MMA (Unified Rules) — Official Rules

Each round consists of a five (5) minute duration (professional), with a one (1) minute rest period between rounds. No contest shall exceed five (5) rounds and/or twenty-five (25) minutes. A bout may be scheduled for one (1), two (2), three (3), four (4) or five (5) rounds, each five minutes. Non-championship bouts are typically three (3) rounds and championship bouts five (5) rounds. No contestant may compete more than five rounds and/or twenty-five minutes of fighting in a twenty-four (24) hour period.

The referee is the sole arbiter of a bout and is the only individual authorized to stop a contest. The referee's authority begins when the inspector(s) exit the cage/ring and does not end until they re-enter upon conclusion of the fight. The referee may stand up or break the fighters when neither fighter demonstrates real, significant and/or sustained effort to advance toward finishing the fight; merely maintaining a perceived superior position is not considered effort to finish and is no guarantee of being allowed to keep that position.

All bouts are evaluated and scored by a minimum of three (3) judges using the 10-Point Must System: the winner of a round is awarded 10 points and the loser nine (9) or fewer, except for a rare even round scored 10-10. Scoring is done round by round; the judges' three scorecards determine the result at the end of a bout that goes the distance.

Instant replay may be used to review a "Fight Ending Sequence" and shall only be used after a fight has been officially stopped. Once instant replay has been used to review a fight-ending sequence, the fight shall not be resumed. A protest claiming a clear rule violation may be reviewed under the procedure of the applicable regulatory authority.

A bout may be held in a fenced area (cage). The cage canvas must be no smaller than 18 ft × 18 ft and no larger than 32 ft × 32 ft, with at least a one (1) inch layer of foam padding under the canvas. The platform stands no more than four (4) feet above the floor. The enclosure uses vinyl-coated chain-link fencing with all metal parts padded, and two (2) separate entries onto the canvas. (The widely used regulation Octagon is 30 ft across.)

A bout may instead be held in a ring no smaller than 20 ft square and no larger than 32 ft square within the ropes, with at least a one (1) inch foam padding layer under the canvas and a platform no more than four (4) feet above the floor. The ring has five (5) ring ropes not less than one inch in diameter, a blue corner and a red corner directly across from each other. If a fighter is knocked out of the ring they have five (5) minutes to return unaided and must be examined by the ringside physician before resuming.

Unified weight classes (upper limit in pounds): Atomweight up to 105 lb (47.6 kg); Strawweight over 105 to 115 lb (52.2 kg); Flyweight over 115 to 125 lb (56.7 kg); Bantamweight over 125 to 135 lb (61.2 kg); Featherweight over 135 to 145 lb (65.8 kg); Lightweight over 145 to 155 lb (70.3 kg); Super Lightweight over 155 to 165 lb (74.8 kg); Welterweight over 165 to 170 lb (77.1 kg).

Continuing the Unified weight classes: Super Welterweight over 170 to 175 lb (79.4 kg); Middleweight over 175 to 185 lb (83.9 kg); Super Middleweight over 185 to 195 lb (88.5 kg); Light Heavyweight over 195 to 205 lb (93.0 kg); Cruiserweight over 205 to 225 lb (102.1 kg); Heavyweight over 225 to 265 lb (120.2 kg); Super Heavyweight over 265 lb (over 120.2 kg).

There are no allowance restrictions if both fighters weigh in within the same contracted division. If a fighter misses the contracted weight and the two competitors land in different weight classes, the heavier opponent shall not exceed five (5) lb above the lower-weighing fighter. For contracted catch-weight bouts there is no weight spread allowance so long as both are below the contracted weight, and a commission may deny a catch-weight bout if the differential is deemed unsafe.

Fighters wear commission-approved open-fingered gloves weighing no less than 4 oz and no more than 6 oz (most professionals use 4 oz / ~110 g; amateurs often use 6 oz / ~170 g for added protection). A mouthpiece is required during competition and a round cannot begin without it; if dislodged the referee calls time and replaces it at the first opportune moment. Points may be deducted if the referee feels the mouthpiece is being purposefully spat out.

Male fighters wear no clothing on the upper body, plus approved trunks, mouthpiece, gloves and groin protection. Female fighters wear a short-sleeved or sleeveless form-fitting rash guard and/or sports bra (no loose tops or breast protectors) and follow the same lower-body covering rules without groin protection. Trunks may not extend below the knee and must have no exposed Velcro, pockets or zippers. No shoes, no jewelry, and no body cosmetics; hair must be secured so it does not interfere with vision or safety.

Each hand may use a maximum of one roll of soft cloth gauze (no more than 2" wide × 15 yd) and a maximum of one roll of athletic tape (no more than 1.25" wide × 10 ft); tape may run between the fingers but may not cover the knuckles and may not exceed the wrist of the glove. A single layer of elastic/flex tape may go over the completed wrap. Apart from the hands, no taping, padding, braces or joint sleeves are allowed on the upper body; only a soft neoprene sleeve (no padding, Velcro, plastic, metal or ties) may cover a knee or ankle joint.

Judges evaluate MMA techniques in a fixed order: (Plan A) effective striking/grappling, (Plan B) effective aggressiveness, (Plan C) control of the fighting area. Plans B and C are not considered unless Plan A is weighed as even. Effective striking is judged by the damage/effect of legal strikes landed. Effective grappling is assessed by successful, impactful takedowns, submission attempts, advantageous positions and reversals. Effective aggressiveness means aggressively attempting to finish. Cage/ring control means dictating the pace, place and position of the bout.

10-10 — both contestants compete with no difference or advantage between them. 10-9 — a contestant wins by a close margin, landing the better strikes or using effective grappling. 10-8 — a contestant wins by a large margin by damage, dominance and duration of striking or grappling. 10-7 — a contestant is completely dominated by damage, dominance and duration. Partial/incomplete rounds are scored, with point deductions applied to the final tally of that round.

Damage is visible evidence such as swelling and lacerations, and the diminishing of an opponent's energy, confidence, ability and spirit through striking/grappling — assessed with great value. Dominance in striking is shown when the loser must continually defend without countering; in grappling, by taking dominant positions and using them for submissions or attacks (merely holding a position is not primary). Duration is the relative time one fighter maintains full control of the effective offense, standing or grounded.

Illegal acts include headbutting (the head may never be used as a striking instrument), eye gouging of any kind (by finger, chin or elbow), biting, fish-hooking, hair pulling, throat strikes or grabbing the trachea, and strikes to the spine or the back of the head. The back of the head starts at the crown with a 1-inch variance either side, runs to the occipital junction, and down the spine with a 1-inch variance from centerline including the tailbone. A legal strike that lands on the eye socket or accidentally to the throat during stand-up is not a foul.

As of the July 2024 amendments, the downward (12-to-6) elbow strike is no longer a foul and is a legal strike. A grounded fighter is now defined as one with any part of the body other than the hands or feet in contact with the canvas; a grounded fighter may not legally be kneed or kicked to the head. The previous "flat-palm-down" test was removed. Kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded opponent, and stomping a grounded fighter, remain fouls (axe kicks and standing foot stomps are not stomping).

Groin attacks of any kind (striking, grabbing, pinching, twisting) are illegal for men and women. Spiking/pile-driving an opponent onto the head or neck is illegal — any throw with an arc to its motion is legal even if the head hits the canvas, but driving an opponent's head straight down is a foul. Small-joint manipulation is illegal: fingers and toes are small joints (grabbing the majority of fingers/toes at once is allowed); wrists, ankles, knees, shoulders and elbows are large joints.

Fighters may push off the fence but may not grab the fence, cage or ropes with fingers/toes to control body position; doing so may draw a one-point deduction if it substantially affects the fight, with a neutral restart if it produced a superior position. Holding the opponent's gloves or shorts to control movement is illegal (gripping the actual hand is legal). Timidity — avoiding contact, fleeing the action, faking an injury, or repeatedly/purposely dropping the mouthpiece to stall — is a foul.

Further fouls: throwing an opponent out of the ring/cage; placing a finger into any orifice, cut or laceration; clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh; abusive language (racial or derogatory); flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions; unsportsmanlike conduct causing injury; attacking after the bell, during a break, or while the opponent is under the referee's care; and interference from a fighter's corner or seconds. Each may result in deductions or disqualification at the referee's discretion.

If an intentional foul causes an injury severe enough to immediately end the bout, the fouling fighter loses by disqualification. If the bout is allowed to continue, the referee mandatorily deducts two (2) points from the fouling fighter. If an intentional foul causes a laceration/swelling and the bout is later stopped because of that injury after 2 of 3 (or 3 of 5) scheduled rounds are completed, the injured fighter wins by Technical Decision if ahead, or the bout is a Technical Draw if behind or even.

If an accidental foul causes an injury that forces a stoppage before 2 of 3 (or 3 of 5) rounds are completed, the bout is a No Contest (or Disqualification). If stopped after that threshold, it goes to a Technical Decision awarded to whoever is ahead on the scorecards, with partial rounds scored (an even round if no action). A fighter who visibly loses control of bodily function (vomit, urine, feces) loses by TKO – Medical Stoppage; if fecal matter appears at any time, the contest is halted with that result.

On a foul the referee shall call time, check the fouled fighter's condition, and assess point deductions and/or time considerations — with no coaching during the timeout. A fighter fouled to the groin or by an eye poke who can continue may have up to five (5) minutes to recover; a fighter injured severely enough to need a doctor may be given up to five (5) minutes for evaluation. For an eye poke, the fighter may use a cold compress and is given time to give a verbal "yes" or "no" that they can see. A timeout is never called to evaluate the impact of a legal strike (except for a laceration).

A bout ends in Submission by: Tap Out — a fighter physically using their body to signal they no longer wish to continue; Verbal Tap Out — verbally announcing or involuntarily screaming in pain/distress that they wish to stop; or Technical Submission — when a legal submission act results in unconsciousness or a broken/dislocated bone or joint. A submission ends the contest immediately.

Knockout (KO) is a referee stoppage because the fighter cannot intelligently defend themselves due to strikes. Technical Knockout (TKO) is a referee stoppage because the fighter is not intelligently defending themselves — by strikes, by a laceration, by corner stoppage, or by failing to answer the bell. TKO – Medical Stoppage is declared for a laceration, a doctor stoppage, or loss of control of bodily function.

If a bout goes the distance the result is read from the three scorecards. Unanimous Decision — all three judges score for the same fighter. Split Decision — two judges for one fighter, one for the other. Majority Decision — two judges for one fighter, one judge a draw. Technical Decision — a premature stoppage from an accidental foul with one fighter leading. Draws mirror these: Unanimous, Majority, Split and Technical Draw.

Disqualification results when an injury from an intentional foul is severe enough to end the contest, when multiple fouls have been assessed, and/or when there is flagrant disregard for the rules or the referee's commands. No Contest is declared when a contestant is prematurely stopped due to an accidental injury and insufficient time has elapsed to render a decision via the scorecards. A bout that must end for unforeseen, non-combat reasons may go to the scorecards only if 2 of 3 (or 3 of 5) rounds are complete.

MMA is a one-on-one individual sport: there are no team timeouts and no substitutions — a fighter contests the entire bout alone and cannot be replaced. The only stoppages of the action are referee-directed (foul recovery, mouthpiece replacement, doctor evaluation, returning a fighter to the fighting surface). The one-minute rest between rounds is the only scheduled break, during which seconds and an approved cutman may attend the fighter.

For amateur competition the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) publishes its 2025 Rules Book (Youth, Junior, Senior and Masters divisions), built on these Unified Rules with added safety restrictions — most notably prohibiting elbows and/or knees to the head at amateur levels to limit cumulative trauma. From 2025, an athlete who has competed in any MMA bout that allowed elbows and/or knees to the head is ineligible for IMMAF amateur competition. Amateurs commonly use 6 oz gloves and additional protective gear as required by the sanctioning body.