There was one quarterfinal fight left to go on The Ultimate Fighter 34, and it played out on Episode 8, which arrived on Paramount+ on Tuesday.
Notably, several fighters from this latest season of TUF have already competed in the UFC, including Abdul Hussein (who didn’t get chosen but appeared on the show in a tryout), and Anna Melisano, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals then lost her UFC debut.
This week, it’s Micaias Urena taking on Xavier Franklin. Urena’s nickname is “The Pink Ranger,” and yes, that’s based on the Pink Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Urena hails from the Domician Republic, as he points out a nation known for baseball – but baseball, he explains, wasn’t for him. He took Taekwondo classes as a kid, and later on in life discovered Anderson Silva. That motivated him to find a gym to train at. The 11-3 fighter lost his father a year ago, which is part of his motivation for making it to the UFC.
“I am the most dangerous one in my division,” Urena says on camera.
During Team Cormier’s training session, Michael Bisping pulls off the first proper prank of the show, bringing in a crew of “little people” saying it was their time to train. Somewhere, Peter Dinklage is losing his mind. Politically incorrect or not, it’s a jab at the short stature of some of Team Cormier’s coaches. For some reason, a German polka band is also brought in, along with dancers. It’s looking like Oktoberfest, and Daniel Cormier is not amused.
“For the record, I f*cking hated that prank. That was one of the most annoying things I’ve seen in my like,” a rather grumpy Cormier tells the camera.
Xavier Franklin talks about how he got into fighting. As a wrestler, he had to stop competing after being found to have internal bleeding. “I ended up falling in love with it,” Franklin said of wrestling. He had dreams of going to the Olympics. Then the bleeding took him out of wrestling. “It felt like I lost my life,” Franklin admitted.
After making a miraculous recovery, Franklin made his way into fighting. He’s Team Bisping’s number one pick. He’s also a veteran of the Contender Series, having lost to current UFC star David Martinez. Franklin doesn’t care “what the world thinks” of him, he’s looking to prove something to himself through the show.
Urena breaks out a pink wig at weigh-ins. He makes weight without issue. Franklin makes weight as well, and the pair face off ahead of the final quaterfinal fight.
Micaias Urena vs. Xavier Franklin
Urena vs. Franklin started at a brisk clip, plenty of action in the opening minute with Franklin pressing forward throwing punches and leg kicks. Urena fired back in response, with lots of low kicks of his own. He circled on the outside, and connected to the body with a kick (more of a knee) about 90 seconds in. Franklin was undeterred and continued moving forward. Another had kick from Urena, who briefly changed levels but bailed on the takedown attempt a moment later. Franklin then needed a moment after an eye poke, with the ref warning Urena that he’d take a point for the next infraction.
Back underway Urena doubled up on leg kicks, then pursued a takedown. With his corner yelling “trip” Urena briefly grounded Franklin, but the American popped right back to his feet. Utilizing a whizzer he’d eventually break free and move to center. Franklin then complained of another eye poke, only for the ref to say he didn’t see it and order the pair to fight on. Franklin ripped the body in the final minute, and Urena almost tripped himself up circling the cage. Franklin was piling on the offense, and Urena stumbled. Franklin went down, and ate a massive knee and one additional punch. Cormier immediately cried foul saying it was an illegal knee, Bisping’s team insisted it was to the body. Replay showed just that – the knee hit the shoulder, the follow up punch added on, and it’s over. Daniel Cormier storms the cage, screaming at the ref – before even seeing the replay. Even Dana White tells Cormier to watch the replay, and when DC still insists the knee was illegal, White says he might be “mentally ill.”
Either way, the fight is over. Franklin has the victory. In recapping the fight during the highlights, Cormier finally admits the knee hit the body, not the head.
TUF 34 Semifinals
The semifinals are up next, and both teams have four fighters moving on. Coincidentally, Team Bisping has three bantamweights moving forward, while Team Cormier has three strawweights moving forward.
Xavier Franklin, Mehemmedeli Osmanli, and Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu rep Bisping in the next round, with just Christian Strong moving on for Team Cormier. On the strawweight side, it’s Tina Black, Melissa Amaya, and Delphine Benouaich for Cormier, and only Gigi Canuto representing Bisping.
Coaches Bisping and Cormier next meet with the semifinalists to set the matchups. Gigi Canuto wants to fight Delphine Benouaich; Melissa Amaya wants Canuto. Tina Black wants Canuto as well. Mehemmedeli Osmanli asks who said his name, wanting to fight whoever called him out – but no one had called his name. He says he’ll fight anyone.
The match-ups come down to:
- Gigi Canuto vs. Melissa Amaya
- Tina Black vs. Delphine Benouaich
- Xavier Franklin vs. Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu
- Mehemmedeli Osmanli vs. Christian Strong
