What is verbal submission in MMA? Coach explains rules after broadcasting team sparks controversy at UFC 305

A controversial stoppage due to a verbal submission marred the UFC 305 prelims as Valter Walker defeated Junior Tafa via heel hook in the first round. The finish came after Tafa yelled in pain, prompting referee Steve Perceval to intervene.

While Tafa vehemently disagreed with the stoppage, yelling at and slapping Walker, coach Eric Nicksick stepped in to explain the rules surrounding verbal submissions.

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What is verbal submission in MMA?

Valter Walker dominated the first round, culminating in a tight heel hook on Junior Tafa. As Walker cranked the submission, Tafa let out a loud yelp. Referee Steve Perceval immediately stopped the fight, declaring Walker the winner by verbal submission.

Tafa vehemently disagreed with the stoppage. He argued with Walker and even resorted to a slap after the fight. Commentators Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz also expressed confusion about the stoppage.

The confusion arose due to a lack of clarity regarding verbal submissions. However, the Unified Rules of MMA explicitly state that a fighter can signal a tap out by physically tapping the mat or opponent and by verbally announcing their surrender or making "audible sounds such as screams indicating pain or discomfort."

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Coach Eric Nicksick explained the rule after the broadcasting team sparked controversy at UFC 305

After the event, well-known MMA coach Eric Nicksick addressed the rules concerning verbal submissions on his social media platform. He stressed that referees are directed to interpret screams of pain as a signal of submission, focusing on prioritizing fighter safety. He wrote:

"That’s a verbal tap. Every ref is clear in the locker room, if you scream in any type of pain, I’ll consider that a verbal tap and the fight is over. It’s under the interpretation of the ref. But they’re very clear in the locker room, if they think you’re screaming in pain, they’ll stop it."

Check out the series of posts from Eric Nicksick below:

The victory marked Walker's first win inside the octagon, while Tafa suffered his second consecutive loss.