Mehemmedeli Osmanli Pulls Off the Biggest Upset of TUF 34, Eliminates Artem Belakh

The Ultimate Fighter 34 | Episode 4 Every season of The Ultimate Fighter has a fight that changes the tournament. Episode 4 delivered exactly that. Artem Belakh entered the cage as one of the favorites to win TUF 34. The reigning LFA Bantamweight Champion, Daniel Cormier's first bantamweight draft pick, and one of the most accomplished fighters in the house looked ready to make a championship run. Instead, Mehemmedeli Osmanli submitted Belakh in the opening round, eliminating one of the tournament's biggest favorites and completely reshaping the bantamweight bracket. The Setup Artem Belakh's credentials spoke for themselves. An LFA Bantamweight Champion with experience in high-level fights, Belakh entered the competition carrying the expectations of both his coach and the fans. During training, Daniel Cormier asked Artem a simple question. "Does a stand-up fight favor you or him?" Belakh didn't hesitate. "Absolutely, a stand-up fight favors me." The game plan was clear. Keep the fight standing. Trust the striking. Force Osmanli to fight where Belakh believed he held the advantage. It was a strategy Team Cormier spent the week preparing for. The Fight The opening exchanges suggested the plan was working. Belakh looked comfortable on the feet. He was landing clean strikes, controlling the distance, and showing exactly why he believed a striking battle favored him. For a brief moment, it looked like the favorite was settling into the fight. Then everything changed. Instead of continuing to strike, Belakh repeatedly shot for takedowns. Once. Twice. Again. Each time, he voluntarily brought the fight into grappling exchanges despite having early success standing. Rather than building on his striking, Belakh abandoned the very approach his team had prepared for. Osmanli welcomed the change. As the grappling exchanges continued, Belakh began to slow. Osmanli took advantage, working his way to Belakh's back and securing control. Sensing the momentum shift, Michael Bisping could be heard shouting from cageside: "He's tired!" The comment referred to Belakh, whose pace had clearly begun to fade after the repeated wrestling exchanges. With the back secured, Osmanli patiently attacked the rear-naked choke. Belakh fought the hands but couldn't escape. With 1:40 remaining in the opening round, he tapped. The biggest favorite in the bantamweight tournament had been eliminated. Daniel Cormier's Reaction After the fight, Daniel Cormier struggled to understand what had happened. His frustration wasn't with the effort. It was with the strategy. Belakh had clearly stated during training that standing favored him. He had shown early in the fight that he could compete—and arguably had the advantage—on the feet. Yet he repeatedly chose to wrestle. Cormier called it "the most mind-boggling thing I've seen in a long time." For a coach who had spent the week preparing a striking-based game plan, watching his fighter repeatedly move away from that strategy was difficult to comprehend. Credit to Osmanli While many discussions will focus on Belakh's tactical decisions, Osmanli deserves enormous credit. He never forced Belakh into wrestling. He simply capitalized when the opportunities were presented. Once the fight entered his world, Osmanli stayed composed, advanced position, secured the back, and finished with a technically sound rear-naked choke. Championship-caliber fighters punish mistakes. Osmanli did exactly that. Fight Plan Breakdown Episode 4 delivered one of the biggest coaching lessons of the season. Having a great game plan isn't enough. You have to trust it. Belakh entered the fight believing he held the advantage on the feet. His coaches believed the same. The opening exchanges appeared to confirm it. But instead of continuing to strike, he repeatedly initiated the type of fight that ultimately led to his defeat. It's a reminder that every decision inside the cage matters. Sometimes the fight isn't lost because your opponent is better. Sometimes it's lost because you abandon what's already working. What's Next? With the victory, Mehemmedeli Osmanli immediately becomes one of the favorites to win the bantamweight tournament. His confidence will be at an all-time high after submitting one of the competition's biggest names. For Artem Belakh, the result is undoubtedly heartbreaking. But one loss doesn't erase everything he has accomplished. He remains an LFA champion, a talented mixed martial artist, and a fighter with the skills to compete at a high level. His TUF journey has ended. His professional career is far from over. One unexpected tactical decision changed the outcome of Episode 4. It also changed the entire tournament.