KO, submission or decision: how MMA fights are won
A quick guide to how a fight ends and what each result you'll see in the results section means.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
Photos: U.S. Marine Corps, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
Every MMA result comes with a method of victory. These are the most common ones and what they mean.
KO and TKO
A KO (knockout) happens when a fighter is rendered unconscious or unable to continue by a strike. A TKO (technical knockout) is when the referee stops the fight because a fighter is no longer intelligently defending, or on the advice of the doctor or the corner.
Submission
A fighter gives up, usually by tapping the mat or the opponent, to a joint lock or a choke. If they lose consciousness from a choke, it is recorded as a technical submission.
Decision
If the fight goes the full distance, three judges score every round. Depending on how they agree, the decision can be:
- Unanimous: all three judges pick the same fighter.
- Split: two judges pick one fighter and the third picks the other.
- Majority: two judges pick the same fighter and the third scores a draw.
Draw, disqualification and no contest
A fight can end in a draw on the scorecards. A disqualification comes from serious or repeated fouls. A no contest is declared when the fight cannot continue for an accidental reason, such as an early unintentional illegal strike, or when the result is overturned later.
