Valter Walker unfazed by own submission record in UFC, celebrates Fabricio Werdum as heavyweight GOAT

Valter Walker has joined Demian Maia as one of only two fighters to record five consecutive submissions in modern UFC history, but the heavyweight prospect is keeping his achievement in perspective. After tapping out Junior Tafa, Don'Tale Mayes, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Louie Sutherland, and Thomas Petersen in his last five fights, Walker matched Maia's feat from 2007–2009, when the legendary grappler submitted Ryan Jensen, Ed Herman, Jason MacDonald, Nate Quarry, and Chael Sonnen in succession.

Despite the milestone, Walker refuses to celebrate. Speaking after his recent victory at UFC Abu Dhabi, he emphasized that the quality of opponents matters far more than raw submission numbers. Instead, he pointed to former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum as the true submission heavyweight GOAT—not because of how many finishes Werdum recorded, but because of who he defeated. Werdum's submission victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Cain Velasquez, Alexander Gustafsson, Walt Harris, and Rodrigo Nogueira, combined with his PRIDE and Strikeforce submissions of Overeem and Emelianenko respectively, represent a legacy Walker believes is unmatched.

At 28 years old, Walker acknowledged he still has considerable ground to cover before approaching Werdum's level. He noted that while his submission streak is an accomplishment, many of his opponents lack the marquee names that would elevate his finishes to legendary status. Walker also cited the challenge of modern era comparisons: without knowing which current heavyweights will become tomorrow's legends, it remains unclear which of his submissions might eventually carry historical weight. For now, Walker sees no contemporary heavyweight with the pedigree of the Brazilian legends who dominated the sport's earlier eras.