Why Fight Cards Have Fewer Finishes—and Why That’s a Good Thing
By MAD Coach
There’s a lot of chatter these days around why more fights aren’t ending in finishes. Some fans say the cards are less exciting, some blame the judging, others say the talent pool is thinning out. But here’s the truth: the game has evolved. The finishes aren’t disappearing because fighters are worse. They’re disappearing because fighters are better.
If you go back and look at MMA cards before 2015, you’ll see a different landscape. There were fewer draws. Fewer split decisions. More first-round stoppages. The gap between talent levels was wider, so mismatches led to highlight reel knockouts and tap-outs. But around 2017, things started to shift. Fighters were no longer just strikers or grapplers—they were complete martial artists. And when both sides are technically sound, the margins get tighter. That’s when you start seeing more 29-28 scorecards. More razor-thin split decisions. More chess matches than slugfests.
And guess what? That’s not a bad thing.
If you’re really watching—like really watching—you’ll notice the fights have become more compelling. The margins are so close now that every exchange matters. You’re seeing game plans, adjustments, strategic shifts mid-fight. That’s evolution. That’s what happens when the bar rises.
Look at promotions like Fight For It. Over the past year, every card seems to level up. The competition’s stiffer, the fights tighter, and every match-up feels like it has something at stake. We’re getting fighters who show not just physical grit, but tactical intelligence. These are the kind of fights that stick with you—not just because of who won, but because of how it played out.