VIDEO: Loud scream from heavyweight gets counted as ‘verbal submission’ at bizarre UFC 305 fight

UFC 305 Video: Junior Tafa slaps Valter Walker in altercation after verbal submission to end the fight between them.

VIDEO: Loud scream from heavyweight gets counted as ‘verbal submission’ at bizarre UFC 305 fight

Junior Tafa slaps Valter Walker after bizarre UFC 305 submission loss (Source: Instagram)

The bad blood boiled over after a yelling match marked the end of the preliminary card for UFC 305. Valter Walker defeated Junior Tafa by verbal submission via heel hook at 4:56 of Round 1. Referee Steve Perceval stopped the heavyweight bout Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, when Walker rolled Tafa.

Early stoppages are always chided upon, but this was different. Junior Tafa let out a shrieking yell which caused the stoppage. Tafa took exception to the interruption. He exchanged words with Walker and eventually slapped him. As the two fighters and their teams exchanged words, security stepped in between them. Before Walker cut a pro-wrestling-style promo during his in-cage interview, Tafa flipped the bird at his opponent during the official decision.

YouTube video

Despite some confusion on the part of ESPN commentators Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz, the Unified Rules of MMA define a verbal submission as when a contestant makes a verbal announcement to the referee. That he or she will not continue, indicating pain or discomfort. Play-by-play replay showed Tafa clearly shouting in pain, before recovering and flipping the Team GOR MMA fighter.

FS Video

Following an unsuccessful debut against Lukasz Brzeski in April, the win is Walker’s first in the UFC. Walker is the younger brother of UFC lightweight contender, Johnny Walker. Tafa has now lost two matches in a row. He’s UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa’s younger brother, who he last replaced on short notice. After UFC 298, this is the second outing riddled with a Tafa-physicality that has gone viral.

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Fight fans react to possible early stoppage at UFC 305

Valter Walker’s first-round technical submission win over Junior Tafa at UFC 305 at RAC Arena was controversial, to say the least. Not because it was a premature stoppage but because it would come off as so. What’s more surprising is that Tafa got into a violent altercation afterward, contesting the decision. An early stoppage is always a thing in MMA.

Fans react to the submission loss and altercation
Fans react to the submission loss and altercation (Source: heavy.com/X)

Even as recent as the UFC 304 PPV’s main event saw signs of an early stoppage until it was debunked by pundits. Tafa slapping his opponent too falls to be not an early stoppage. Moreover, the unsportsmanlike conduct has taken many fans aback. Here’s how they have reacted to it.

Most fans have unanimously agreed that they might not get it, but they get the decision. A few others have even jibed down Tafa for yelling and yet lashing out at his opponent for it. Junior Tafa’s pre-fight hit list included the Walker brothers. Now, subsequently, ‘Clean Monster’ Valter, 26, has called on the other Tafs brother to settle this feud. All in all, the decision, and moreover the slap has gone quite viral.

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