MMA Guides
10 fan-facing how-to guides — how to watch, how to score, how matchmaking works, how to read a fight card, and the behind-the-scenes mechanics that make modern MMA run.
Inside the UFC contract structure — base pay, win bonus, PPV bonus, sponsorship arrangements, the exclusive-promotional clause, and how negotiations actually happen.
Inside the UFC matchmaking process — Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, the contender ladder, the booking calendar, and why certain fights happen while others don't.
The 10-point must system explained, the official judging criteria, the most common scoring mistakes, and how to score MMA fights round-by-round.
Inside the UFC rankings panel — who votes, how the top 15 lists are produced, why P4P rankings are different, and how rankings drive title shots.
A step-by-step framework for analyzing any MMA fighter's style from the fight footage — stance, range, lead patterns, takedown profile, weakness, and game-plan fit.
Main card vs prelims, title fights, co-main, walk order, fight times, and how to actually read a UFC event poster and broadcast schedule.
The visual and behavioral cues that precede a knockout, TKO, or submission. How to read the 30-second window before a fight ends and develop the spectator's anticipation.
First-time viewer's guide to MMA. What to look for, what the terminology means, how the rounds work, and how to develop a viewing eye in your first 10 fights.
The UFC's anti-doping program, the testing pool, the substances banned, the most-cited test failures, and the 2023 transition from USADA to Drug Free Sport International.
The ceremonial weigh-in, the official morning weigh-in, the 1-lb allowance, the 1-hour window, the weight-miss penalty, and what happens behind the scenes the day before the fight.