The ultimate guide to understanding the ruling behind UFC fights 

The UFC is the biggest MMA (mixed martial arts) company in the world. Millions tune in to see Dana White’s fighters battling it out. 

If you are new to MMA, it can be hard to work out why a match has ended and one fighter has been declared the winner. Don’t worry, today we are going to break down the 6 most common types of victory in the sport of MMA. 

What is MMA?

MMA is a combat fighting sport that draws on elements of martial arts systems from all over the world. 

Kicking, punching, and grappling are all allowed. Fighters can fight standing up or on the floor. Most matches take place in an eight-sided cage. 

One of the major appeals of MMA is that each fighter uses a unique blend of martial arts. Which makes the sport exciting to watch and hard to predict. Because every fighter uses a different style it can be hard to compare the athletes until they get into the Octagon together. 

UFC is one of the most popular competitions for Americans to bet on (after the NFL, NHL, and NBA). 

When betting on the UFC you can bet not only on who will win the match, but how they will win. If you are interested in getting great odds whilst betting on the UFC then visit https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/mma. 

The other 4 ways a player can win an MMA match are: 

• Disqualification – a player is forced to forfeit the fight because of repeated illegal moves 
• Doctor stoppage – one of the players is too injured to continue playing 
• Technical submission – the referee is worried a hold will result in injury and the player in the hold must forfeit the match
• Technical decision – if a fighter is injured so badly that they cannot continue the fight due to an illegal strike, the player with the most points at the time wins  

Here is a guide to the 6 most common ways a fighter can win a UFC MMA match. 

#1 – Knockout 

MMA is a sport that includes elements of boxing, judo, karate, jiu jitsu, and wrestling. All of these sports have the ‘knockout’ in common. 

If one fighter is able to strike the other player hard enough for them to lose consciousness then the striker is declared the winner. 

#2 – Submission 

Most sports lovers will be familiar with the concept of submissions. 

If one player wants to end the match then they can tap out. This is called submission. 

The easiest way to get your opponent to tap out is to get them in a hold. If they cannot break your hold then they will be forced to tap out. If they try to avoid tapping out then they run the risk of losing consciousness and losing via a knockout.  

#3 – Decision

If the match goes ‘the distance’ and makes it to the end of the final round without either of the fighters being declared the winner – then the winner is picked by the judges. 

The judges will award the fighters points based on the following 4 criteria: 

• Effective Grappling 
• Fighting area control 
• Effective aggressiveness 
• Effective Striking 

The winner of each round, according to this criteria is awarded 10 points, the loser is awarded 9 points. UFC matches have between 3-5 rounds. 

All the points are added up at the end of the match and the player with the most points wins. 

#4 – Technical Knockout 

There are three people who can call for a technical knockout – the referee, the doctor, or representatives from the fighter’s corner. 

A TKO can be called if any of these individuals believe that continuing the match will put the fighter at risk of injury or if they are too injured to defend themselves. 

TKOs are most commonly caused by concussions and other head injuries. 

#5 – Forfeit 

If a fighter feels like they are too injured or unable to continue to fight then they can forfeit it. 

#6 – No contest

If both fighters are continuously breaking the rules and making illegal strikes then a referee can call off the match. A ‘no contest’ can also be called if an illegal strike injures a player by accident and they are unable to continue the match.