<P> In boxing and kickboxing, a knockout is usually awarded when one participant falls to the canvas and is unable to rise to their feet within a specified period of time, typically because of exhaustion, pain, disorientation, or unconsciousness . For example, if a boxer is knocked down and is unable to continue the fight within a ten - second count, they are counted as having been knocked out and their opponent is awarded the KO victory . </P> <P> In mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, no time count is given after a knockdown, as the sport allows submission grappling as well as ground and pound . If a fighter loses consciousness ("goes limp") as a result of legal strikes it is declared a KO . Even if the fighter loses consciousness for a brief moment and wakes up again to continue to fight, the fight is stopped and declared a KO . As many MMA fights can take place on the mat rather than standing, it is possible to score a KO via ground and pound, a common victory for grapplers . </P> <P> In fighting - based video games, such as Street Fighter and Tekken, a player scores a knockout by fully depleting the opponent's health bar, which awards the round to the winning player . The player who wins the most rounds (by scoring the most knockouts or by having more vitality remaining when time expires during each round) wins the match . This is different from real - life combat sports, where a knockout would end the match immediately . </P> <P> A technical knockout (TKO or T.K.O.), or stoppage, is declared when the referee or official ring physician decides during a round that a fighter cannot safely continue the match for any reason, without the need for an intervening count . In most regions, a TKO is declared when a fighter is knocked down three times in one round . Other reasons for stopping a fight include severe facial lacerations and a fighter's inability to put up a sufficient defense following a knockdown . </P>

Who has the fastest knockout in boxing history