Valter Walker continued his rapid rise through the promotion’s heavyweight division at UFC Abu Dhabi tonight. But it wasn’t just his latest submission win that stole the spotlight.

The Brazilian needed just 92 seconds to force Thomas Petersen to tap with a calf slicer after the American escaped an early heel hook attempt, and this extended Walker’s incredible submission streak to five straight finishes. That means he just tied the modern UFC record previously held by Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Demian Maia, and this win is bringing the No. 11-ranked heavyweight closer to the division’s top contenders. So this means he just raised his stock again, and with that, ‘The Clean Monster’ turned his attention to interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.

“I wanna punch him on the back of his head,” Walker told Daniel Cormier as he revealed his plans to avenge fellow countryman Alex Pereira‘s controversial loss to the Frenchman at UFC Freedom 250. “Because he took all the aura from our ‘Poatan’. CHAMA!”

Valter Walker’s comments referenced the controversy surrounding Ciryl Gane’s interim heavyweight title win over ‘Poatan’ at the UFC White House event last month. After the fight that ended via a second-round TKO, Alex Pereira claimed ‘Bon Gamin’ landed multiple illegal strikes to the back of his head before referee Herb Dean stepped in to end the fight.

That ending sparked widespread debate, with Alex Pereira asking the UFC to simply let go of Herb Dean for failing to prevent Gane from landing the illegal strikes. Now, Valter Walker has shown his support for his compatriot. However, as fun as the callout was, the showdown is unlikely to occur anytime soon.

With the interim title on his shoulders, Ciryl Gane will now fight undisputed heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall for a title unification whenever the Briton marks his return, whereas ‘The Clean Monster’ is only starting to climb the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Tonight’s victory should propel him into the heavyweight top ten, but he’ll likely need a few more notable wins against the likes of Derrick Lewis or Josh Hokit before facing one of the division’s biggest stars.

Victor Walker also gave fans another memorable moment after the interview with Cormier wrapped up. The Brazilian broke out in a celebratory dance inside the Octagon, refusing to leave until his coach intervened. The coach then forced Walker out and led him backstage. Clips of the incomplete celebration quickly went viral on social media, adding another viral moment to an already amazing night for ‘The Clean Monster’.

It is also worth noting that Valter Walker’s impressive run has almost assured him a tougher test the next time out. But after improving his record to 16-1, the Brazilian has already made it clear that he expects to be paid accordingly before facing the heavyweight division’s elite.

Valter Walker won’t be available for cheap after the UFC Abu Dhabi win

‘The Clean Monster’ has clearly established himself as one of the UFC’s fastest-rising heavyweights, with wins over Junior Tafa, Don’Tale Mayes, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Louie Sutherland, and now Thomas Petersen. Now, this first-round submission only strengthened his case for a fight with a top 10-ranked opponent.

But that doesn’t mean he’s too easily available for the next one either, as Valter Walker explained that accepting significantly tougher competition without renegotiating his contract wouldn’t make much business sense.

“If everything goes well, I’ll get through this fight and renegotiate my contract,” he told MMA Fighting heading into UFC Abu Dhabi. “My next contract will be a generous one, and then I’ll fight ranked opponents.

“I’ll be honest with you guys, it’s not that I’m afraid of fighting ranked guys. I train with good guys, ranked guys. The thing is, I don’t want to fight ranked opponents while making little money.”

‘The Clean Monster’ went on to explain the real motive behind the move, as according to him, there is little incentive to risk his momentum against dangerous contenders if his pay remains unchanged.

“If I can fight unranked guys for little money, okay,” he continued. “But once I’m making better money, then fighting ranked guys makes sense. I’m not stupid. I’m not going to fight a guy who has a chance to knock me out for peanuts.

“But for good money, money where even if I lose, I’ll still feel the difference, then it’s worth it. With the money I was making before, if I lost, it just didn’t make sense to me.”

With another dominant finish on his resume, Valter Walker appears to have solidified his position both inside and outside the Octagon. Whether the UFC gives him a new contract or throws him right into the heavyweight top ten, ‘The Clean Monster’ has quickly become one of the division’s most intriguing prospects.