A TKO, or Technical Knockout, occurs in combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts when a referee stops the fight because one fighter cannot continue. This decision is made to protect the safety of the injured fighter, who may be unable to defend themselves effectively. In a TKO situation, the fight is halted before a full knockout occurs, where a fighter is knocked out cold. TKO can happen due to various reasons, such as excessive strikes, injury, or a fighter being overwhelmed. It is an official way to end a match without a clear knockout.