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No contest (abbreviated "NC") is a technical term used in some combat sports to describe a fight that ends for reasons outside the fighters' hands, without a winner or loser. The concept carried over to professional wrestling, where it is far more common, usually scripted to further a feud, generate heat and/or protect a push.
In the 19th and early parts of the 20th century, many countries (and some parts of the United States) officially banned boxing, and occasionally the police would step in to shut down the bouts (which, although unlawful, were still sanctioned by regional boxing commissions). Since boxing is now lawful virtually anywhere in the world, the number of fights called no contest has decreased dramatically since the beginning of the 20th century. Referees were also known to stop bouts during this period when they felt bouts were too slow due to lack of aggression from one or both boxers.
In the modern game, the various rules that dictate whether a fight should be called a no contest, a disqualification, or a knockout differ between countries and boxing organizations. Rules in the United States now dictate that any bout which ends prior to the completion of the 4th round, due to an accidental headbutt, is to be declared a no contest. Prior to this, accidental headbutt stoppages had been ruled a technical draw. Most other no contests in boxing occur when unusual circumstances, which would include instances such as an outdoor bout being rained out, the ring falling apart, or an unexpected injury caused by something outside of the boxer's control.
One good example of an unusual circumstance occurred in 1983, on the undercard of the fight where Roberto Durán beat Davey Moore for the World Jr. Middleweight title at the Madison Square Garden, when Luis Resto and Billy Collins Jr boxed ten rounds. Resto appeared to win the fight cleanly, and the scorers gave the match to Resto. But, it was later discovered that he had cheated by tampering with his gloves before the fight. The injuries Collins received affected his sight, and, upon finding out what Resto and his corner had done, the New York State Athletic Commission decided to change the result of the fight to a no contest.
On August 28, 1998, Bernard Hopkins fought Robert Allen in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The fight was ruled a no contest when Hopkins was injured after he was accidentally pushed out of the ring by referee Mills Lane as Lane was trying to break up a clinch.
No contest decisions in mixed martial arts (MMA) are usually declared when an accidental illegal strike (the rules on which differ from each organization) causes the recipient of the blow to be unable to continue, that decision being made by the referee, doctor, the fighter or his corner. Each fighter receives a NC counted in their record and is scored as neither a win nor a loss. Blows from intentional illegal strikes that force a fighter to be unable to continue are generally not declared a no contest, but as a win and a loss by disqualification for the appropriate fighters.
In 2007, a controversial no contest decision in MMA occurred at The Ultimate Fighter 5 season finale between Rob Emerson and Gray Maynard. Maynard knocked himself temporarily unconscious during a takedown of Emerson, who then submitted due to an aggravated injury of the ribs, each being unaware that the other fighter could not continue. While awaiting the official announcement, many believed that Gray Maynard would be declared the winner, because Emerson tapped out and it appeared that Maynard was unharmed. The NC decision was made due to both fighters being unable to continue. A replay of the incident, taken from a different angle, later confirmed that Maynard had indeed knocked himself out and needed assistance to stand back up.
At Legends of Fighting Championship 25: Breaking Point in May 2008, Tyler Bryan and Shaun Parker knocked each other out simultaneously with two legal punches. Referee Shonie Carter, surprised and unsure of protocol, ultimately signaled for a no-contest rather than a draw. Both fighters became popular video stars and ended their brief fighting careers later that year. [1]
In the case of a title fight that is ruled a no contest, the champion will retain their title, but it will not be counted as a title defense. An example of this can be found in the second bout between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones at UFC 214. Jones was originally awarded a victory and won the title, but the decision was overturned due to a failed drug test. The title was returned to Cormier, who entered the bout as champion, but the bout is not considered as one of his title defenses at light-heavyweight.
A 2023 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills was officially ruled a no contest after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field. [2] The game was suspended with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter, and was officially ruled a no contest three days later. [3] Hamlin survived, and as of September 2024, still plays for the Bills.
Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes between 1995 and 2007, from super bantamweight to super featherweight.
The Marquess of Queensberry Rules, also known as Queensbury Rules, are a set of generally accepted rules governing the sport of boxing. Drafted in London in 1865 and published in 1867, they were so named because the 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code, although they were actually written by a Welsh sportsman, John Graham Chambers, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. They were the first to mandate the use of gloves in boxing.
Daniel Peter Williams is a British professional boxer. He has challenged once for the WBC and the Ring magazine heavyweight titles in 2004. At regional level, he has held multiple heavyweight championships, including the Commonwealth title twice between 1999 and 2006; the British title twice between 2000 and 2010; and challenged once for the European title in 2003. As an amateur, he won bronze medals at the 1993 European Championships and 1994 Commonwealth Games. Williams is best known for scoring an upset knockout victory against Mike Tyson in 2004.
A technical decision is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.
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Most rule sets for mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions have evolved since the early days of Vale Tudo. As a result of health, legal, and moral concerns, many different rulesets were created, which give different countries and promotions very different tactics and strategies. Similarly, shoot wrestling organizations, such as Shooto, expanded their rulesets to integrate elements of Vale Tudo into their sport. However, for the most part, fighters accustomed to one rule set can easily acclimate to the others.
Bradley Gray Maynard is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. Maynard competed in college wrestling at Michigan State University, and made his UFC debut in 2007.
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Moon Sung-kil is a South Korean former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1993. He is a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBA bantamweight title from 1988 to 1989 and the WBC super-flyweight title from 1990 to 1993. His name is also rendered Sung Kil Moon.
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A disqualification is a term used when a bout is stopped short of knockout or judges' decision because, intentionally, one or both contestants have repeatedly or flagrantly fouled an opponent or violated other rules. The disqualified boxer automatically loses the bout to the opponent. If both are disqualified, the result is usually declared a no contest regardless of round.
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II, billed as The Sound and the Fury and afterwards infamously referred to as The Bite Fight, was a professional boxing match contested between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson on June 28, 1997, for the WBA Heavyweight Championship. It achieved notoriety as one of the most bizarre fights in boxing history after Tyson bit off a part of Holyfield's ear. Tyson was disqualified from the match and lost his boxing license, though it was later reinstated.
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In combat sports, a decision is a result of the fight or bout that does not end in a knockout, submission or other finish, in which the (usually) three judges' scorecards are consulted to determine the winner; a majority of judges must agree on a result. The judges' result can either award a win, loss, or draw.
Kyle Daukaus is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of Cage Fury Fighting Championships, where he is the Cage Fury FC Middleweight Champion. He previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the younger brother of former UFC fighter Chris Daukaus.
