguably still deserved to take it on the scorecards.
In the second round, though, Green began to come back strong. His jabs busted Vannata’s face up, and it looked like he was easily going to take the round – until ‘Groovy’ rocked him with another big right.
This time, perhaps wary of making another error, Vannata didn’t really follow it up, and the round ended shortly after.
By the third, then, everything was to play for, and unsurprisingly, the two men went to war with their strikes throughout. This time, Green again had the edge, but didn’t eat a big shot from Vannata, meaning that scoring the fight overall was very tricky.
In the end, the judges couldn’t quite decide. One went 29-27 for Vannata, the second went 29-27 for Green, and the third had it 28-28, making the bout a split draw.
Based on how much both men had put into this wild fight, it would’ve been harsh to call either a loser – making this result the best for everyone.
#3. Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno – UFC 256
The rivalry between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno spanned four UFC flyweight title bouts, with Moreno eventually coming away with the gold earlier this year. It’s almost certain, though, that their first meeting, which ended in a draw back in December 2020, was their best fight overall.
Remarkably, had things gone slightly differently, the fight could well have turned out to be a routine, if tough title defense for Figueiredo.
‘The God of War’ essentially edged out at least three of the five rounds, but an errant low blow in the third cost him not only a point, but in the end, the victory too. That was because despite Figueiredo getting the better of most of the exchanges, Moreno simply wouldn’t go away.
After absorbing some serious punishment in the early going, it was ‘The Assassin Baby’ who pushed the action in the later rounds, practically chasing the Brazilian down to engage him in wild exchanges at points.
Whether the Mexican truly deserved a draw is still up for debate. After all, most people figured Figueiredo probably deserved to win despite the point deduction.
However, it would also have been harsh to Moreno to label him a loser after such a titanic effort in what was a truly classic bout. Based on what turned into a legendary rivalry, the draw was, in effect, probably the right call.
#2. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard – UFC 125
It’s almost certain that the greatest UFC title fight to end in a draw remains the battle for the lightweight crown between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard in January 2011.
What made this fight more remarkable was the fact that the two men had actually fought previously, with Maynard winning a dull decision.
Their title fight, though, was far from dull.
Incredibly, it looked like the bout would end in the first round. Maynard dropped Edgar with a big left hand and then smacked him around the octagon for the entire stanza. ‘The Answer’ survived, but appeared to be running on fumes.
Somehow, though, he managed to recover between rounds, and then took the fight to ‘The Bully’ in the second, outstriking him before driving him to the ground with a huge bodyslam.
The final three rounds weren’t quite as exciting, but realistically, they were never going to be. Despite this, both Edgar and Maynard continued to give as good as they got, exchanging huge bombs with both men being stunned on occasion.
In the end, it was clear that Maynard’s wild opening round made a winner difficult to call, and when the fight was declared a draw, nobody was really surprised.
The UFC wasted no time in booking a third fight, naturally, and that bout turned out to be even better. However, it also ended in a violent finish for Edgar, ending the rivalry for good.
Watch Edgar vs. Maynard below.
#1. Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva – UFC Fight Night 33
While it was eventually marred somewhat by the fact that Antonio Silva later tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, it’s hard to dispute the idea that his 2013 bout with Mark Hunt is the best draw in UFC history.
This fight, which took place in Hunt’s native Australia, was everything that MMA fans could’ve asked for from a big heavyweight bout. It had multiple knockdowns, swings in momentum, and while it was sloppy at times, it was impossible to take your eyes off it.
Each round seemed to get crazier and crazier. ‘Bigfoot’ started well in the first two rounds by dropping Hunt and hurting him with low kicks, but he was also hurt too at one point.
The third round, however, saw ‘The Super Samoan’ seemingly surge ahead by dropping Silva with a brutal right hand, and the Brazilian was bloodied and only just survived.
Things admittedly turned sloppy in the fourth round, as both men exchanged bombs before ‘Bigfoot’ ended up on top after a tired scramble, where he hammered at Hunt in an attempt to finish him.
By the fifth round, though, Hunt came roaring back, busting Silva up with a standing elbow and seemingly having him on the verge of going out on multiple occasions. ‘Bigfoot’ somehow kept on swinging back, though, and somehow, the fight went the distance.
When the judges declared the clash a majority draw, most fans agreed on two things: firstly, that the result was the only fair call to make, and secondly, that they’d witnessed one of the greatest brawls in octagon history. Nearly a decade later, both points still stand.
Watch highlights of Hunt vs. Silva below.
