The 10-Point Must System
Three judges score every round separately. The winner receives ten points and the opponent normally receives nine or fewer. A 10-10 should be rare. Each judge’s rounds are added at the end, producing unanimous, split or majority decisions.
Criterion 1: effective striking and grappling
The effect of legal strikes and successful grappling actions comes first. Striking is assessed by what the attacks achieve, not simply their count. Effective takedowns, dangerous submissions, advantageous positions and reversals can matter in grappling. A takedown with no meaningful follow-up is less valuable than offense that genuinely threatens an opponent.
Criteria 2 and 3: aggressiveness and control
Effective aggressiveness means actively trying to finish. Control describes who dictates pace, location and position. These criteria are only used when effective striking and grappling are even, so walking forward or holding the fence line does not automatically win a round.
10-9, 10-8 and 10-7
A 10-9 covers a normal winning round. A 10-8 is appropriate when damage, dominance and duration create a large margin. A 10-7 describes complete domination and is correspondingly rare. Foul deductions are applied by the scorekeeper.
Why decisions remain disputed
The criteria have a hierarchy, but judges still make human assessments from different viewing angles. Statistics help analysis but do not automatically measure the quality or effect of an action.
The ONE Championship exception
ONE scores an MMA fight as a whole instead of round by round. Near-finishes, damage, combinations and control are considered in its own order, so the result should not be explained by adding imaginary round scores.