Valter Walker’s “Prelims” headliner against Junior Tafa ended in a bit of controversy earlier tonight (Sat., Aug. 17, 2024) at UFC 305 LIVE on ESPN+ PPV from inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, when the referee stopped the fight due to a verbal scream from Tafa after a Walker submission attempt.
Tafa showcased his punching power early on in the fight as he stalked Walker down and started to tag him with hard shots. Walker eventually moved inside to grab a hold of Tafa and utilize his takedowns and grappling. Tafa didn’t put up much of a fight in that department.
There was a scramble off the ground with about 10 seconds left in the first round. That’s when Walker locked up a nasty kneebar and turned over. Tafa screamed in pain and the referee stepped in to call the fight off. It was a tough call, but Tafa never actually tapped and it cost him a few more seconds to fight out of the submission.
After the fight, Tafa was upset with the outcome so he decided to approach Walker. The two exchanged a few words before Tafa slapped Walker with his right hand. Walker didn’t retaliate. During the official ruling, Tafa was giving Walker the middle finger. After he was named the winner, Walker was showered with boos from the Australian crowd for the entirety of his post-fight interview.
Check out the video highlights below:
WALKER FORCES THE VERBAL TAP #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/LlGj9Rf0WX
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 18, 2024
Tafa and Walker exchanged words after their bout ended in a submission. #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/liX8mcQD1z
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 18, 2024
Valtor Walker gets the W… and they’re STILL going at it! #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/sG61ZAPZce
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 18, 2024
Valtor Walker isn’t bothered by the Aussie boos #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/MXtWwzsrMC
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 18, 2024
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