Ilimbek Akylbek was awarded the Ultimate Fighter 34 bantamweight title after Osmanli was disqualified for an illegal knee during their final at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on 26 September.
The contest was stopped 2:19 into the first round when Osmanli connected with a knee to Akylbek’s head as the Kyrgyz fighter was on his knees. UFC’s official results reported that Akylbek remained on the canvas appearing dazed after the intervention, before Osmanli was disqualified and Akylbek was declared the winner.
The bantamweight outcome was one of two tournament finals on the main card. Brazil’s Tina Black won the accompanying strawweight final by second-round TKO against Melissa Amaya, giving the season its bantamweight and strawweight winners.
Akylbek’s final ends in a disqualification
Akylbek and Osmanli had each advanced from the eight-man TUF bantamweight tournament, with both representing Team Bisping. UFC’s pre-fight material said Osmanli had stopped opponents in his quarter-final and semi-final, while Akylbek reached the final through two decisions.
The decisive incident followed a short grappling exchange. UFC’s account said the fighters had got back to their feet when Akylbek lost his balance and went down to his knees. Osmanli moved in with the knee while Akylbek was still down, prompting the referee to stop the contest.
UFC identified Akylbek as the first fighter from Kyrgyzstan to win The Ultimate Fighter and the first to win a final by disqualification.
The result brought an abrupt conclusion to Akylbek’s route into the UFC. His UFC athlete profile listed the final as his Octagon debut and recorded his prior TUF wins over Xavier Franklin and Sean Mora. The profile also identified the 23-year-old as a Kyrgyzstan-born wrestler who trains at Valle Flow Striking Academy.
Akylbek’s athlete profile places his professional start in April 2021 and lists title victories in Kazakhstan in 2023 and Ohio in 2025. He has trained with compatriot Valentina Shevchenko at Tiger Muay Thai and trains at Valle Flow Striking Academy in Chicago.
Osmanli subsequently alleged in an Instagram Live video that Akylbek had faked being knocked out. MMA Mania reported that replay footage showed Akylbek grabbing and adjusting his grip on Osmanli’s leg before the referee stopped the action, but said that sequence did not establish Osmanli’s allegation. The official result remains a disqualification victory for Akylbek, while the replay described by MMA Mania did not definitively substantiate Osmanli’s allegation.
MMA Mania reported that Rafael Fiziev, who has roots in both Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, urged people not to fight among themselves. MMA Mania reported that the ending had caused a commotion among fans in Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.
Black stops Amaya to take strawweight crown
Black defeated Melissa Amaya by TKO from strikes at 3:19 of the second round to win the women’s strawweight tournament. UFC’s official results reported that Black repeatedly hurt Amaya in the opening round. The promotion said Black selected her attacks more carefully in the second before finishing the contest.
The 30-year-old Brazilian had been the top strawweight selection for Team Cormier, while Amaya was also a Team Cormier representative. Before the final, UFC preview material described Black as the more experienced competitor and noted that she had previously appeared on season five of Dana White’s Contender Series and claimed championship gold in Invicta FC.
Black reached the final by stopping Natalia Alves in the quarter-finals and beating Delphine Benouaich by decision in the semi-finals, according to the UFC preview. Amaya had earned stoppage victories over Anna Melisano and Gigi Canuto on her way through the tournament.
UFC identified Black as the first Brazilian woman to win The Ultimate Fighter. Her previous experience also included an A1 Combat championship, alongside the Invicta FC championship and Contender Series appearance listed in the promotion’s account.