What Is a Submission in MMA? Tap Out, Verbal Tap and Technical Submission Explained
The short answer: a choke or joint lock forces a tap out
A submission is an MMA finish where a choke or joint lock forces the opponent to tap out, ending the fight. The ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) Unified Rules of MMA define it as one of the fight's core outcomes, alongside KO, TKO and a judges' decision (as of 2026-07-17).
The three ways a submission is ruled
Under the Unified Rules, a submission finish falls into one of three categories:
- Tap out: the fighter physically taps their own body or the mat, signaling they no longer wish to continue.
- Verbal tap out: the fighter verbally announces, or voluntarily or involuntarily cries out in pain or distress, that they don't wish to continue.
- Technical submission: a legal submission hold renders the fighter unconscious or causes a broken or dislocated bone or joint before they can tap. Here the referee stops the fight regardless of whether a tap happened, and it's still scored as a submission win.
Two families of technique: chokes and joint locks
Submission finishes split into two broad families. A choke (chokehold) cuts off air or blood flow to force unconsciousness — common examples are the rear-naked choke, the triangle choke and the guillotine choke. A joint lock hyperextends a joint such as the elbow, shoulder or ankle to force a tap through pain — common examples are the armbar, the americana, the anklelock and the kneebar.
How it differs from a KO, TKO or decision
A submission resembles a TKO in that the fight is stopped by the fighter's own signal or the referee's judgment rather than running the scheduled rounds — but the cause is grappling (a choke or joint lock), not strikes. For the KO/TKO line, see What is a TKO?; for a referee or doctor stopping a fight over strikes or an injury, see What is RSC and a doctor stoppage?; for how judges decide a fight that goes the distance, see UD, SD and MD decisions.
This term is part of the combat glossary & rules guide. For how grappling gets to the mat in the first place, see What is a takedown?. When a fighter's record shows a win by 'Sub,' it's one of these finishes.
Sources
FAQ
- What is a submission in MMA?
- A submission is a finish where a choke or joint lock forces the opponent to tap out, ending the fight. It's one of MMA's core outcomes, alongside KO, TKO and a judges' decision.
- What are the main types of submission holds?
- They split into two families: chokes, which cut off air or blood flow (e.g. the rear-naked choke, triangle choke or guillotine), and joint locks, which hyperextend a joint (e.g. the armbar, americana, anklelock or kneebar).
- How is a fight ruled a submission win?
- The referee stops the fight after the opponent taps physically, taps verbally, or — in a technical submission — is rendered unconscious or injured by a legal hold before they can tap.
- What is a technical submission?
- It's when a legal choke or joint lock renders a fighter unconscious or causes a broken or dislocated bone/joint before they can tap; the referee stops the fight and it's still scored as a submission win.