UFC bouts typically last three rounds but championship fights have two extra rounds.
MMA has evolved from its genesis. At UFC 1, the bouts had unlimited five-minute rounds with a one-minute break after every round. The bouts only ended via knockout, submission, or corner stoppage. At UFC 2, the rules were changed. The fights had no time limit and went on until a fighter got knocked out, submitted, or his corner called a halt to the bout.
In 1996, the UFC moved away from the ‘no holds barred’ fighting style and started to adopt the three and five-round bouts. This was done not only to protect the fighters’ health but also to standardize the length of the bouts and create a more viewer-friendly format.
Conor McGregor’s last two bouts against Dustin Poirier were main events but not for a championship. The UFC 196 and UFC 202 bouts between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz also weren’t title fights but because they were the headliners of their respective shows, they were fought over five rounds. So was the UFC 272 showdown between former friends Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal.
Nate Diaz versus Jorge Masvidal for the BMF title at UFC 244 was also a five-round non-championship bout. Anderson Silva vs Nick Diaz at UFC 181 was similarly a five-round non-title bout. Going farther back in the fight library, Matt Hughes versus Royce Gracie at UFC 60 was also fought over five rounds.
Currently, the format has remained the same with regular bouts having three five-minute rounds and championship fights having five five-minute rounds. Every bout will have three judges scoring the fight in case both fighters remain standing after the three or five-round fight. Judges will score rounds on a 10-point must system like boxing. Scoring is based on effective striking, effective grappling, effective aggressiveness, and Octagon control.