Mixed martial arts rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Checked 14 October 2026
Settling an argument? Search all 16 rules
- How does a mixed martial arts fight work?
- How long is an MMA fight?
- What are the weight classes in MMA?
- What do MMA fighters wear?
- What does the referee do in an MMA fight?
- What is the difference between a KO and a TKO in MMA?
- How does a submission work in MMA?
- What do unanimous, split and majority decisions mean in MMA?
- How do judges score an MMA round?
- When is an MMA round scored 10-8?
- What is illegal in MMA?
- When is an MMA fighter "grounded"?
- Where can you not hit in MMA?
- Can an MMA fighter grab the cage?
- What does the referee do when there is a foul in MMA?
- What happens if a foul ends an MMA fight?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| ABC Rule, ABC Foul, ABC Judging criteria, ABC Types of decisions and the other section names | Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, as amended with rule changes on 23 July 2024 (pages 17 to 25 of the commission's papers). Read in full |
| commission memo | The covering memo of 9 September 2024 on the two changes (page 16 of the same file) |
| ABC Unified Rules 2018 | The same association's text as amended 1 August 2018 (10 pages). Used for comparison |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
| Not saved | A document that exists and is not in research/ |
Checked on 14 October 2026. The officials' handbook in the same folder was not read.
Not covered: amateur MMA (the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation's rules), the house rules of promotions outside the commissions' reach, and any rules that apply to MMA events in India. None is saved.