What does the term "no contest" mean in the world of mixed martial arts and boxing? What is meant by a "no contest"?
A no contest, also known by its abbreviation "NC", occurs when a boxing match or mixed martial arts fight ends for a reason that is outside of the control of both of the fighters.
For instance - Mark Hunt fought Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 in July of 2016.
In that fight, Lesnar managed to avoid Mark Hunt's bombs and hold on for a unanimous decision victory.
After the fight, Lesnar was revealed to have tested positive for clomiphene, which is a banned substance.
It is not fair to still pin the loss on Hunt, as he was fighting an opponent who had a banned substance in his system, so the state athletic commission declared the fight a No Contest. Lesnar's positive test was out of the control of Mark Hunt, which is why a No Contest was appropriate.
No Contests most frequently occur due to positive drug tests, though they can happen for other reasons as well.
For instance, when Dustin Poirier fought Eddie Alvarez at UFC 211, the fight was declared a No Contest after Alvarez was found to have accidentally hit Dustin Poirier with an illegal knee. Poirier couldn't continue and the fight was called off.
Now, if Alvarez was found to have purposely committed these fouls, Poirier would have won the fight via disqualification.
Referee Herb Dean found that Alvarez's blows had been accidental, which is why the fight was ultimately declared a No Contest.
A No Contest can happen in boxing as well.
One famous example occurred when referee Mills Lane accidentally pushed Bernard Hopkins out of the ring when he was trying to break up a clinch:
Rarer examples of no contests include: outside interference by non-fighters, lack of aggression displayed by both fighters and corrupt or incompetent judging.
