In MK:DA sometimes when you press the button that you use to do throws depending on what fighting style you used the character would do what was called a taunt where they would gain a bit of health or get a temporary attack boost
I think it has been confirmed that in KAK you will be able to assign taunts to your character, so I guess they are returning, unless they are just to annoy your apponent like havik in MKD or Shao Kahn and Goro in MKT