Tina Black has become something of the house antagonist so far on The Ultimate Fighter 34, though how much of that is legit and how much has been played up for the cameras isn’t clear. In episode five, in any case, Black got her first assignment on the show, taking on fellow Brazilian strawweight Natalia Alves.
The episode dropped during the busy UFC 329/2026 International Fight Week, and found Team Cormier and Team Bisping tied at two wins a piece.
“You’re a killer, you f*cking hit hard,” Bisping tells his student, Alves. “You’re very good on the ground, but you’ve got power in your hands, you’ve got power in your kicks, your knees,” he adds, before telling her that the other cast members aren’t her friends.
Meanwhile, “The Count” lies to Urijah Faber, Black’s usual coach, and tells him that she’s on his team. That allows him to get the inside scoop on Black right from the horses mouth. When he later fesses up to it, Faber texts him back. “You weasel.”
Alves lost her dad at age 10 from MS, and was raised by her mom. She’s looking to give her mother and sisters a better life.
Fellow Brazilian Tina Black started training when he sister invited her to the gym, and it was “love at first sight.” By the time she was 14 or 15, she took her first fight, in kickboxing. She’d switch to MMA, make her way to California, and be training with Faber’s Team Alpha MMA (formerly Team Alpha Male).
Alves has a rough weight cut ahead of the pair’s fight. “One hour and it’s over,” Bisping tells her. Dana White notes that if a fighter is heavy, they get an additional hour at weigh-ins. But there’s a concern that if they stop the weight cut for Cormier’s team to weigh in, it could set her back. So they opt to send an assistant coach to witness Black weigh in, while Alves goes straight into her extra hour. Black hits 116, while Alves comes down to the final minute. It’s the only weigh-in, since she immediately took her additional hour. Behind the barrier, Alves is 116.5. Cormier, Bisping, and the commission rep debate whether Alves cutting her hair would make the difference.
Instead, to secure the fight, Michael Bisping agrees to shave his head, with Cormier doing the honors. That after talk of a payout to Black, but Cormier prefers torturing Bisping a bit.
“This is a weird way to resolve not making weight, but good for Tina Black for not taking the easy way out,” says Dana White, who notes that she could have won by forfeit.
Tina Black vs. Natalia Alves
Alves and Black, despite Natalia’s strength on the ground, plays out on the feet for the first half round. And ultimately the entire frame. Black has an obvious edge in power, and is able to fight Alves off when she tries to close the distance. By the midway mark of round one, coach Bisping is urging Alves to throw. She does get an outside leg kick and right hand going, but nearly every attack sees her forced back by Black’s powerful punches. When she changes levels, Black gets underhooks and is able to fend her off.
Cormier is liking what he sees from his fighter. Between rounds, Bisping tells Alves that the round belonged to Tina Black. As the second gets underway, it looks strikingly similar to round one. A well-placed punch by Black causes Alves to falter. Black’s uppercut and right hand look nasty. She adds kicks, and is landing at a much higher rate than Alves. There’s no need for a third round after ten minutes has passed: Tina Black had the clear edge throughout. She doesn’t let up, however, landing some nasty blows including a knee to the body with under two minutes on the clock. “Tina, she’s hurt!” hollers Cormier. Alves is slowing, her body language concerning. She begins covering up and retreating more than fighting. Multiple knees to the body land. “Fight back!” urges the ref.
Black is showing great accuracy on top of power, and finally the ref calls it. A TKO win for Black in round two, at 4:08!
Next Week on The Ultimate Fighter 34
With Black in the strawweight semifinals, it’s back to the men’s bantamweights. It’s the grudge match up next. Illimbek Akylbek Uulu from Team Bisping gets Sean Mora of Team Cormier, after Mora cut Uulu during tryouts. Cormier and Bisping have to get between them as they face off. “Dirty fighter,” Uulu calls Mora. This looks like a good one!
