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How is a victory or win determined in a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight?
A victory can be obtained either by the judges rendering a decision once all of the time allotted for the particular fight has elapsed, or the fight can end sooner by one of several ways.
During the fight, if one of the competitors cannot intelligently defend himself or herself, and is taking a beating at the hands of their opponent, then the judge will step in and stop the fight.
Injuries in an MMA Fight
Another way that an MMA fight can end before all the time for the fight has elapsed is for the fight doctor to declare that one of the fighters has an injury that prevents that fighter from safely continuing on.
For example, a fighter may have a cut above their eye that is bleeding into their eye and obscuring their vision. While the fighter may want to continue on despite the injury, the fight doctor will likely say that the fight must be stopped because it would be too dangerous for the cut fighter to continue on without the proper use of his or her vision.
Submissions in MMA fighting
Another way an MMA fight may end is by one of the fighter “submitting” the other fighter. A submission involves a particular hold that one fighter has on the other that renders the other fighter either in great danger of imminent major injury (e.g., a broken arm), or potentially will cause the other fighter to become unconcious (e.g., a choke hold).
Tapping Out in Mixed Martial Arts
A fighter who is in a dangerous submission may choose to verbally end the fight or to “tap out” by tapping their hand either on the floor or on their opponents body as a signal that they are surrendering and want the fight stopped.
Knockouts in MMA Fighting and the UFC
Another way an Ultimate Fight or MMA fight may end is by a knockout. This occurs when one fighter hits the other fighter so hard or in such a way as to cause the other fighter to fall to the floor unconscious.
Alternatively the fighter may fall to the floor and be leaped on by the opponent who then swiftly delivers more blows at such a rapid pace that, undefended, have the potential to cause great harm to the opponent so the referee will leap between the fighters and stop the fight.
Throwing in the Towel in an MMA Fight
One other way that a MMA fight may end is by a fighter’s cornerman “throwing in the towel.” The cornerman may literally throw a towel into the ring and tell the referee they want the fight stopped, possibly because their fighter is sustaining physical harm and has virtually no chance to win the fight yet has a danger of being permanently injured.
A cornerman may throw in the towel either during a round or in between rounds of the MMA fight.
Technical Knockouts in MMA Fights
A technical knockout, or TKO consists of either a referee stoppage or a doctor stoppage. A referee may stop a fight if a fighter is caught in a submission and appears to be unconscious or if a fighter is hit by a hard blow and appears to be unconscious.
Even if a fighter is not or does not appear to unconscious, a referee may declare a TKO if a fighter appears to be dominated by the other to such a degree that they are not defending themselves intelligently and are only taking increasing punishment from the other fighter.
A referee may also declare a TKO due to one of the fighters appearing to have been injured (e.g., a broken bone) during the competition to such a degree that any further fighting will be a danger to that fighter.
Mixed Martial Arts Fights Ending with Doctor Stoppage
A doctor stoppage occurs when a referee calls for a time out because a fighter appears to be severely injured yet the referee does not choose to make that determination, but instead allows the fight doctor, or ring doctor, to make the call.
If a fighter cannot continue due to injury they are declared the loser of that fight unless the injury was caused by an illegal move by the other fighter. If that is the cause of the injury then the fighter who committed the illegal act will be disqualified and the injured fighter will be declared the winner.
No Contest Rulings in Mixed Martial Arts Fighting
It is also possible that the fight may be declared a no contest, for example, if the act was illegal though clearly deemed unintentional, or for some other reason determined by the referees, doctors, and judges.
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MMA Fights Ending with a Decision
If a fight goes to a decision then it means that the fight went for the whole length of the appointed rounds that had been scheduled (e.g., 3 five-minute rounds, 5 five-minute rounds, etc.).
Judges and Forfeits in MMA Fights
When a fight goes to a decision then the judges will determine the winner of that fight. Typically this will be done by three judges and they will base their decision on the rules of the particular organization sponsoring the fight (e.g., UFC).
Another thing that may happen with a scheduled fight is that one of the other fighter may forfeit the fight before it even begins. If this occur the person forfeiting is considered the loser of the fight, and the other MMA fighter is considered the winner.
Illegal Actions in Mixed Martial Arts Fights
If a fighter commits an illegal act during a MMA fight they may be disqualified immediately by the referee. Typically a warning is issued upon a first illegal action, or foul, caused by a fighter, or if the fighter does not follow particular instructions issued by the referee.
If a fighter receives three warnings from the referee then that fighter will be disqualified. If a fighter injures the opponent while committing a foul or illegal action then that person committing the foul will be disqualified.
A “no contest” ruling is typically reserved for situations in which an unintentional illegal action injures the other fighter, or when both fighters commit violations of the stated rules of the organization sponsoring the fight.
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