UFC rules dissected: An in-depth analysis of basic MMA regulations including scoring, fouls, and weight classes

The UFC's rule-set is patterned after the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, which encompass every aspect of MMA, like the rounds. Championship or headline bouts are made up of five rounds, each of which last for five minutes.

So, besides a knockout or submission ending a fight beforehand, these bouts end after 25 minutes, after which the judges are required to determine the winner based on numerous scoring criteria, with damage being key.

Regular fights, however, are three rounds, each of which lasts for five minutes. While fights can end with a finish, like a knockout/TKO or submission, it usually ends with a decision, which can be unanimous, majority or split, based on how dominant the winning UFC fighter was.

The scoring criteria uses a ten-point system, where the winner of each round receives 10 points, and the loser receives 9 or fewer points depending on how convincingly they lost. Damage, like knockdowns, is the primary criterion, while the number of strikes, takedowns, and control time a fighter manages matters.

Sometimes, fights end in draws but can also end in a no-contest or disqualification, depending on the circumstance. No-contests generally happen when one fighter is rendered unable to continue fighting due to an unintentional foul, especially if it occurs early in the bout, without enough rounds to determine an outcome with.

In other cases, no-contests occur after a bout's conclusion, changing an official outcome due to several reasons, like an unfair or early stoppage or someone testing positive for a banned substance.

Disqualifications, however, occur whenever a fighter is unable to continue after being impaired by an intentional foul. Fights are also organized based on weight classes, which are separated between men and women.

Men's UFC divisions are categorized as flyweight (125 pounds), bantamweight (135 pounds), featherweight (145 pounds), lightweight (155 pounds), welterweight (170 pounds), middleweight (185 pounds), light heavyweight (205 pounds) and heavyweight (265 pounds).

The women's divisions, meanwhile, are strawweight (115 pounds), flyweight (125 pounds), and bantamweight (135 pounds), with women's featherweight (145 pounds) being defunct.

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Fouls in the UFC

Despite allowing punches, knees, kicks, takedowns, submissions, and strikes to a grounded opponent, the UFC rules do cover illegal moves, the list of which is too extensive to cover. However, they include headbutts, biting, hair-pulling, and eye gouges. Fish-hooking and small joint manipulation are also barred.

Similarly, hooking one's finger inside an opponent's gloves or grabbing the gloves at all is also a foul. Blows to the back of the head and 12-6 elbows are also among the most well-known fouls, as are knees and kicks to the head of a downed opponent, which means anyone with a knee or hand touching the mat.