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📋 THE 10-POINT MUST SYSTEM
Every UFC fight is scored by 3 judges sitting cageside. Each judge scores every round independently using the 10-Point Must System — the winner of a round gets 10 points, and the loser gets 9 or fewer.
Sample Scorecard
R1
R2
R3
TOTAL
Fighter A
10
9
10
29
Fighter B
9
10
9
28
Fighter A wins this judge's card 29–28
10–9
Normal Round
Clear winner but competitive. Most common score.
10–8
Dominant Round
One fighter was overwhelmingly dominant — knockdowns, near finishes, or total control.
10–7
Extremely Rare
Near-total destruction. Almost never given.
10–10
Even Round
Judges couldn't separate the fighters. Extremely rare.
What judges look for (in order of priority):
1
Effective Striking
Clean, impactful strikes that cause damage. Power shots matter more than volume.
2
Effective Grappling
Successful takedowns, submission attempts, and positional control on the ground.
3
Octagon Control
Dictating where the fight takes place — pushing the pace, cutting off the cage.
4
Aggression
Moving forward and initiating exchanges. Only counts as a tiebreaker when all else is equal.
More topics coming soon. Have a question? Ask in the forums.