Submission vs Knockout Rates in UFC: A Data-Driven Breakdown by Weight Class

Every UFC weight class tells a different story about how fights end. At heavyweight, punches often finish the job. In lighter divisions, fights go the distance more often. Submissions? They show up everywhere – just not always where you’d expect.

To understand what really happens inside the cage, it helps to move past the highlight clips and look at real finish rates. Some of these numbers match fan expectations. Others challenge them. You’ll see why Florida online casinos aren’t the only ones watching fight stats closely – the data shows clear patterns. 

Weight Class	Fights	KO/TKO %	Submission %	Decision %
Heavyweight	885	48.4%	21.7%	28.6%
Light Heavyweight	804	43.3%	18.9%	36.1%
Middleweight	1,094	36.9%	21.8%	39.9%
Welterweight	1,401	32.7%	19.3%	46.8%
Lightweight	1,447	29.1%	21.8%	48.0%
Featherweight	879	28.3%	17.3%	53.4%
Bantamweight	778	25.8%	19.2%	53.5%
Flyweight	423	24.6%	21.7%	53.0%
Women’s Strawweight	359	13.4%	19.2%	66.9%
Women’s Flyweight	269	16.7%	19.7%	63.6%
Women’s Bantamweight	243	22.6%	16.0%	60.5%
Women’s Featherweight	38	23.7%	21.1%	55.3%

Bigger divisions bring more knockouts. Smaller ones lean toward decisions. But submissions show up in every group – sometimes more than you’d expect.

What the Numbers Really Mean

It helps to know how fights are labeled. Not every stoppage looks the same on paper. A clean punch knockout and a doctor stoppage both count as KO/TKOs. A rear-naked choke and a tap to an armbar both go in the “submission” column. A site like Roulette 77, known more for games than fights, would still appreciate how clean categories help people make sense of numbers.

Here’s how the UFC typically classifies finishes:

• KO/TKO: includes knockouts, technical knockouts, and doctor stoppages
• Submission: any tap-out, verbal or physical, or a choke that ends the fight without a tap
• Decision: fight goes the distance, judges pick the winner
• Disqualification and No Contest are rare and don’t factor into finish percentages

These groupings help show clear trends when looking across weight classes.

KO Kings: The Heavy Divisions

It’s no surprise that heavyweights top the chart in knockout rate. Nearly half of all heavyweight fights end by KO or TKO. That’s not just an eye test – it’s backed by 885 recorded bouts. Only 28.6% of heavyweight fights reach the judges, the lowest decision rate of any division.

Light heavyweight tells a similar story. Over 43% of those fights end with a stoppage by strikes. Submissions are still there, but they trail far behind at just under 19%.

Strike-Driven Finishes Dominate in Power Divisions

To put it another way: among heavyweight fights that do end in a finish, almost 70% come by strikes. Submissions only make up 30%. So if a fight ends early in these divisions, it probably ends with a punch – not a tap.

Light heavyweight shows almost the exact same split. Knockouts make up 70% of finishes there too. These are divisions where one punch can truly change everything.

The Middle Ground: Balanced but Unpredictable

Middleweight is the turning point. Knockouts drop to 36.9%, submissions hold steady at 21.8%, and decisions rise to nearly 40%. No outcome dominates, which makes this weight class hard to predict. You could see a brawl, a grappling match, or a tight decision – all are common.

Welterweight shifts further toward decisions. Nearly 47% of welterweight fights go the distance. Knockouts fall to 32.7%, and submissions dip slightly. This shows how fights start lasting longer and relying more on scoring, not finishing.

The Lighter Men’s Divisions: Fewer Finishes, More Control

Lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, and flyweight all follow the same general shape. Knockouts drop, decisions rise, and submission percentages stay surprisingly steady. Lightweight has a knockout rate of 29.1% and a decision rate of 48%. Flyweight drops further to 24.6% knockouts, but still has a 53% decision rate.

Submissions stay relevant across the board. Flyweight actually has a 21.7% submission rate – identical to heavyweight. So although power may decrease with size, submission skills stay sharp.

Submissions Stay Reliable, Even as Knockouts Fall

Fans often assume small fighters mean fewer finishes, but that’s only partly true. Knockouts do drop, but submissions often pick up the slack. In flyweight, 46% of fights still end in a finish – it’s just that more of them end with a tap instead of a punch.

So smaller doesn’t mean safer. It just means different risks.

Women’s Divisions: Submissions Shine, Decisions Rule

Women’s fights generally see fewer knockouts. In strawweight, only 13.4% of bouts end in KO or TKO. But submissions stay strong at 19.2%, and decisions make up a huge 66.9%. That’s the highest decision rate of any division.

Flyweight and bantamweight follow the same pattern. Decisions dominate, submissions stay active, and knockouts trail. Women’s featherweight has slightly more knockouts (23.7%) but very few recorded fights, so the sample is small.

Finish mix is key. In strawweight, 59% of all finishes come by submission, not knockout. That holds true across other women’s classes too. These fights may last longer, but when they end early, it’s often due to grappling.

What to Take Away

You can’t predict how every fight ends, but division trends can give you a good idea. Heavyweight fights are more likely to end in knockouts. Lighter male divisions lean toward decisions, though submissions are always in play. Women’s fights rarely end in knockouts, but grappling remains a real threat.

This data doesn’t tell you who will win – it just tells you how fights usually end. And that, for fight fans, is a useful place to start.