TUF 34 Midseason Report Card: Four Episodes In, Everything Has Changed

The Ultimate Fighter 34 | Midseason Report Four episodes into The Ultimate Fighter 34, the tournament has already delivered dominant performances, emotional moments, strategic mistakes, and one massive upset that completely changed the bantamweight bracket. When the season began, several fighters appeared destined for the semifinals. Now, one of the tournament favorites is already gone. With the competition approaching its halfway point, here's a look back at everything that's happened so far. --- Fight Results Episode 1 Melissa Amaya def. Anna Melisano Submission (Round 1) The season opened with an impressive performance from Team Cormier. Melissa Amaya wasted little time establishing herself as one of the strongest strawweights in the competition, securing a first-round submission and giving Team Cormier an early 1-0 lead. --- Episode 2 Christian Strong def. Marlon Jones Unanimous Decision Christian Strong leaned heavily on his wrestling, controlling nearly every minute of the fight. Although Dana White challenged Strong to become more aggressive going forward, the victory moved Team Cormier to 2-0 while showcasing one of the tournament's strongest grapplers. --- Episode 3 Gigi Canuto def. Anita Karim TKO (Body Shots) One of the most technical finishes of the season. Canuto systematically attacked the body before overwhelming Karim for the stoppage. It wasn't just a win—it was a striking clinic and one of the cleanest performances we've seen so far. Team Bisping finally got on the board, cutting Team Cormier's lead to 2-1. --- Episode 4 Mehemmedeli Osmanli def. Artem Belakh Submission (Rear-Naked Choke, Round 1) The biggest upset of TUF 34. Belakh entered as Daniel Cormier's first bantamweight pick and one of the favorites to win the tournament. Early striking exchanges suggested the game plan was working. Then Belakh repeatedly chose to wrestle. Osmanli capitalized, took the back, and secured the rear-naked choke with 1:40 remaining in Round 1, eliminating one of the season's biggest favorites. --- Team Standings Team Cormier 2 Wins - Melissa Amaya - Christian Strong Team Bisping 2 Wins - Gigi Canuto - Mehemmedeli Osmanli After four episodes, the teams are deadlocked at 2-2. What once looked like Team Cormier's tournament has become anyone's game. --- Biggest Upset Winner: Mehemmedeli Osmanli over Artem Belakh Nothing else comes close. Belakh wasn't simply another competitor. He was an LFA world champion. Cormier's first bantamweight selection. One of the preseason favorites. Osmanli's victory instantly reshaped the entire bracket. --- Best Finish Winner: Gigi Canuto Her body-shot TKO against Anita Karim demonstrated patience, precision, and elite striking. It wasn't based on power alone. It was built through intelligent shot selection and accumulated damage. --- Most Dominant Performance Winner: Christian Strong While the fight wasn't the most exciting according to Dana White, Strong controlled Marlon Jones for nearly the entire contest. From opening takedown to final bell, he dictated where the fight took place. --- Best Coaching Moment Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping have both shown why they're former UFC champions. Cormier's calm technical instruction has contrasted well with Bisping's emotional intensity and motivational coaching. One memorable moment came before Artem Belakh's fight. Cormier asked: "Does a stand-up fight favor you or him?" Belakh answered: "Absolutely, a stand-up fight favors me." After watching Belakh repeatedly wrestle instead, Cormier admitted it was "the most mind-boggling thing I've seen in a long time." It became one of the defining coaching moments of the season. --- Best House Moment Without question, Artem Belakh's pool moment. When several of the women entered the pool, Artem quietly climbed out. Asked why, he smiled and replied: "My wife would kill me." The moment earned laughs throughout the house. More importantly, it earned respect. Several competitors commented on what a genuinely good person Artem was, reminding viewers that character isn't only revealed inside the cage. --- Biggest Surprise Mehemmedeli Osmanli Few expected him to eliminate one of the tournament favorites in the opening round. Now, he's one of the leading contenders to win the entire bantamweight tournament. --- Fighter Stock Report 📈 Rising - Mehemmedeli Osmanli - Gigi Canuto - Christian Strong - Melissa Amaya 📉 Falling - Artem Belakh (eliminated) - Marlon Jones - Anita Karim - Anna Melisano --- Current Tournament Favorites Bantamweight 1. Mehemmedeli Osmanli 2. Christian Strong 3. Xavier Franklin 4. Rodrigo Vera 5. Abdul Hussein Strawweight 1. Gigi Canuto 2. Melissa Amaya 3. Tina Black --- Fight Plan Midseason Awards 🏆 Fight of the Season - Artem Belakh vs. Mehemmedeli Osmanli 🥋 Performance of the Season - Mehemmedeli Osmanli 💥 Finish of the Season - Gigi Canuto 🧠 Fight IQ Performance - Gigi Canuto ❤️ Sportsmanship Award - Artem Belakh 📈 Biggest Breakout Star - Mehemmedeli Osmanli --- Looking Ahead With four episodes complete, TUF 34 has already proven why the tournament remains one of the best ways to introduce future UFC talent. The favorites have been tested. Underdogs have emerged. The teams are tied. The remaining fighters know every matchup now carries even greater importance. One win can put you on the doorstep of a UFC contract. One mistake can end the dream. If the first four episodes are any indication, the second half of TUF 34 promises even more surprises.