How Many Rounds Are In MMA Fights?

In recent years the popularity of MMA has exploded. Organizations such as the UFC and Bellator have become global brands generating billions of dollars of revenue every year and producing several international superstars.

The number of rounds in a MMA fight may vary depending on the promotion. However, most leading promotions such as the UFC and Bellator follow the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. These unified rules were established to protect the safety of fighters.

This article will discuss how many rounds are in a MMA fight and how long each round lasts. We will also look at how the number and duration of rounds can depend on the organization.

Let's dive in.

How Many Rounds Are There in MMA Fights?

The majority of American MMA organisations follow the Unified Rules of MMA.

The Unified Rules of MMA state:

Each round shall consist of a five minute duration, with a one minute rest period between rounds.

a. No contests shall exceed five rounds or twenty-five minutes.
b. Bouts may consist of one, two, three, four, or five rounds, with a five minute duration.
c. No contestant shall compete for more than five rounds or twenty-five minutes of fighting in a twenty-four hour period.

The table below shows the number of rounds and rest periods for both title and non-title fights in the worlds leading mixed martial arts organisations.

Organisation	UFC	Bellator MMA	One Championship	PFL
Non-Championship Fights	3 × five-minute rounds	3 × five-minute rounds	3 × five-minute rounds	3 × five-minute rounds
Non-Championship Main Events	5 × five-minute rounds	3 × five-minute rounds	3 × five-minute rounds	3 × five-minute rounds
Championship Fights	5 × five-minute rounds	5 × five-minute rounds	5 × five-minute rounds	5 × five-minute rounds
Rest Period	1-minute rest period between rounds	1-minute rest period between rounds	1-minute rest period between rounds	1-minute rest period between rounds

<table style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; text-align:center;">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Organisation</th>
      <th><a href="https://www.ufc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UFC</a></th>
      <th><a href="https://www.bellator.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bellator MMA</a></th>
      <th><a href="https://www.onefc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">One Championship</a></th>
      <th><a href="https://www.pflmma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFL</a></th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Non-Championship Fights</strong></td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Non-Championship Main Events</strong></td>
      <td>5 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>3 × five-minute rounds</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Championship Fights</strong></td>
      <td>5 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>5 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>5 × five-minute rounds</td>
      <td>5 × five-minute rounds</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Rest Period</strong></td>
      <td>1-minute rest period between rounds</td>
      <td>1-minute rest period between rounds</td>
      <td>1-minute rest period between rounds</td>
      <td>1-minute rest period between rounds</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

How Many Rounds Are UFC Fights?

The UFC is the worlds largest MMA organization.

In the UFC, non-championship fights are scheduled for three, five-minute rounds, while title fights and main events occur over five, five-minute rounds.

The UFC abides by the MMA Unified Rules. These rules are widely adopted by most sanctioning bodies and promotions to help keep fighters safe.

How Many Rounds Are Bellator Fights?

Bellator MMA is an American MMA promotion founded in 2008. Bellator is one of the largest combat sports promotions in the world.

All non-world championship Bellator fights are scheduled for three, five-minute rounds. Championship Bellator fights take place over five, five-minute rounds.

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How Long Are Rizin FF MMA Fights?

RIZIN FF is a Japanese-based MMA promotion created in 2015.

RIZIN FF single matches followed a unique format for the first three years of the promotion. Fights took place over three rounds. The first round was ten minutes long, with the final two rounds lasting five minutes each. This was discontinued starting with RIZIN 10.

In RIZIN FF, fights are scheduled for three, five-minute rounds. There is a one-minute rest period between rounds.

How Long Are Vale Tudo Fights?

Vale Tudo fights were no holds barred fighting contests held within Brazil during the 1900s.

Vale Tudo fights are not scheduled for a pre-determined number and duration of rounds. Bouts continue until there is a winner declared either by knockout or submission.

A historic fight between Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie took place for over 90-minutes before Royce was too tired to keep fighting.

How Long Are One Championship MMA Fights?

ONE Championship is an Asain MMA, Muay Thai and grappling promotion founded in 2011.

In One Championship, non-championship MMA bouts are scheduled for three, five-minute rounds, whilst title fights take place over five, five-minute rounds.

One Championship follows the Global Martial Arts Rule Set For Competition. This ruleset is a combination of rules from both Asian and Non-Asian Rules.

How Long Are PFL MMA Fights?

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American MMA league founded in 2018. PFL is the first major MMA organization in which individual athletes compete in a regular season and championship rather than on a year-round basis.

Regular season and playoff PFL bouts take place over three, five-minute rounds. Championship Professional Fighters League bouts take place over five, five-minute rounds.

How Long Are Cage Warriors MMA Fights?

Established in 2001, Cage Warriors is Europes largest MMA organization.

In Cage Warriors, non-championship fights take place over three, five-minute rounds, whilst title fights are scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.

How Many Rounds Are There in Amatuer MMA Fights?

Like professional MMA, most amateur MMA promotions follow a unified set of rules. These rules are designed to protect fighters and the reputation of MMA.

The amature MMA unified rules state:

All amateur MMA bouts will consist of no more than three, three-minute rounds with a one minute rest period in between rounds.

Amature organizations must adhere to the unified set of rules to protect inexperienced fighters and recreational MMA fighters competing for fun.

How Long Do MMA Fights Last?

So how many rounds is a MMA fight?

In most professional mixed martial arts organizations, non-championship fights take place over three, five-minute rounds, whist title fights are scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.

In recent years, MMA events, including RIZIN and ONE Championship, have emerged that use a modified MMA ruleset. Fights in promotions such as these can take place over a varied number of rounds and duration.