What are UD, SD and MD? Unanimous, split and majority decisions explained

The short answer: it's how the judges split

A decision is used when a fight reaches the end of its scheduled rounds without a KO, TKO or submission: usually three judges score the bout and the winner is decided on their cards. The name depends on how the three judges agreed. UD (unanimous decision) = all three score the same fighter; SD (split decision) = two judges favor one fighter and the third favors the other; MD (majority decision) = two judges favor one fighter while the third scores it a draw.

How scoring works (the 10-point must system)

Modern combat sports use the 10-point must system. The judge must give the winner of each round 10 points and the other fighter 9 or fewer. A round with a knockdown or a one-sided beating is typically scored 10-8. After the final round each judge totals their card and effectively casts one vote for whoever won on their scorecard.

The three winning decisions

SD and MD are both 'split' results, but in an MD the losing fighter's third card is a draw, not a win — that is the dividing line between the two.

Types of draw

When no winner emerges there are also several kinds of draw: a unanimous draw (all three even), a majority draw (two judges even, one for a fighter), and a split draw (the cards split with no majority).

Reading the result

Results are written like W UD 12 (a win by unanimous decision in a 12-round fight) or L SD 10 (a loss by split decision over 10 rounds). MMA and kickboxing use the same UD/SD/MD labels, though the criteria judges weigh differ by sport and promotion.

For a recent real-world example, Ryota Mawatari lost his WMO super featherweight title bid to Watana by decision at KICK Insist 27 on July 5, 2026.

This term is part of the combat glossary & rules guide. For stoppages see What is RSC and a doctor stoppage?, and for the KO/TKO line see What is a TKO?. Every fighter's record and the rankings move on results like these.