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Combat sports ranking glossary: 50 terms explained in plain English

This glossary defines the terms used in KBN rankings and documents, from base points and event multipliers to time value, scopes, verification and Fighter IDs. Each definition matches the published KBN rules, so it can be used as a quick reference.

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Ranking discussions quickly fill with jargon. This glossary explains the terms used across KBN's rankings, profiles and documents, in plain English and consistent with the published rules.

Points and the formula

Points terms
TermMeaning
Base pointsPoints for what happened in a bout before multipliers: 5 participation, +20 win, +5 KO/TKO win, +5 submission win (MMA only), +25/+50/+100 third/runner-up/champion, +75 successful KBN title defence
Participation pointsThe 5 base points for taking part in an approved official bout, win or lose
Finishing bonusThe +5 for a win by KO or TKO, or by submission in MMA
Placement bonus+25 third, +50 runner-up, +100 champion, added once on the deciding bout
Title defence bonus+75 for a successful KBN title defence, flagged by an administrator
Event multiplierร—1.0 National, ร—1.5 International Open, ร—2.0 Continental Championship, ร—2.5 KBN World Cup, ร—3.0 World Championship
Multiplier overrideA lower multiplier set by KBN World HQ for a specific event; ร—0 means rejected
Time value100% up to 12 months, 50% over 12 up to 24 months, 0% after 24 months
Age of resultDays between the event date and the as-of date รท 30.4375
Bout pointsBase ร— multiplier ร— time value, rounded to one decimal
Fighter pointsSum of a fighter's verified bout points, rounded to one decimal
No-contest pointsPoints for a no contest; default 0 (configurable)

Tables and positions

Ranking terms
TermMeaning
DivisionOne combination of discipline, category, gender and weight class
DisciplineMMA, Kickboxing, Boxing or Muay Thai (others need Technical Committee approval)
CategoryProfessional or Amateur
ScopeWorld, continental (by country's continent) or national
EligibleLicensed, ranking published, not suspended, points above zero
Tie-breakPoints, then verified wins, then last name
MovementChange in position compared with 30 days earlier
NEWNot ranked in this table 30 days ago
SnapshotNightly record of every table used for history and charts
As-of dateThe date used for all calculations; the demo is fixed at 28 September 2026

Results and records

Result terms
TermMeaning
VerifiedApproved by an administrator against official evidence; counts in record and points
PendingSubmitted by an athlete or referee, awaiting verification; does not count
RejectedNot approved; carries a reason and a note
RecordVerified wins-losses-draws; no contests counted separately
KOKnockout: unable to continue after a legal strike
TKOTechnical knockout: referee, doctor or corner stoppage
DECDecision on the judges' scorecards
SUBSubmission (MMA)
NCNo contest: no result
Custom eventAn event named by an applicant that KBN did not know; no level until HQ sets one

Documents and identity

Document terms
TermMeaning
KBN Fighter IDCareer-long ID, format KBN-{country code}-{sequence}
Licence numberKBN-L-{yy}-{5-digit sequence}
Fighter Ranking LicenseThe athlete's licence document, valid one year minus one day
Certificate numberKBN-WR-{yy}-{6-digit sequence}
Certificate of Official World RankingIssued when the ranking is published
Verify pagePublic page that checks a licence, certificate or Fighter ID and shows status
Licence statusActive, Suspended, Expired or Pending verification
Document seriesThe series code printed on documents, e.g. KBN-FRL-26A

Process

Process terms
TermMeaning
Stage 1-6Intake, verification, result decisions, point calculation, Fighter ID & licence, publication & certificate
BranchA national federation within KBN; verifies its country's applications
KBN World HQSuper administrators and the Ranking Committee; issue, publish, set levels
Branch isolationBranch admins can only see and act on their own country's records
Audit logRecord of every state change with who, what, when and before/after values
Founding period90 days from official publication in which verified results from the preceding 24 months are accepted
Annex AKBN's official weight-class tables; the current tables are samples until it is published

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Worked examples of the key terms

  • Base points of a KO win: 5 + 20 + 5 = 30.
  • Bout points of that win at an International Open, 8 months ago: 30 ร— 1.5 ร— 100% = 45.
  • The same result 15 months later: 30 ร— 1.5 ร— 50% = 22.5.
  • A no contest at any level: 0.
  • A runner-up's lost final at a Continental Championship, 3 months ago: (5 + 50) ร— 2.0 ร— 100% = 110.

Frequently asked questions

QWhat is the difference between base points and bout points?
A

Base points reflect the result; bout points are base points multiplied by the event multiplier and time value.

QWhat does "eligible" mean in rankings?
A

Licensed, ranking published, not suspended and with more than zero points.

QIs a Fighter ID the same as a licence number?
A

No. The Fighter ID follows the athlete for their career; a licence number identifies a licence.

QWhat is a custom event?
A

An event an applicant named that KBN did not know. It has no level, and its bouts score zero, until KBN World HQ sets one.

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Figures in this article are computed from the KBN register at the time of reading. View, like and share counters on this demo site are sample values.