What Is a No Contest in the UFC? Disqualification vs. Technical Decision Explained

When watching the UFC, you may occasionally see fight results such as:

“No Contest”

“Disqualification”

“Technical Decision”

Compared with KO, TKO, submission, or a regular decision, these results can be much more confusing.

You may wonder:

“Is a No Contest the same as a draw?”

“Why was it ruled a No Contest instead of a disqualification even though a foul occurred?”

“Why can a fight that ends because of a foul still go to a decision?”

“Who wins if a fighter cannot continue after an eye poke?”

In simple terms:

An accidental incident ends the fight before a winner can properly be determined → No Contest

An intentional foul or other serious violation causes the opponent to become unable to continue → Disqualification

An accidental foul ends the fight after enough of the fight has taken place for the scorecards to determine a winner → Technical Decision

The Unified Rules treat No Contest, Disqualification, and Technical Decision as different fight results.

In this article, I explain what a No Contest means in the UFC, how it differs from a disqualification, draw, and technical decision, and how fouls can affect the final result of an MMA fight.

What Is a No Contest in the UFC?

A No Contest (NC) is, in simple terms:

A result where no official winner or loser is declared

Under the Unified Rules, a No Contest can occur when a fight is stopped early because of an accidental injury and not enough of the fight has taken place for the judges’ scorecards to determine the result.

Therefore, it is neither:

A win for Fighter A

nor:

A win for Fighter B

It is also different from a:

Draw

In official fight records, it is usually shown as:

NC

No Contest vs. Disqualification vs. Technical Decision

The easiest way to understand the differences is to compare them directly.

Result	Basic Situation	Winner
No Contest (NC)	Fight ends early because of an accidental incident or foul before enough of the fight has taken place to use the scorecards	None
Disqualification (DQ)	Intentional, serious, or repeated foul or other major rule violation	Generally the fighter who was fouled
Technical Decision	Fight ends because of an accidental foul or similar situation after enough of the fight has taken place to use the scorecards	Determined by the scorecards

The biggest questions are:

“Why was the fight stopped?”

and:

“Had enough of the fight taken place for the judges to determine a winner?”

Under the Unified Rules, a serious intentional foul that immediately ends the fight can result in Disqualification, while an accidental injury that ends a fight too early can result in a No Contest. If enough of the fight has already taken place, the scorecards may instead produce a Technical Decision.

A No Contest Is Not the Same as a Draw

This is one of the most common misunderstandings.

No Contest and Draw are not the same result.

Draw

With a Draw, the fight itself has taken place normally, but the final result produces:

No winner

For example, the judges’ scorecards can result in:

Majority Draw

Split Draw

and other types of draws.

No Contest

A No Contest, on the other hand, generally means:

The fight could not produce a normal valid winner and loser because of the circumstances surrounding the stoppage.

A simple way to understand it is:

Draw = the completed or scored fight results in a tie

No Contest = the fight does not produce an official win or loss

For a detailed explanation of UFC decisions and draws:

How Many Types of UFC Decisions Are There? Unanimous, Split, and Majority Decisions Explained

Why Doesn’t Every Foul Result in a Disqualification?

This is extremely important for understanding No Contests.

In MMA:

Foul = automatic disqualification

is not correct.

One important distinction is whether the foul was:

Intentional Foul

or:

Accidental Foul

The Unified Rules treat these situations differently.

What Is an Accidental Foul?

An Accidental Foul occurs when a foul happens but the referee determines that it was not intentional.

Because MMA fights move extremely quickly, illegal contact can sometimes happen unintentionally.

Common examples include:

Eye pokes

Low blows

For example, a fighter may extend their fingers while trying to strike or control distance and accidentally make contact with the opponent’s eye.

There have been UFC fights where an accidental eye poke made a fighter unable to continue and the fight was ruled a No Contest.

At UFC 321, the heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended at 4:35 of Round 1 because of an accidental eye poke and was officially ruled a No Contest.

Does an Eye Poke Immediately Cause a No Contest?

No.

An eye poke does not automatically end the fight.

The referee can stop the action and check the condition of the affected fighter.

Under the current Unified Rules, a fighter affected by an eye poke may be allowed recovery time of up to five minutes when appropriate. A ringside physician may also examine the fighter.

If the fighter recovers and can safely continue, the fight can resume.

Therefore:

Eye poke → automatically No Contest

is incorrect.

The major issue is what happens if:

The injury caused by the foul makes the fighter unable to continue.

Can a Low Blow Also Result in a No Contest?

It can.

Low blows are also fouls in MMA.

If the affected fighter can continue, they can be given recovery time.

However, if the injury prevents the fighter from continuing and the fight has not progressed far enough for the scorecards to determine a result, a No Contest can be possible.

UFC records also include fights that ended as No Contests because of accidental low blows.

What Happens if the Foul Was Intentional?

If an intentional foul seriously injures an opponent and immediately makes them unable to continue, the result will generally be a Disqualification (DQ).

For example:

Fighter A intentionally commits a foul

↓

Fighter B is injured

↓

Fighter B cannot continue

↓

Fighter A is disqualified

↓

Fighter B wins

Under the Unified Rules, if an intentional foul causes an injury serious enough to immediately end the fight, the fighter who committed the foul can lose by Disqualification.

Multiple fouls or serious disregard for the rules or the referee’s instructions can also lead to a DQ.

The Biggest Difference Between a No Contest and a Disqualification

The easiest way to remember the distinction is:

Accidental incident → possible NC

Intentional foul → possible DQ

However, actual rulings can depend on several factors, including:

The type of foul

Whether it was intentional

The severity of the injury

How far the fight had progressed

Whether the affected fighter could continue

Therefore:

“There was a foul, so it must be a No Contest.”

and:

“A fighter committed a foul, so they must automatically be disqualified.”

are both oversimplifications.

The referee determines whether a foul occurred and evaluates factors such as the injury and whether the fight can safely continue.

What Is a Technical Decision?

A Technical Decision is:

A decision where a fight ends before the scheduled time, but the winner is determined using the judges’ scorecards up to that point.

One common situation involves:

An injury caused by an accidental foul

For example:

Accidental eye poke

↓

Fighter is injured

↓

The fight continues for some time, or enough of the fight has already taken place

↓

The injury eventually prevents the fighter from continuing

↓

The judges’ scorecards are totaled

↓

The fighter who is ahead wins by Technical Decision

Under the Unified Rules, if a fight ends because of an injury caused by an accidental foul after enough of the contest has taken place, the scorecards can be used to determine a Technical Decision.

What Is the Difference Between a No Contest and a Technical Decision?

Both can potentially result from:

An injury caused by an accidental foul

The major difference is how far the fight has progressed.

In simple terms:

The Fight Ends Early

Not enough of the fight has taken place to determine a result using the scorecards

↓

No Contest

The Fight Ends After Enough of the Contest Has Taken Place

The existing scorecards can be used

↓

Technical Decision

The ABC’s 2024 Unified Rules use a framework based on whether half of the scheduled rounds have been completed.

A revised version published in August 2026 introduces language using two completed rounds in a three-round fight and three completed rounds in a five-round fight, with a requested implementation date of November 2027.

Therefore, the exact threshold should be checked according to the rules and athletic commission governing the specific event.

What Is the Difference Between a Regular Decision and a Technical Decision?

A regular decision generally works like this:

The fighters complete all scheduled rounds

↓

The judges’ scorecards determine the winner

A Technical Decision works differently:

The fight ends before the scheduled time because of unusual circumstances

↓

The judges’ scorecards up to that point determine the winner

Both use judges’ scoring.

The difference is why and when the fight ended.

For more details on regular UFC decisions:

How Many Types of UFC Decisions Are There? Unanimous, Split, and Majority Decisions Explained

What Is the Difference Between a No Contest and a TKO?

Imagine a fighter is injured during a fight and the doctor stops the contest.

You might think:

“Does every doctor stoppage become a No Contest?”

No.

The important question is:

What caused the injury?

For example, if a legal strike causes a cut and the doctor determines that the fighter cannot safely continue, the result will generally be classified as a TKO (Medical Stoppage).

Under the Unified Rules, cuts and certain doctor stoppages caused by legal offense can fall under TKO Medical Stoppage.

On the other hand, if an accidental foul caused the injury and the fighter can no longer continue, a No Contest or Technical Decision may become relevant.

A simple way to remember it is:

Injury caused by legal offense → possible TKO

Injury caused by an accidental foul → possible NC or Technical Decision

What’s the Difference Between KO and TKO? UFC & MMA Fight Results Explained for Beginners

Can a Fight Be Changed to a No Contest After It Is Over?

Yes.

A No Contest does not only occur when an accidental foul immediately ends a fight.

A fight can originally have an official winner and later be overturned by a regulatory authority and changed to a No Contest.

One notable example involves post-fight drug testing.

At UFC 214, Jon Jones originally defeated Daniel Cormier by KO.

The result was later overturned following a drug-testing issue and changed to a No Contest.

UFC’s official records now reflect that the original victory was overturned to a No Contest.

Therefore, a No Contest can occur:

Immediately because of an incident during the fight

or:

Later when an official result is overturned

How Is a No Contest Recorded on a Fighter’s Record?

Because a No Contest is neither a win nor a loss, it is normally recorded separately as:

NC

For example, if a fighter’s record is:

20 wins, 5 losses, 1 NC

that means:

20 wins

5 losses

1 No Contest

So a No Contest does not normally count as a loss, but the fight does not simply disappear from the fighter’s record either.

What Happens to the Championship if a Title Fight Ends in a No Contest?

In general, if a champion competes in a title fight that ends in a No Contest, there is no victory for the challenger, so the championship does not change hands.

For example, when the UFC 321 heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in a No Contest because of an accidental eye poke, Aspinall retained the championship.

This does not mean:

No Contest = victory for the champion

Instead:

The challenger did not officially win, so there was no title change.

Does a No Contest Automatically Lead to a Rematch?

No.

A rematch may be scheduled after a No Contest, but there is no general rule that says:

Every No Contest must be followed by a rematch.

Future matchmaking can depend on factors such as:

The fighters’ conditions

Injuries

Rankings

Scheduling

Promotional considerations

and other circumstances.

How Does the Referee Decide Whether a Foul Was Intentional or Accidental?

This can be one of the most difficult parts of officiating an MMA fight.

A referee may consider factors such as:

The fighter’s movement

How the foul occurred

Previous warnings

Whether the same foul had already happened repeatedly

Whether there was clear intent

Under the Unified Rules, the referee is responsible for identifying fouls and making decisions involving safety, whether the contest can continue, and possible point deductions.

A serious foul can also cause the referee to stop the fight and issue a disqualification.

That is why two incidents that may appear similar to viewers can sometimes produce different official results.

Frequently Asked Questions About No Contests

What Is a No Contest in the UFC?

A No Contest is a fight result used when an official winner and loser cannot properly be determined under the circumstances.

A common example is when an accidental foul causes an injury and the fight ends at an early stage.

Is a No Contest a Draw?

No.

A Draw is a result in which a validly scored fight ends without a winner.

A No Contest means that no official win or loss is established.

Does a No Contest Count as a Loss?

Normally, no.

It is generally recorded separately as an NC on a fighter’s record.

Does Every Foul Cause a No Contest?

No.

The result can depend on:

Whether the foul was intentional

How serious the injury was

Whether the fighter could continue

How far the fight had progressed

The outcome could include continuing the fight, a point deduction, DQ, NC, or Technical Decision.

Does Every Eye Poke Result in a No Contest?

No.

If the affected fighter recovers and can safely continue, the fight can resume.

If they cannot continue, the result may depend on how far the fight has progressed and other circumstances.

What Is the Difference Between a Disqualification and a No Contest?

The major difference is that a DQ normally produces a winner and loser, while a No Contest does not.

As a basic principle, a serious intentional foul that ends the fight can produce a DQ, while an accidental incident that ends the fight before enough time has elapsed can produce a No Contest.

What Is a Technical Decision?

A Technical Decision can occur when a fight ends early because of an injury from an accidental foul or similar circumstances, but enough of the fight has taken place to determine the winner using the scorecards.

Does Every Doctor Stoppage Result in a No Contest?

No.

If a legal attack causes the injury and a doctor stops the fight, the result may be a TKO.

The cause of the injury is important.

Can a Fight Result Be Changed to a No Contest Later?

Yes.

A regulatory authority can overturn an originally announced fight result and change it to a No Contest.

There have been UFC cases where results were later changed to NC because of drug-testing issues.

Conclusion: Intent and How Far the Fight Has Progressed Are Key to Understanding NC, DQ, and Technical Decisions

A UFC No Contest is:

A fight result where no official winner or loser is declared

One common situation occurs when an accidental foul makes a fighter unable to continue before enough of the fight has taken place for the judges to determine a winner.

The simplest way to understand the differences is:

Accidental foul + fight ends early

→ No Contest

Intentional or serious foul makes the opponent unable to continue

→ Disqualification

Accidental foul + fight ends after enough of the contest has taken place

→ Technical Decision

Another important point is:

No Contest ≠ Draw

A Draw means the fight was scored and the result was a tie.

A No Contest means that no normal win or loss is established.

Also:

Foul ≠ automatic disqualification

and:

Eye poke ≠ automatic No Contest

The final result can depend on:

Was the foul intentional or accidental?

Can the fighter continue?

How far has the fight progressed?

When a UFC fight is stopped because of a foul, asking:

“Was it intentional or accidental?”

and:

“How far had the fight progressed?”

can make it much easier to understand why the official result is NC, DQ, or Technical Decision.

If you’d like to review the basic UFC and MMA rules and beginner knowledge in one place, start here.
→ UFC & MMA Beginner’s Guide｜Rules, Scoring, Decisions, KOs, and Submissions Explained

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What’s the Difference Between KO and TKO? UFC & MMA Fight Results Explained for Beginners

What Is a Submission in MMA? Tap Outs vs. Technical Submissions and Common Techniques Explained

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Main References

UFC Official | Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts

Association of Boxing Commissions | Unified Rules

Association of Boxing Commissions | Unified Rules of MMA (2024 Revision)

UFC Official | UFC 321 Official Scorecards