FIGHT FORMATS
READING TIME · 1 MIN
How long fights last, how many rounds, and what changes for a championship bout.
THE CLOCK
ROUNDS & TIME
Every round is five minutes, with a minute's rest between them. A fighter can end it earlier by knockout, technical knockout or submission; otherwise the round is scored and the fight rolls on to the next.
DISTANCE
THREE ROUNDS OR FIVE
Regular bouts are three rounds. Championship fights — and, in the UFC, the main event of a card — are five. That's why a five-round fight has more rounds to score, and why pacing matters: a fighter has to budget their effort over 15 or 25 minutes.
MAKING WEIGHT
WEIGH-INS & MISSING WEIGHT
Fighters weigh in the day before. Non-title bouts allow a one-pound margin over the limit; title fights allow none. A fighter who misses weight can still compete in a catchweight bout, usually forfeiting part of their purse — and a champion who misses weight can lose the belt but not win it.