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Majority draw
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A majority draw is an outcome in several full-contact combat sports, including boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and other sports involving striking. In a majority draw, two of the three judges agree that neither fighter won (i.e. tied scorecards), while the third judge indicates one fighter being the winner on his/her scorecard.[1] Thus, the majority of judges see the outcome as even and the result is announced as such, although one judge gave a victory on his/her card to one fighter.
This outcome is one of the rarest judged decisions in professional boxing and MMA, apart from a unanimous draw (where all three judges score the fight as a tie), or a split draw (where one judge scores one fighter the winner, a second judge scores the other fighter the winner, and the third judge scores the fight a draw).
Notable examples
[edit]| Date | Fight | Scorecards | Source(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 10, 1993 | Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio César Chávez | 115–113 Whitaker | 115–115 draw | 115–115 draw | [2] |
| September 12, 2013 | Badou Jack vs. Marco Antonio Peribán | 96–94 Peribán | 95–95 draw | 95–95 draw | [3] |
| November 12, 2016 | Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson | 48–47 Woodley | 47–47 draw | 47–47 draw | [4] |
| January 14, 2017 | Badou Jack vs. James DeGale | 114–112 DeGale | 113–113 draw | 113–113 draw | [5] |
| May 19, 2018 | Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Jack | 115–113 Jack | 114–114 draw | 114–114 draw | [6] |
| August 25, 2018 | KSI vs. Logan Paul I | 58–57 KSI | 57–57 draw | 57–57 draw | [7] |
| December 12, 2020 | Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno | 48–46 Figueiredo | 47–47 draw | 47–47 draw | [8] |
| August 3, 2024 | Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller | 116–112 Miller | 114–114 draw | 114–114 draw | [9] |
| July 19, 2025 | Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios | 114–114 draw | 114–114 draw | 115–113 Barrios | [10] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Majority draw". BoxRec.
- ^ "Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez - BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Marco Antonio Periban vs. Badou Jack - BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Woodley retains title with draw vs. Thompson". ESPN.com. November 13, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "James DeGale vs. Badou Jack - BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Jack - BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "KSI vs Logan Paul: YouTube boxing fight ends in a draw". BBC. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Figueiredo defends title at UFC 256". BBC Sport. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ Salazar, Francisco (August 4, 2024). "Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller fight to 12-round majority draw". The Ring. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
- ^ Naghten, Tom (July 20, 2025). "Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios full card results from boxing legend's return to the ring". The Sporting News. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
Majority draw
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Definition
In combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), kickboxing, and Muay Thai, judges evaluate fighters' performances over a series of rounds to determine the outcome of a bout. These sports typically employ a panel of three ringside judges who score each round independently using a point-based system, assessing factors like effective striking, aggression, and ring generalship without direct influence from one another.[6][7] A majority draw is declared when two of the three judges score the entire bout as even, while the third judge scores it in favor of one fighter, leading to no overall victor.[7] This result reflects a closely contested fight where the majority consensus favors neither competitor, preserving both fighters' records without a loss.[6] This judging structure ensures impartiality and balances subjective evaluations across the panel, distinguishing majority draws from other outcomes like unanimous decisions.[7]Role in combat sports
In professional combat sports such as boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA), a majority draw serves as a mechanism to declare no victor when two of three judges score the bout even, while the third favors one fighter, ensuring outcomes reflect closely contested performances without forcing an arbitrary winner. This ruling prevents title changes in championship contests, with the defending champion retaining their belt, as the absence of a clear victor maintains the status quo in divisional hierarchies.[8][9] In cases of a majority draw, fighters receive their contracted base pay, known as show money in MMA, without win bonuses. The predetermined purse split agreed upon before the fight applies, regardless of the outcome.[10][11] Majority draws occur infrequently, comprising less than 1% of professional bouts in major organizations like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as of 2025, where all draws total approximately 0.6% historically. In boxing under unified rules, they similarly represent a rare verdict, emphasizing their utility in resolving razor-thin margins without undermining the sport's decisiveness.[12] Post-fight, a majority draw influences fighter rankings minimally, as it neither advances nor significantly penalizes standings in official lists from bodies like the UFC or boxing sanctioning organizations, but it frequently prompts immediate rematch clauses in contracts to capitalize on unresolved rivalries and fan interest. This procedural resolution can elevate bouts to exhibition status in follow-ups, focusing on entertainment over championship stakes while allowing time for strategic adjustments.[13]Types of Draws
Majority draw
A majority draw is a decision outcome in combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA), where two of the three judges score the bout as even, while the third judge scores it in favor of one fighter, resulting in an overall draw due to the majority consensus on equality.[14] This mechanic ensures that a single dissenting opinion does not determine a winner when the fight is deemed too close for a clear victor by most judges. Under the standard 10-point must scoring system, the two judges awarding the draw typically score multiple rounds as 10-10 (even) or balance out 10-9 scores across rounds to reach identical totals for both competitors, while the third judge's slight edge—often from differing round assessments—fails to sway the majority.[15] The following example scorecard illustrates a majority draw from the UFC 205 welterweight title fight between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson on November 12, 2016:| Judge | Scorecard |
|---|---|
| Derek Cleary | 47-47 (draw) |
| Douglas Crosby | 47-47 (draw) |
| Glenn Trowbridge | 48-47 (Woodley) |
