Unified MMA Scoring Rules And Judging Criteria Explained According To UFC

Unified MMA Scoring Rules And Judging Criteria Explained According To UFC

The MMA Unified Rules are frequently the focus of heated discussion, know the scoring rules 

Mixed Martial Arts, sometimes known as cage fighting, is an acronym for the discipline. One of the riskiest sports in the world, according to many.

Unified MMA Scoring Rules And Judging Criteria According To UFC

What Are The MMA’s Unified Rules?

The MMA’s unified rules are described here. But just what are the guidelines? How are the rounds judged during a fight, and what do the judges look for? The SportsGrail explains the UFC’s set of rules in this article.

As of the 2017 Unified Rules,

Scoring

The following is a definition of the 10-point must system:

Three judges will examine and score each match. A match will be scored using the 10-Point Must System as a rule. Except for an even round, which is scored with 10, the winner of the round must receive 10 points, and the loser must receive nine points or less (10-10). Effective Striking/Grappling shall be given top consideration during round evaluations. Effective aggression is a “Plan B” and should not be taken into account until the judge finds no advantages in the effective striking/grappling category. Only when ALL other factors are 100% equal for both contestants could Cage/Ring Control (also known as “Plan C”) be necessary. This will be incredibly unusual.

Prioritized Criteria: Effective Striking and Grappling 

Legal blows have an immediate or cumulative effect and the potential to influence the outcome of the match, with the IMMEDIATE weighing more heavily than the cumulative impact. Successful takedowns, submission attempts, reversals, and attainment of advantageous positions can all result in an immediate or cumulative impact that could lead to the conclusion of the match, with the immediate impact having a greater influence than the cumulative impact. It should be remembered that an effective takedown involves setting up an assault using the takedown rather than just changing positions. Fighters in the top and bottom positions are evaluated more on the effectiveness/impact of their acts than on their position. Most judgments regarding how to score a round will be made based on this criterion. The following two criteria should only be utilised as a last resort when Effective Striking/Grappling is completely equal during the round.”

Effective of Aggressiveness

It is aggressively attempting to win the battle. Effectiveness is the essential word. Going after an opponent ineffectively should not count in the judges’ evaluations. Effective Striking/Grappling must be equivalent for both competitors to evaluate Effective Aggression.”

Advertisement

Fighting Area Control

Finding out who is controlling the match’s tempo, location, and position is how fighting area control is evaluated. Fighting Area Control will only be judged if both competitors’ Effective Striking/Grappling and Effective Aggressiveness is 100% equal. This will only very seldom be evaluated.

Round Scoring: 10-10 Round

A 10-10 round in MMA should be extremely rare and is not a score to be used as a justification by a judge who is unable to evaluate the differences in the round. A 10-10 round in MMA is defined as when both fighters have competed for whatever duration of time in the round and there is no difference or advantage between either fighter. Due to counting incomplete rounds, a 10-10 round is essential for the judge’s potential score in mixed martial arts. The output, impact, effectiveness, and level of rivalry between the two combatants can all be precisely the same after a round that lasts for five minutes and involves both of them. Though improbable, it is feasible. The judge shall not award a score of 10-10 if there is any noticeable difference between the two fighters during the round. Once more, this score will be quite uncommon.

10-9 Round

In mixed martial arts, a 10-9 Round occurs when one fighter narrowly prevails. The most frequent score a judge assigns throughout the night in MMA is a round that ends 10-9. The judge will award the victor a score of 10 and the loser a score of 9 or less if they observe a fighter using more effective grappling during the round or landing better strikes than their opponent, even if it’s by just one technique. Judges must be aware that a score of 9 does not always correspond to the combatant who lost the round.

The judge must take into account: During the round, did the fighter engage in any offensive behaviour? Did the loser compete to win the fight, or was their main goal simply to stave off their opponent’s attacks? A round with a score of 10-9 may have been exceedingly close or had only minor dominance and/or influence.”

10-8 Round

In MMA, a round that is won by one fighter by a significant margin is known as a 10-8 round. The most frequent score a judge will give in an MMA round is 10-8, however, understanding and successfully using the 10-8 score is crucial for the sport’s development and the fighters’ fairness.

A boxer does not have to dominate their opponent for the final five minutes of a round to earn a score of 10-8. When the judge observes verified acts on the part of either fighter, the judge uses a score of 10-8. When a judge determines that one fighter has controlled the action of the round, maintained control throughout, and also impacted their opponent with either effective strikes or effective grappling manoeuvres that have diminished their opponent’s abilities, the judge must always award the fighter a score of 10-8.

When a fighter dominates the round despite not scoring much against the opponent, the judges MUST CONSIDER awarding the score of 10-8. MMA is a sport with an offensive focus. Defensive actions receive no points. By employing clever, strategically sound defensive techniques, the fighter can continue the fight and maintain a competitive edge.

Advertisement

When the losing fighter keeps trying to defend and makes no counterattacks or moves when opportunities arise, the round is being dominated. Fighters assuming dominant positions in the fight and using those positions to attempt battle-ending assaults or submissions are examples of dominance in the grappling phase. It should be typical for the judge to give the losing fighter 8 instead of 9 points if the boxer produces little to no offensive production during a five-minute round.

When a fighter impacts his opponent heavily in a round even though they do not control the action, judges must consider awarding a score of 10-8. effectiveness in striking or grappling that causes a fighter’s vitality, self-assurance, skills, and enthusiasm to decline. These all derive directly from bad influence. Defining moments in a battle can occur when a fighter is harmed by strikes, demonstrating a lack of control or skill. A judge should consider a score of 10-8 if they observe that a combatant has sustained substantial harm during the round.

10-7 Round

A fighter fully outclasses their opponent through effective striking and/or grappling, and a stoppage is called for in a “10-7 Round” in mixed martial arts (MMA). In MMA, judges seldom award a round a score of 10-7. It takes both resounding DOMINANCE of a round and tremendous IMPACT for the referee to occasionally think about stopping the fight. The judges will be on the lookout for repeated, IMPACTFUL blows, knockdowns that make the fighter less capable of competing, and/or grappling manoeuvres that put the fighter in a position of dominance.

Impact

Even if a fighter doesn’t appear to have had a substantial impact on their opponent during the round, the judge must nonetheless consider this. The impact leaves behind physical signs like swelling and abrasions. When a fighter uses striking and/or grappling to weaken their opponent’s vigour, confidence, skills, or spirit, that impact must also be considered. These all result directly from impact. When a fighter gets hit by strikes due to incompetence, lack of control, or both, this can lead to turning points in the round and should be given significant weight.”

Dominance

Since MMA is an offensive-based sport, a round’s dominance in striking can be determined by how long the losing fighter must defend without making any adjustments or responding when opportunities arise. Fighters who take control of the fight and use those positions to try to terminate it in submissions or assaults are showing dominance in the grappling phase. Simply holding a dominant position or position should not be the main criterion used to determine dominance. What needs to be evaluated is what the boxer performs in those positions.

Duration

Duration is determined by how long a fighter successfully attacks, dominates, and has an impact on their opponent while the other fighter produces little to no offensive production. The relative time in a round during which one fighter seizes and retains complete control of the effective offence is how the judge will determine duration. Both standing and seated assessments of this are possible.

ALSO READ: AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis congratulate Virat Kohli ahead of his 100th T20I appearance

Advertisement

Recommended: Sports Fan App