UFC Rules: There are usually three or five rounds in UFC fights. Normal fights are three rounds long, while championship fights and big events are five rounds long. In the UFC, each round lasts five minutes, with a one-minute rest in between.
A typical UFC fight will go three rounds if there are no unusual circumstances. Meanwhile, in UFC pay-per-views and free fights on ordinary cable, the main card’s final fight is usually a five-rounder. Co-main events are scheduled for five rounds when a UFC title is on the line. The most recent example of the UFC women’s strawweight and flyweight bouts at UFC 261, both scheduled for five rounds despite not being in the main event.
I’m told this fight will still be a 5-round non-title bout after the postponement. https://t.co/OQceYpbGiK
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) May 4, 2021
When Nate Diaz returned to the UFC at UFC 263, another notable exception to the customary system of deciding rounds will be posted. The fight was originally slated for UFC 262, but it was postponed due to an injury suffered by the Stockton brawler. This was the first five-round co-main event in the promotion’s history with no title on the line.
What Is the Average Time For UFC Fights?
UFC events occur practically every weekend, with 10 to 13 fights taking place at each event.
The majority of UFC events begin in the afternoon and end around midnight.
But how about just one UFC fight? When it comes to UFC fights, how long do they last?
A UFC fight can last three rounds (for non-championship fights) or five rounds (for championship and main event fights). Each round is 5 minutes long, with a 1-minute break in between. That implies 5-round fights are 29 minutes long, and 3-round fights are 17 minutes long.
| Fight Type | Rounds | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Championship and main events | 5 | 5×5 min + 4×1 min = 29 min |
| Non-championship | 3 | 3×5 min + 2×1 min = 17 min |
If a battle goes the distance, the times indicated above only apply.
What if the war is called off sooner? If there was a knockout or a submission, what would you do? What is the average duration of a UFC fight?
How Long Do UFC Rounds and Fights Last?
The New Jersey Athletic Control Board (NJACB) developed the current rules of UFC fights under the title “Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.”
They were created as a general guideline for MMA, but they were so popular that they were adopted by many other jurisdictions, including Nevada, Louisiana, California, and the UFC.
Despite the rules, the UFC does not use a fixed round system; therefore, fights can go anywhere from five to ten minutes, depending on the type of fight.
Regular fights last less time than championship or “main event” fights.
However, compared to other combat sports such as boxing, the maximum number of rounds is still far lower.
The championship and main event fights – are limited to five rounds, while lesser fights are limited to three rounds.
Some non-main-event fights, but only in specific divisions (outside of the UFC), feature a special “sudden death” fourth round to determine the winner in a tie; however, this is not a regularly used rule.
Rounds in the UFC can run up to five minutes, with a one-minute rest in between.
As a result, depending on whether the fight is fought for three or five rounds, UFC fights can run either 17 or 29 minutes (including rests) if they go the full.
