Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in : Ways to win: KO, TKO, submission, decision · 567

The object of an MMA bout is to defeat your opponent by any legal means — rendering them unable to continue, forcing them to submit, or outscoring them across the rounds. A fighter can win by knockout, technical knockout, submission, or, if the fight goes the distance, by the judges' decision. Because finishes are possible standing or on the ground, in any round, a competitor must be dangerous and defensively sound everywhere at once. There are no points awarded for aggression alone; effective, damaging offense is what actually counts.

A contest takes place in an enclosed cage or ring under a referee's control. Non-title fights are three rounds; championship and main-event fights are five, each lasting five minutes with a one-minute rest between them. Fighters wear four-to-six-ounce open-fingered gloves and compete within a designated weight class after making weight at an official weigh-in. Three judges score every round using the 10-Point Must System, and the referee can stop the bout at any moment to protect a fighter who can no longer intelligently defend himself.

Most modern MMA is contested in a fenced enclosure. The UFC's eight-sided cage, the Octagon, measures 30 feet across with a five-foot padded fence, keeping fighters inside and adding a wall that can be used to press, clinch and defend takedowns. Other promotions use a ring or a circular cage. The enclosed space is a strategic surface in its own right: fighters cut angles toward the center, back opponents into the fence to grind, and use the cage as leverage to stand up or finish a takedown.