When you grow up with sports, either playing them or watching them, you never question some parts of the game. You think the game will never change, or more likely, you don’t think about the game in that way at all. And then something comes along that changes your perspective on things. For me that was my introduction to mixed martial arts (MMA). I remember when MMA went from just one round with no time limit, to a single long round with perhaps an overtime round, and then to 3 rounds of 5 minutes. And it’s still changing. Recently a new rule was adopted in which main event fights may be the same length as title fights, at 5 rounds of 5 minutes.

It’s a great thing to witness the birth of a sport. When it changes so dramatically in such a short period of time, it gives you a new perspective on all sports. Perhaps every sport you watch or play should be longer. Perhaps it should be shorter. It’s hard to say until you take a hard look at the effects that changing sport periods has on the game itself. A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning covered one aspect of that topic.

In the study, researchers looked at variable lengths of play for soccer. In many ball sports, not only are periods of a given length but players can also be swapped out when needed. This adds an extra dynamic to which coaches need to pay close attention. However, in this study, the soccer players were made to remain in their test games for the entirety of each period. They did a single 16-minute period, two periods of 8 minutes with a 2-minute rest, and four periods of 4 minutes with a 1-minute rest. The researchers looked at several variables influencing athleticism during the game play.

Since each round lasts for three minutes, 12 rounds require 36 minutes of fighting and about 11 minutes of break time. This brings the total match time to 48 minutes, including the decision time, interviews and other things. Forty-eight minutes is ideal for television broadcast because it can be comfortably accommodated in an hour’s slot.

I remember when MMA went from just one round with no time limit, to a single long round with perhaps an overtime round, and then to 3 rounds of 5 minutes. And it’s still changing. Recently a new rule was adopted in which main event fights may be the same length as title fights, at 5 rounds of 5 minutes. Normal bouts are 3 rounds in length, while championship and main event fights are scheduled for 5 rounds. Each round is five minutes long, with a one-minute rest period between each round. In the rest of this post, I’ll go more in-depth on how the round system works, as well as exceptions to. Rounds in Youth Boxing Matches Bantam weight for 8-10 year olds – There are three rounds and each one lasts 1-minute Juniors for 11-12-year olds – There are three rounds and each one lasts 1-minute Intermediate for 13-14 year olds – The rounds last 90 seconds. Junior Senior Olympics for 15-16 year.

Now, I have no doubt you can guess the results. The players were faster in the beginning of each test, and the players with shorter intervals were faster, even at the end, than players who had only one period. What’s important here is how to use these results to further our sporting endeavors.

Just because athleticism increases as period length decreases, this doesn’t mean all sports should have very short periods. An athlete needs sufficient time to get the job done, so there’s a balance that needs to be achieved to create the greatest experience for both athlete and fan. As mentioned prior, in many ball sports this consideration can be made immediately. A coach can have at least some control over how long a player is on the field, and should allow players to rest when possible to improve their performance.

Mma Fights In Indiana

For many other relatively new sports, or new organizations controlling more traditional sports, we can try to keep this facet of athletics in mind and strive for an optimal period length. There was, and for some people still is, resistance to the idea of changing round length in MMA. Many purists believe there should be no time limit, even though adding rounds greatly improved the sport. And I say that understanding the appeal of no time limits, but let’s be honest, MMA is better with rounds for everyone – athletes and spectators.

How about for the sports you like to watch or play? Are the periods, rounds, halves, etc. the right length or should they change?

1. David Casamichana, et. al., “Influence of Different Training Regimes on Physical and Physiological Demands During Small-Sided Soccer Games: Continuous vs. Intermittent Format,” Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(3): 690–697, 2013

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

As a new UFC fan, or even as a casual viewer, it is important to know the nuances of a UFC fight. And one of the most important aspects of any combat sport is the number of rounds involved. So in this post, I’m going to cover the following: How many rounds are there in UFC fights?

There are either 3 or 5 rounds in a UFC fight. Normal bouts are 3 rounds in length, while championship and main event fights are scheduled for 5 rounds. Each round is five minutes long, with a one-minute rest period between each round.

In the rest of this post, I’ll go more in-depth on how the round system works, as well as exceptions to the rules stated above.

When Are Fights 5 Rounds Instead Of 3?

As mentioned, MMA fights can only either last 3 or 5 rounds. 5-round fights are reserved for championship fights and main event fights. A typical UFC with no special circumstances surrounding it will always be three rounds.

Championship fights are self-explanatory. If there’s a belt on the line, then the fight goes five rounds. But what is considered a main event fight?

Basically, the last fight of the night on any fight card is considered the main event. This goes for any type of UFC event, whether it’s a pay-per-view or a free fight on cable tv. The last fight will go five rounds.

Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule.

As far as championship fights go, special circumstances can cause the fight to be three rounds. The most famous example is probably the match between then Light Heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, when he faced Anderson Silva at UFC 200.

How Long Are Mma Rounds

Championship Fights At 3 Rounds

Cormier was originally scheduled to defend his title against interim-champ Jon Jones, in a highly-anticipated rematch between the two. Unfortunately, Jones tested positive for a banned substance the week of the fight, meaning he was unable to compete.

It was soon after announced that former middleweight champion Anderson Silva would step in to replace Jones. However, Silva had one stipulation. Because he would be moving up a weight class, and the fight would be on two-days notice, Silva would only fight if the bout was scheduled for three rounds.

According to ESPN: “Anderson is giving Daniel the opportunity to fight, to make money and to perform on UFC 200,” White said. “So if Anderson wants three rounds, if Anderson wants two rounds, he’ll get it.”

Thus, Light-Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier fought Silva in a Light-Heavyweight bout that lasted three rounds, and that was not considered a defense of his title.

Main Event Fights At Three Rounds

As stated, main events are usually scheduled for five rounds. However, there are exceptions that can shorten the main event to a three-rounder.

These exceptions are often similar to the example of Cormier vs Silva given previously, where some unexpected change happens on short notice.

Typically what happens is that the main event of a fight card will be cancelled for whatever reason, forcing the UFC to put another fight as the main event.

However, fighters train differently for three-round fights than they do for five-round fights. So it would be unfair for the new main event fighters to compete for five rounds when they weren’t prepared for it.

A recent example of this occurred at UFC Moscow in 2019. The main event was to be a heavyweight fight between Alexander Volkov and Junior Dos Santos.

However, Dos Santos pulled out of the fight citing an infection as the issue, about two weeks before the fight.

The co-main event was a featherweight bout between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Calvin Kattar. However, this was a three-round fight.

With the main event still in question, the UFC decided to move this fight to the main event spot, while keeping it for three rounds, as the fighters would not be prepared for a five-rounder.

Conclusion

In short, UFC fights last either three rounds for a normal bout, or five rounds for championship fights and main events. Every round is five minutes long, with a one-minute rest period between every round.

How Long Are Ufc Rounds

If you enjoyed this post, consider checking out similar posts on the Martial Arts History page. Thanks for reading!