Knockout
In combat sports, ending a bout by a strike that leaves the opponent unable to continue.
Definition
A knockout, often shortened to KO, is a way of winning a fight in sports such as boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. It occurs when a legal strike drops an opponent who is then unable to rise and continue within the count, or is otherwise judged unable to defend themselves, ending the contest immediately.
A related result is the technical knockout (TKO), where the bout is stopped without a full count, for example by the referee. The word "knockout" is also used more loosely to describe a tournament format in which the loser of each match is eliminated.
Where you’ll hear “knockout”
Sports that use this term:
Boxing
A striking combat sport built on footwork, timing and conditioning, practised from fitness drills to controlled sparring.
Kickboxing
A striking combat sport that combines punches and kicks, popular for fitness, focus and a full-body workout.
Muay Thai
A striking combat sport using fists, elbows, knees and shins, often trained for fitness and skill.
Mixed Martial Arts
A combat sport that blends striking and grappling from several disciplines into one all-round skill set.
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Knockout in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Commonly confused with
Close enough to be mixed up — the distinction is worth knowing.
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Equipment
Officiating
- JudgeA judge is an official who scores performance in judged sports, awarding marks for execution and difficulty rather than counting goals or timing a race.
- TimekeeperThe timekeeper is the official who runs a contest's clock — starting and stopping time, timing rounds, races and periods, and signalling when time expires.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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