The Ultimate Fighter 34 (TUF 34) finale between Team Bisping’s bantamweight picks Mehemmedeli Osmanli and Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu was supposed to treat fans to a banger of a clash. However, what unfolded at UFC Vegas 121 at Meta Apex was nothing short of disappointing after the bout ended in a disqualification.

The first round started with both 135ers looking sharp, landing a couple of really good shots on each other. But Osmanli’s slick uppercut sent Akylbek Uulu crashing to the floor. Sensing a finish, Osmanli rushed toward his opponent, but ended up landing a knee flush to his grounded opponent’s face, at 2:19 of the first round, violating an important law of Unified MMA rules.

The referee quickly stepped in, separating Osmanli from the position and ordering him back to his corner. Meanwhile, Akylbek Uulu lay against the cage, breathing heavily after eating the knee. 

Cageside doctors quickly entered to check on the Kyrgyzstani fighter, and the official ultimately ruled the bout a disqualification loss for the 22-year-old Mehemmedeli Osmanli. As a result, Akylbek Uulu ended up receiving the plaque as the official winner of the TUF finale.   

As per the unified rules of MMA, which underwent a significant revision in 2024, a knee to the head remains illegal if the opponent has any body part other than their hands or feet touching the canvas. Tonight, Akylbek Uulu’s knees were completely on the ground when Osmanli landed that knee, making the maneuver clearly illegal.

However, this isn’t the first time a TUF finale has ended in a disqualification.

In 2013, Maximo Blanco faced Akira Corassani at The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 finale, which also turned into a massive controversy. Just 26 seconds into the fight, Blanco landed an illegal knee on a grounded Corassani. Though Corassani suffered a bad concussion and a broken nose as a result of that knee, he ended up taking home the victory via disqualification. 

Though there wasn’t much argument around the strike being illegal, fans had plenty to say about the finishing sequence, with many suggesting the Kyrgyzstani fighter had acted his way to the win. 

Fans grill TUF finale fight after it ends in disqualification at UFC Vegas 121

One disappointed fan wrote, “Illegal knee? 100% But how are you grabbing a leg being conscious and when the ref stops it you go fully unconscious? Suspicious to say the least. #UFCVegas121.”

Following this, a different fan chimed in and wrote, “Akylbek was faking it man. The knee was illegal no question but thats only a DQ because he pretended to be out. He literally went for a leg after the knee and was kneeling with his arms around Osmanli’s leg then just rolled back with his eyes open and milked the s—t out of it.”

While fans agreed Akylbek had been hit by an illegal knee, they weren’t happy with how the Kyrgyzstani fighter reacted afterward. The clip showed him trying to wrestle Osmanli for a brief moment before going completely out. So fans here believe he faked being concussed.

Interestingly, one fan brought up former champion Aljamain Sterling, who was called out for a similar ending.

Another fan drew a parallel between Akylbek Uulu and Sterling: “Guy was holding onto the single and then died when the ref stopped them lmao. Pulled an Aljo.”

Here, the fan referenced how Sterling’s first title fight had an infamous ending against Petr Yan at UFC 259. The Russian dominated the Funkmaster from pillar to post. But Yan ended up landing an illegal knee on a grounded Sterling in the fourth round, allowing ‘Funkmaster’ to claim the belt via disqualification. In the rematch, Sterling ended up defending the belt.

Though it’s hard to confirm whether Uulu was actually faking the knockdown, the ruling stands: he won the fight via DQ. However, another fan called out Osmanli for calling the illegal strike unintentional.

The fan wrote, “Unbelievable how these guys pull off those dirty moves and still claim it was unintentional… the dude’s already down on his knees and you’re still thinking about landing that blow on him? I don’t like those terms for fighters, but that’s straight-up stupid! Stupid with power. It should be a disqualification.”

Another fan called out the 22-year-old for committing a grave foul in an important event and audaciously raising his hands afterward, “Mahammadali Osmanli lifting his arms like a total duma—s.” 

It’s clear the fans are enraged over how the TUF 34 finale turned out. But it’ll be interesting to see whether Mehemmedeli Osmanli finally makes his way into the promotion, and how Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu’s career unfolds from here on.