Balter Walker won an unconventional title within the heavyweight division. Fans and commentators alike have come to call him “The Foot Collector” after his historic streak of consecutive heel hooks in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Brazilian fighter, who stands 6 feet 6 inches tall and trains with GOR MMA in Moscow, has accomplished something unprecedented in the heavyweight division in 2025. He achieved three consecutive first-round submission wins all using the same finishing technique.
UFC Foot Corrector: Understanding the Advantage of Balter Walker’s Heel Hook
Walker’s submission record stands out because heel hooks remain rare in heavyweight, a division that has historically been dominated by striking power and traditional wrestling. Before Walker, the record for most heel hook finishes in a heavyweight division was two. Walker’s feat puts him one heel hook away from tying Lucimar Palhares’ all-time UFC record of four heel hook submissions. This record is held by Palhares in all weight classes.
What makes this even more remarkable is the condensed timeline in which Walker performed each submission within the opening round to achieve these finishes at each of UFC on ESPN 70, UFC Fight Night on ESPN 179, and UFC 305.
Before stepping into the cage, Walker examines his opponent’s physical characteristics by certain criteria: if he has flat feet. In an interview after the win, Walker explained that flat-footed players have a hard time defending against heel hook attacks because the position of the ankle creates a vulnerability that can be exploited through rotation and torque.
Walker’s first back-to-back heel hook finishes came against Junior Tafa at UFC 305 on August 17, 2024, securing a verbal submission at 4:56 of the first round. The circumstances surrounding this win sparked debate within the MMA community as to whether Tafa actually tapped or simply refused to continue, but the win nonetheless improved Walker’s undefeated UFC record to 9-0 at that point.
His second heel hook finish came on February 15, 2025, following his 14-6 MMA fight against Don Tale Mays, when Walker forced a tap just 1 minute and 17 seconds into round one. The speed of this submission impressed observers familiar with professional-level leglock defense.
The third and perhaps most significant heel hook occurred on July 12, 2025, when Walker faced Kennedy Nizechuk at UFC on ESPN 70 in Nashville. Nzechukwu brings legitimate credentials to this bout as a 14-6 fighter known for his knockout ability and confidence since moving to heavyweight.
After a quick takedown and a short scramble, Walker reversed his body position and put himself in a grappler’s heel hook position. This reversal allowed Walker to control Nzechuk’s heel while using his weight on the ankle joint. Nzechukwu made a desperate tap just 54 seconds later. Comments from an analysis of the filing pointed to the textbook nature of Walker’s execution: the immediate reversal and the complete lack of defensive options for Nzechukwu.
Heel hook submissions primarily target the ankle joint through rotational pressure applied to the heel, creating stress in both the ankle and knee joints. Unlike submissions, which can be overcome through strength, the heel hook’s effectiveness comes from leverage and anatomical constraints rather than raw power.
This technique can prove particularly destructive, as once established, the defending fighter cannot generate enough reaction force to escape through force alone. This biomechanical reality explains why Walker is able to finish much larger and more experienced strikers who would normally rely on their physical advantage. The heel hook entered the UFC consciousness through the exploits of leglock pioneers like Dean Lister, and then most notably through the controversial figure Lucimar Palhares, but until Walker’s recent emergence, it was relatively rare in the heavyweight division.