Definition of Unanimous Decision

What does the term "unanimous decision" mean in the world of sports? What is a unanimous decision in combat sports?

Most combat sports use a three-judge system, with each judge scoring the fight separately.

In the UFC, for instance, there is a 10-point "must" system, where each round must have at least one fighter that finishes with 10 points. At the end of a fight that doesn't feature a finish, the three judges will submit their scorecards, and the winner will be the fighter that is the winner on at least two of the three judge's scorecards.

In a "unanimous decision", one fighter will win on all three judge's scorecards. This means that the three judges were unanimous in that one fighter clearly won the fight.

For instance, let's say that Georges St. Pierre fights for the title and wins on all three judge's scorecards 50-45 (this would be a five round fight).

In this case, St. Pierre would be the winner via "unanimous decision", as all three judges declared him the winner.

You may encounter the term "unanimous decision" in a number of different combat sports, including mixed martial arts, kickboxing and boxing.