KO vs TKO is the difference between strikes leaving a fighter unable to intelligently defend themselves, which is a knockout (KO), and a fight stopped before that point, which is a technical knockout (TKO). A boxer counted out after a knockdown is a KO, while a TKO can come from the referee, the ringside doctor or the fighter's corner.
Method of victory markets usually settle both as one selection, KO/TKO, so the difference matters at the edges: stoppages between rounds, and results that only look like stoppages.
KO and TKO under the rules
The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, amended August 2025, separate the two by why the fight is stopped:
| Result | What it means under the Unified Rules |
|---|---|
| KO | Strikes leave the fighter unable to intelligently defend themselves, and the referee ends it |
| TKO by referee stoppage | The fighter is not intelligently defending: from strikes, a cut, a corner stoppage or not answering the bell |
| TKO by medical stoppage | A cut, a doctor stoppage, or loss of control of bodily functions |
| Technical submission | A legal hold leaves the fighter unconscious or breaks or dislocates a bone or joint: a submission, not a KO |
In NSW boxing, the Combat Sports Authority's rules effective 16 January 2026 say a referee must stop a contest that becomes too one-sided, and may consult the ringside doctor. A trainer can throw in the towel (rule 32), and in a professional contest a stoppage for an injury from a legal blow is a TKO (rule 15).
How method of victory markets group KO and TKO
NSW's list of approved bet types defines a boxing knockout bet by the governing body's own definition of a knockout, and says it includes a technical knockout. Method markets commonly follow suit: KO/TKO as one selection, beside submission in MMA and a decision or points win. A disqualification is neither: some markets fold it into the stoppage selection, some list it on its own and some void method bets. UFC betting and boxing betting price full method markets.
Doctor stoppages and corner retirements
With illustrative prices for a 12-round boxing bout, and $20 on each of three bets on Fighter A:
| How the fight ends | KO/TKO at $2.90 | Points at $3.40 | Round 6 at $17.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The doctor stops it in round 6 for a cut from a punch | Wins: $58.00 | Loses | Wins: $340.00 |
| B's corner keeps him on his stool for round 7 | Wins where a retirement counts as a TKO | Loses | Wins: the NSW rule book treats it as ending in round 6 (5.2.1.4) |
| A clash of heads cut stops it in round 8, A ahead on the cards | Loses: a technical decision | Wins: $68.00 if a technical decision counts as a points win | Loses: settled on round 8 (5.2.1.3) |
| The same clash stops it in round 3 | Commonly void: a no contest | Commonly void | Commonly void |
Under the Combat Sports Authority's rule 15, the line between those last two results falls at the end of round 4 in bouts of six rounds or more.
Checking a method market's margin
A method market can carry a bigger margin than the head to head, so add up 1 / price across each market and compare the two totals.
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Risk: Betting involves risk. A method bet needs the right winner and the right finish, and a stoppage ruled a no contest or a technical decision can undo it. See responsible gambling for limits and support.