The UFC’s rulebook changed more in November 2024 than it had in the previous decade. Two of the sport’s most famous rules were rewritten overnight — and almost every “UFC rules explained” page on the internet still describes the old version.
This is the complete, current ruleset as it actually stands in 2026.
What Are the Rules of the UFC?
The UFC fights under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, written by the Association of Boxing Commissions and adopted individually by each state athletic commission. Fights are three five-minute rounds — five for main events and title fights — scored by three judges on the 10-point must system. There are 26 listed fouls. The rules were significantly amended in November 2024: 12-6 elbows became legal, and the definition of a grounded fighter changed.
The first thing to understand is that these are not the UFC’s rules. They belong to the commissions. The UFC adopted the Unified Rules in November 2000, and every commission writes them into its own regulations separately — which is why the fine detail can differ from one state to the next.
How Many Rounds Is a UFC Fight?
A UFC fight is three five-minute rounds, or five for main events and title fights. No bout may exceed five rounds or 25 minutes of fighting, and there’s a one-minute rest between each round.
| Bout type | Rounds | Maximum fighting time |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bout | 3 | 15 minutes |
| Main event | 5 | 25 minutes |
| Title fight | 5 | 25 minutes |
Fights take place in the Octagon, an eight-sided cage that must meet commission specifications. See our guides to how long a UFC fight is and the size of the Octagon.
How Are UFC Fights Scored?
Three judges score every round on the 10-point must system. The winner of the round gets 10 points, the loser 9 or fewer. A 10-10 round is possible but rare.
The judging criteria are applied in a strict order, and this is where most fans go wrong:
- Effective striking and grappling comes first, and decides the vast majority of rounds.
- Effective aggressiveness is only considered if the first criterion is completely even.
- Fighting area control is only considered if the first two are completely even.
Crucially, the rules state that merely holding a dominant position is not a primary factor in assessing dominance. What a fighter does from that position is what counts. Control time with no output is worth far less than the broadcast graphics suggest.
Read more in our guides to the UFC scoring system and who the UFC judges are.
How Can a UFC Fight End?
A UFC fight can end by knockout, technical knockout, submission, decision, draw, disqualification or no contest.
| Result | How it happens |
|---|---|
| Knockout (KO) | The referee stops the fight because a fighter cannot intelligently defend themselves |
| Technical knockout (TKO) | Referee stoppage from strikes or a cut; a corner stoppage; a fighter not answering the bell; or a doctor stoppage |
| Submission | A physical tap, a verbal tap, or a technical submission where the hold causes unconsciousness or a broken joint |
| Decision | Unanimous, split, majority — or a technical decision if an accidental foul ends the fight after halfway |
| Draw | Unanimous, majority, split or technical |
| Disqualification | An intentional foul that ends the fight, multiple fouls, or flagrant disregard of the referee |
| No contest | An accidental foul ends the fight before enough rounds have been completed to score it |
See our breakdowns of TKO vs KO, what a no contest means, and what a doctor stoppage is.
What Are the Fouls In the UFC?
There are 26 listed fouls in the Unified Rules. The ones you will actually see enforced include strikes to the back of the head, eye gouging, groin attacks, knees and kicks to the head of a grounded fighter, fence grabbing, and reaching toward an opponent’s face with the fingers outstretched.
The ones you will actually see enforced on a broadcast:
- Head butts, eye gouging (by finger, chin or elbow), biting, fish hooking and hair pulling
- Strikes to the back of the head or spine, and directed throat strikes
- Reaching toward an opponent’s face with fingers outstretched — a foul since 2024, even with no contact
- Kneeing or kicking the head of a grounded opponent, and stomping a grounded fighter
- Groin attacks, small joint manipulation and pile-driving
- Grabbing the fence, or holding an opponent’s shorts or gloves
- Timidity — running, faking an injury, or purposely spitting out the mouthpiece
- Abusive language, corner interference, and attacking after the bell or during a break
Just as important is what is not a foul, despite what fans shout: elbows and punches to the head of a grounded fighter are legal, knees and kicks to the body of a grounded fighter are legal, a clean punch that lands on the eye socket is legal, and putting a flat hand on the fence to push off it is legal.
What Changed In the UFC Rules in November 2024?
Four things changed in the UFC rules in November 2024: 12-6 elbows became legal, the grounded fighter definition was rewritten, outstretched fingers became a foul, and the stand-up rule was clarified. The ABC voted unanimously on 23 July 2024, and the changes took effect on 1 November.
| Rule | Before | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 12-6 elbows | Illegal. Cost Jon Jones the only loss of his career | Legal. Deleted from the fouls list entirely |
| Grounded fighter | A flat palm on the mat made you grounded | Only a body part other than the hands or feet makes you grounded |
| Outstretched fingers | Not a listed foul | A foul, even if you never make contact |
| Stand-ups | Ambiguous | Holding a superior position is explicitly not effort |
Each commission adopts the changes individually. Nevada approved them before the rules went live.
Read the detail in our guides to whether 12-6 elbows are legal and whether you can knee or kick a grounded fighter.
What Is the Penalty for a Foul In the UFC?
The penalty for a foul in the UFC depends on intent. An intentional foul carries a mandatory two-point deduction, and a disqualification if it ends the fight. An accidental foul carries a deduction only at the referee’s discretion, and produces a no contest or a technical decision if it ends the fight.
| Accidental foul | Intentional foul | |
|---|---|---|
| Fight continues | Point deduction at the referee’s discretion | Mandatory two-point deduction |
| Fight ends before halfway | No contest | Disqualification |
| Fight ends after halfway | Technical decision to whoever leads | Technical decision or technical draw |
A fighter fouled by an eye poke or a groin strike gets up to five minutes to recover. More in our guides to UFC point deductions and what happens after an eye poke.
What Are the UFC Weight Classes?
The UFC uses 12 divisions — eight for men, from flyweight (125 lb) to heavyweight (265 lb), and four for women, from strawweight (115 lb) to featherweight (145 lb). The Unified Rules actually define 15 weight classes; the UFC uses a subset.
| Men’s divisions | Limit | Women’s divisions | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flyweight | 125 lb | Strawweight | 115 lb |
| Bantamweight | 135 lb | Flyweight | 125 lb |
| Featherweight | 145 lb | Bantamweight | 135 lb |
| Lightweight | 155 lb | Featherweight | 145 lb |
| Welterweight | 170 lb | — | — |
| Middleweight | 185 lb | — | — |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 lb | — | — |
| Heavyweight | 265 lb | — | — |
Non-title bouts carry a one-pound allowance. Championship fights do not — a title challenger has to hit the limit exactly. See our guides to UFC weight classes and what happens when a fighter misses weight.
What Gear Do UFC Fighters Have to Wear?
UFC fighters must wear approved open-fingered gloves, a mouthpiece and, for men, groin protection. Shoes, shirts and jewellery are banned, and hand wraps are limited to one roll of gauze and one roll of tape per hand.
- Gloves are open-fingered, supplied by the promoter and approved by the commission. See our guide to UFC glove weight.
- A mouthpiece is mandatory. The round cannot begin without it, and points can be deducted for purposely spitting it out.
- Groin protection is required for men. Women must wear a form-fitting rash guard or sports bra — no loose tops.
- No shoes, no shirts for men, and no jewellery.
- Hand wraps are limited to one roll of gauze and one roll of tape per hand. Tape may pass between the fingers but may not cover the knuckles.
- Petroleum jelly may be applied to the face only, and only by an approved cutman or licensed cornerman.
Who Drug Tests UFC Fighters?
USADA no longer tests UFC fighters. Since 2024 the UFC Anti-Doping Policy has been administered independently by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), with samples collected by Drug Free Sport International.
State athletic commissions also run their own testing, entirely separately — and they are the only ones who can change the official result of a fight. Full detail in our guide to who drug tests UFC fighters.
Are the UFC’s Rules the Same In Every State?
No. The UFC’s rules are not the same in every state. Each athletic commission adopts the Unified Rules into its own regulations individually, so the fine print can vary — which is why the referee briefs both fighters on which version is in force that night.
Who Enforces the Rules In the UFC?
The referee enforces the rules in the UFC, as the sole arbiter of the bout and the only person authorised to stop a contest. Judges score, and the athletic commission licenses everyone, tests for drugs and hands out suspensions. The UFC itself enforces none of it.
Can a UFC Referee Review a Call on a Monitor?
Only in narrow circumstances, and the rule varies by state. Under the Unified Rules, replay may only be used to review a fight-ending sequence after the fight has been stopped — and once it is used, the bout can never be restarted.
Why Do UFC Referees Stand Fighters Up?
UFC referees stand fighters up because the rules require it when neither fighter is working towards a finish — and since 2024 the rulebook has stated in plain language that simply holding a dominant position does not count as work.
What Are the Biggest Myths About UFC Rules?
The four biggest myths about UFC rules are: that 12-6 elbows are illegal (they are not, since 2024), that putting a hand on the mat makes you grounded (it does not), that you cannot strike a downed opponent (you can — just not knees or kicks to the head), and that USADA runs the drug testing (it has not since 2023).
FAQs
What are the UFC’s rules called?
The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
Who writes the UFC’s rules?
The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports — not the UFC. Each state athletic commission then adopts them.
How many rounds is a UFC fight?
Three, or five for main events and title fights. No fight can exceed five rounds.
How many fouls are there in the UFC?
26 are listed in the current Unified Rules.
Can you kick a downed opponent in the head in the UFC?
No. Kicks and knees to the head of a grounded fighter remain illegal — but the definition of “grounded” changed in 2024.
To Conclude
The UFC’s rules are not the UFC’s rules. They are the Unified Rules of MMA, written by the commissions, and they were rewritten more significantly in November 2024 than at any point in the previous ten years.
If a guide tells you 12-6 elbows are banned, that a palm on the canvas makes a fighter grounded, or that USADA runs the drug testing, it has not been updated since 2023 — and you should treat everything else on the page with the same suspicion.
For the full history of how the sport got here, read our complete UFC and MMA rule change timeline.
