Dana White’s Contender Series has become the UFC’s gateway for fresh talent, a proving ground where young fighters fight for more than just a win; they fight for a contract. This time, during Season 9 Week 7 of the show, it delivered fireworks again. But the spotlight also fell on a finish that raised eyebrows before securing a future.

Rafael Tobias, just 22 years old, stepped into the UFC APEX with confidence. What followed was a mix of power, dominance, and controversy. The Brazilian light heavyweight walked away with both a victory and a UFC deal, but not without questions about how the fight ended!

Dana White welcomes Rafael Tobias to the UFC after a verbal submission victory at DWCS

From the opening bell, it was clear Tobias held the edge. His size and physicality were too much for Jair de Oliveira. Each right hand landed like a hammer, either staggering Oliveira or echoing through the arena.

Midway through the first round, Tobias pushed his countryman against the fence and dragged him to the mat. In seconds, he climbed onto the back, locked in a rear-naked choke, and squeezed. At 3:46 of Round 1, referee Kerry Hatley stepped in, waving the fight off. The official result read: Tobias by submission.

But here’s where things got tricky. Oliveira never tapped. As such, MMA reporter Adam Martin wrote on X, “Rafael Tobias gets the first-round submission. Didn’t look like Oliveira tapped out. Huh?” In a follow-up post, he explained that referee Kerry Hatley ruled it a verbal submission.

That decision left plenty of debate, but for Dana White, there was no hesitation. Post-fight, the UFC boss stated, “Every time you touched him with the right hand, you hurt him. Then you pulled off the submission. 15 fights, 15 professional fights, and only 22 years old, I see a very bright future for you, my man. Come on over here.”

Laura Sanko then sealed the moment with, “Rafael Tobias, welcome to the UFC!” The words confirmed what Tobias had been chasing: a UFC contract. One finish, and the dream was now real.

Now, shifting our focus over to the finish, it’s not the first time a verbal submission has occurred inside the Octagon. Let’s take a look at what it actually means.

Rafael Tobias’s DWCS contract-winning performance drums up confusion about ‘verbal submissions’

At UFC 305, a heavyweight clash between Valter Walker and Junior Tafa ended in chaos. Walker snatched a heel hook late in the first round, and as he cranked the submission, Tafa screamed in pain. Referee Steve Percival immediately stepped in, declaring the bout over via ‘verbal tap-out.’ Walker celebrated. Tafa, however, was furious. He refused to accept the stoppage and even slapped Walker in frustration once the fight ended.

So why did the referee stop it? According to the unified rules of MMA, a verbal tap occurs when a fighter either says they cannot continue or makes audible sounds — like a scream — that clearly signal pain or submission. In the eyes of officials, a scream is the same as tapping with your hand. Even if the fighter insists otherwise, safety takes priority.

This wasn’t an isolated case. Back in 2019, Claudio Silva similarly defeated England’s Danny Roberts. Silva locked in an armbar, and the referee heard Roberts scream. The fight was stopped, despite Roberts protesting that he hadn’t submitted.

The controversy grew so heated that veteran referee John McCarthy stepped in to clarify, as he wrote on X, “A scream of pain is to be considered a verbal tap by the referee. But, it must be a scream. I used to tell fighters all the time I will let you grunt, groan, or summon the gods of stupid strength with a Arrrggghhhh, but don’t scream out like you just turned into an 8-year-old.”

For Rafael Tobias at DWCS, the confusion mirrored these past examples. While Jair de Oliveira never tapped with his hands, the referee ruled his reaction a verbal submission, securing Tobias the win and, ultimately, a UFC contract.