Mehemmedeli Osmanli reaches TUF 34 final with buggy choke finish

Mehemmedeli Osmanli secured a place in The Ultimate Fighter 34 bantamweight final by submitting Christian Strong with a buggy choke in the second round. He will face fellow Team Bisping fighter Illimbek Akylbek Uulu in the season decider.

Strong, the final bantamweight chosen by Team Cormier, opened by pursuing takedowns. His first attempt failed, but he stayed attached to Osmanli’s leg and completed the next effort. Osmanli threatened with a guillotine before escaping to the fence and returning to his feet.

Strong continued to look for control, but Osmanli repeatedly defended the takedowns and created space. Once the fighters returned to the centre, Osmanli found success with his striking, landing several punches and a knee as Strong changed levels. He finished the first round strongly.

Strong again missed with an early takedown in round two before finally putting Osmanli down around the one-minute mark. Strong held half-guard and was bleeding heavily, but Osmanli attacked with a buggy choke. The position appeared uncertain at first, and Michael Bisping urged him to abandon it and stand.

Osmanli kept working on the submission and eventually forced Strong to tap. Dana White noted that the technique had not previously produced a successful UFC finish, making the result a significant moment in Osmanli’s biggest fight to date.

The semi-final followed a tense episode for Osmanli. He had already clashed with teammate Illimbek Akylbek Uulu during sparring after elbows were used from the top position. Coaches separated them twice, but the pair will now meet in a live fight for the season title.

Osmanli was Team Bisping’s second bantamweight selection and third pick overall. The other final will be an all-Team Cormier contest between Tina Black and Melissa Amaya in the women’s strawweight division, ensuring that one fighter from each coaching team wins the season.