
Referee stepping in to stop the match.
A Technical Knock Out, also known as a "TKO" 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. A technical knockout is also 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 defence following a knockdown. If a fighter or his second decides to end the fight between rounds, it is ruled a corner retirement or "referee technical decision" (RTD). Both technical knockouts and corner retirements are counted as knockouts in a fighter's record.