Like many others, I was disappointed by how the Tafa vs. Walker fight played out last night. For those who missed it, Walker had Tafa locked in a heel hook with just four seconds left in the first round. Tafa screamed, likely due to the pain, and referee Steve Percival immediately stopped the fight. Tafa quickly protested the decision, confronting Walker, slapping him, and exchanging some heated words. There’s been a lot of debate online about what should have happened, so I took a look at the Unified MMA Rules, which the UFC follows, to clarify the situation. Here’s what you need to know: - Verbal Submission: If a fighter screams, yells, or otherwise indicates pain vocally while in a submission hold, the referee can interpret this as a verbal submission, stopping the fight immediately and awarding the win to the opponent. - Exceptions: Not every yell or scream will end a fight. If a fighter clearly continues to fight and shows no intent to submit, the referee may choose to let the bout continue. The referee’s interpretation of the fighter’s intent is key here. In short, while vocal expressions during a submission don’t automatically end a fight, they can be interpreted as a submission, depending on the referee’s judgment. In this case, Percival decided to call it, and that’s what led to the controversy. Should the UFC rebook this fight?