What is the 10-point must system?

In the 10-point must system the round winner must receive 10 points and the loser 9 or fewer. A competitive round is 10-9, a dominant round is 10-8, and a rare overwhelming round is 10-7. The fighter with more total points across all rounds wins on that card.

How does this simulate three judges?

Real fights are scored independently by three judges who can disagree round by round. This tool lets you model that by treating your per-round verdicts as the consensus, then reports how the totals would resolve into a unanimous, majority, or split decision.

What is the difference between a split and majority decision?

A majority decision is when two judges score it for one fighter and the third scores a draw. A split decision is when two judges favour one fighter and the third favours the opponent. A unanimous decision is when all three judges agree on the winner.

Can a fight end in a draw?

Yes. If the point totals are equal the card is a draw. With three judges you can also get a split draw or majority draw depending on how the individual cards land. This tool flags an even total as a draw.

When is a 10-8 round given?

A 10-8 round is awarded when a fighter wins by a wide margin through dominance, duration of control, or impact — for example a round full of heavy ground-and-pound or near-finishes. Unified Rules guidance encourages 10-8s more than they were historically given.

MMA Judges Scorecard Simulator

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MMA decisions are decided round by round under the 10-point must system. This simulator lets you score each round for a 3 or 5-round bout and instantly see how the totals resolve into a unanimous, majority, split, or drawn decision.

How it works

Each round is scored as 10-9, 10-8, or 10-7 to one fighter. Add the round scores for each fighter to get their card total. The fighter with the higher total wins:

round won 10-9 → winner +10, loser +9
round won 10-8 → winner +10, loser +8
round won 10-7 → winner +10, loser +7
card winner    = higher cumulative total

To model three judges, this tool treats your verdicts as the consensus card and reports the decision type. Equal totals are a draw; otherwise the result is a clear win that, with three agreeing judges, reads as a unanimous decision.

Example and tips

In a 3-round fight where Fighter A wins rounds one and three 10-9 and Fighter B wins round two with a dominant 10-8, the cards read A 29 – B 28, a win for A. Note how a single 10-8 round can erase the cushion from a normal 10-9 round — which is why finishing rounds strongly matters even when you cannot get the stoppage.