Imagine this: you’re in the middle of a high-stakes UFC fight, seconds away from the final bell, and suddenly, everything goes wrong. That’s exactly what happened to Muin Gafurov at UFC Vegas 113, leaving fans and fighters alike scratching their heads. But here’s where it gets controversial—according to his teammate, former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, Gafurov tapped out at the very last second of his fight against Jakub Wiklacz because he thought the fight was already over. Yes, you read that right. Gafurov claims he heard the bell and tapped in confusion, believing Wiklacz should’ve released his guillotine choke. But replays tell a different story, showing Gafurov tapping a full second before the bell clearly sounded. And this is the part most people miss—was it a genuine mistake, or a moment of frustration? Gafurov’s words in a social media clip are telling: ‘I heard a bell… I was thinking, ‘Why you not open? What the f*ck? Open!’ But it was ringing.’
Dvalishvili, ever the supportive teammate, tried to clarify Gafurov’s side, explaining, ‘He’s saying he first said, ‘Good,’ and then when he heard the bell, he tapped.’ Here’s the bold part—Dvalishvili himself knows all too well what it’s like to be on the wrong end of a controversial submission. Back in April 2018, he faced Ricky Simon in his second UFC appearance. Dvalishvili was dominating until a mounted guillotine in the third round turned the tide. As the clock ticked down, he appeared to lose consciousness, but the bell rang before the referee could stop the fight. The bout was later ruled a technical submission in Simon’s favor, despite Dvalishvili’s team’s appeals. Fast forward to today, and Dvalishvili has since bounced back with a 14-fight win streak, including four bantamweight championship victories, only recently losing his title to Petr Yan at UFC 323.
Now, the million-dollar question—can Gafurov, who also missed weight by five pounds for this fight, turn his luck around like Dvalishvili did? Time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: this fight has sparked debates about timing, confusion, and what it truly means to ‘tap out.’ What do you think? Was Gafurov’s tap a genuine mistake, or a moment of frustration? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—this is one conversation you won’t want to miss!
