The most important rules of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) are:

1. All fights must take place inside of an eight-sided enclosure, commonly referred to as The Octagon.

2. Contestants must wear approved gloves.

3. To be declared the winner of a bout, a fighter must either stop their opponent (knockout, submission, decision) or be declared the victor by the judges.

4. No head butting, hair pulling, eye gouging, fishhooking, or small joint manipulation.

5. All fights must consist of three, five-minute rounds. Championship bouts have five, five-minute rounds.

6. Fighters are not allowed to kick, knee, or elbow an opponent who is on the ground.

7. Contestants may not wear any type of jewelry.

8. Fighters must wear appropriate regulation apparel, including shorts or pants.

9. No competitor is allowed to receive any outside assistance during the bout.

10. All fighters are provided a medical examination before the bout and may not compete if the condition is not cleared by a ringside physician.