UFC Vegas 116 tied the UFC record for most fights going to judges' decisions on a single card, with 11 of 13 bouts reaching the scorecards. The post humorously notes that those who chose sleep over watching the event made the right decision. Only two fights ended early: a submission by McVeigh and a knockout by Spann. The previous record was set at UFC 263, which was headlined by Israel Adesanya versus Marvin Vettori. The high number of decisions suggests a lack of finishes and potentially less exciting action throughout the card.
UFC Vegas 116 went the distance in a historic — if not particularly thrilling — way, with 11 of 13 bouts on the card reaching the judges' scorecards and tying the UFC's all-time record for most decisions on a single event.
The figure matches the mark previously set at UFC 263, a card headlined by Israel Adesanya's middleweight title rematch against Marvin Vettori. That Vegas 116 finds itself in the same company for volume of decisions rather than for highlight-reel finishes tells its own story about how the night unfolded.
Only two fights escaped the scorecards entirely. Ryan Spann provided one of the evening's few punctuation marks with a knockout, while McVeigh added the card's lone submission finish. Outside of those two moments, fighters and fans alike settled in for the long haul across an unusually decision-heavy night.
Why it matters
- Eleven decisions in 13 fights ties the all-time UFC single-card record, previously set at UFC 263
- With only one knockout and one submission on the entire card, the finish rate was exceptionally low
- The result raises broader questions about matchmaking and the style of fighters selected for the event
- Cards heavy with decisions tend to draw mixed reactions from fans and can affect pay-per-view and viewership momentum going forward
The rarity of the record is undercut somewhat by the circumstances. Setting a UFC record for decisions is a statistical oddity rather than a badge of honor, reflecting a card that struggled to generate the kind of stoppages that drive casual interest in the sport. Two finishes across 13 fights is a number that will stand out in the data long after the results themselves are forgotten.
