The Ultimate Fighter 34 bantamweight tournament concluded under controversial circumstances at UFC Fight Night 289 inside Las Vegas's Meta APEX. An illegal knee thrown by 22-year-old Azerbaijani competitor Mehemmedeli Osmanli at 2:19 of the opening round brought an immediate end to his final match against Team Michael Bisping teammate Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu. Referee Kerry Hatley halted the bout to allow ringside medical personnel to evaluate the grounded Akylbek Uulu, ultimately calling off the contest and declaring the Kyrgyz bantamweight the winner by disqualification.
Stoppage in the First Round and Osmanli's Tournament Path
The abrupt halt cut short a contest that was meant to determine the six-figure contract winner for the reality series. Osmanli had advanced to the season finale following two submission wins during the tournament broadcast, which concluded its regular episodes on August 25. The Azerbaijani bantamweight first defeated Kazakhstan's Artem Belakh via first-round rear-naked choke before locking in a rare buggy choke against American Christian Strong in the second round of their semifinal matchup.
Despite the anticlimactic finish in Las Vegas, both Akylbek Uulu and Osmanli entered the Meta APEX with active status already registered on the UFC roster ahead of their official Octagon debuts. The illegal knee strike at 2:19 of Round 1 left referee Kerry Hatley with no alternative under regulatory rules once medical staff determined Akylbek Uulu could not continue, handing Akylbek Uulu the ultimate tournament trophy by default.
Contract Implications and Azerbaijan's UFC Representation
While the six-figure contract officially goes to the tournament winner, recent UFC precedent shows that losing finalists frequently retain their spots on the active roster. During The Ultimate Fighter 32, Turkish-Australian competitor Kaan Ofli lost the final via second-round knockout to Mairon Santos, yet maintained his roster spot and subsequently earned a first-round arm-triangle submission victory against Javier Reyes in Baku. Similarly, middleweight finalist Robert Valentin suffered a tournament defeat to Ryan Loder before securing back-to-back UFC wins in 2026, while TUF 33 finalist Rodrigo Sezinando was also kept by the promotion following a loss to Daniil Donchenko.
Osmanli's active standing expands the presence of Azerbaijani fighters within the promotion to six competitors, alongside Rafael Fiziev, Nazim Sadykhov, Tofiq Musayev, Farman Hasanov, and Tahir Abdullayev.
Main Event Slam KO and Complete Meta APEX Results
The bantamweight tournament finale was part of a stacked card headlined by a grueling main event between Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos. Rosas Jr. extended his winning streak to six fights after securing a dramatic slam knockout at 1:38 of the fifth round, prompting referee Herb Dean to step in. The high-paced main event earned both competitors a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
The rest of the night featured swift finishes and notable division moves across the card:
- Brady Hiestand vs. Rinya Nakamura: Hiestand scored a second-round submission victory over Nakamura, securing a rear-naked choke at 4:07 of Round 2 under referee Herb Dean.
- Luis Hernandez vs. Sedriques Dumas: Hernandez needed only 57 seconds to submit Dumas with a guillotine choke, overseen by referee Blake Grice.
- Montel Jackson vs. Ricky Simon: Jackson avenged a loss from eleven years prior by stopping Simon via second-round TKO at 2:39.
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Vanessa Demopoulos: Jauregui registered a lightning-fast knockout, finishing Demopoulos with punches in 1:02.
- Ailin Perez vs. Norma Dumont: Perez picked up a unanimous decision victory over Dumont following three full rounds.
| Matchup | Weight Class | Winner | Method / Time | Referee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos | Bantamweight | Raul Rosas Jr. | KO (Slam), R5 1:38 | Herb Dean |
| Ailin Perez vs. Norma Dumont | Bantamweight | Ailin Perez | Decision (Unanimous), R3 5:00 | Jason Herzog |
| Luis Hernandez vs. Sedriques Dumas | Light Heavyweight | Luis Hernandez | Submission (Guillotine), R1 0:57 | Blake Grice |
| Mehemmedeli Osmanli vs. Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu | Bantamweight | Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu | Disqualification (Illegal Knee), R1 2:19 | Kerry Hatley |
| Valesca Machado vs. Melissa Amaya | Strawweight | Valesca Machado | TKO (Punches), R2 3:19 | Jason Herzog |
| Brady Hiestand vs. Rinya Nakamura | Bantamweight | Brady Hiestand | Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), R2 4:07 | Herb Dean |
| Rodolfo Vieira vs. Robert Bryczek | Middleweight | Rodolfo Vieira | Decision (Unanimous), R3 5:00 | Kerry Hatley |
| Christian Edwards vs. Rodolfo Bellato | Light Heavyweight | Christian Edwards | TKO (Punches), R3 1:47 | Blake Grice |
| Elves Brener vs. Josiah Harrell | Lightweight | Elves Brener | TKO (Punches), R1 4:14 | Herb Dean |
| Montel Jackson vs. Ricky Simon | Bantamweight | Montel Jackson | TKO (Punches), R2 2:39 | Jason Herzog |
| Heili Alateng vs. John Castaneda | Bantamweight | Heili Alateng | Decision (Split), R3 5:00 | Kerry Hatley |
| Yazmin Jauregui vs. Vanessa Demopoulos | Strawweight | Yazmin Jauregui | KO (Punches), R1 1:02 | Blake Grice |
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- sherdog.com original
- idman.biz original
- fights.cz original
