Things got seriously weird at The Ultimate Fighter 34 finale, and now Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal are adding even more fuel to the controversy. The fight ended with a bizarre finish that saw Ilimbek Akylbek score a disqualification win after taking a knee that appeared to be illegal. But while the strike itself was already controversial, the way Akylbek reacted afterward quickly became the bigger talking point.

Reacting to the fight footage on the Deep Waters show, Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier immediately questioned the sequence. Poirier agreed that the knee connected, but became suspicious after seeing Akylbek lock up his hands before remaining on the canvas. That led ‘The Diamond’ to wonder whether Akylbek realized he could simply stay down and win by disqualification.

“Definitely hit,” Poirier remarked. “But when you get knocked out to a headshot… he locks up his hands. Here, when he’s about to build up on the single leg, his brain starts working and he’s like, ‘Oh, I just won The Ultimate Fighter if I flop.’ And the ref comes in, he’s like, ‘Oh, I won this fight.’”

Poirier also questioned whether Akylbek could have genuinely experienced a delayed reaction from the knee.

“Come on, bro. Is this the Oscars?” he said. “Headshots aren’t delayed, man. Headshots aren’t delayed.”

And Jorge Masvidal was largely on the same page.

After watching the sequence, ‘Gamebred’ immediately focused on the moment Akylbek appeared to lock up before remaining on the canvas.

“Locks up his hands and then stays in that position,” Masvidal said. “That’s a flop 3000 right there. That guy flopped it up, basketball style. But this is a good knee. It looked like the thigh hit him.”

The bizarre scene unfolded at UFC Vegas 121 this past Saturday, with Mehemmedeli Osmanli and Ilimbek Akylbek meeting in the TUF 34 bantamweight finale after making it through the eight-man tournament.

But they barely had time to settle in.

Just 2:19 into the fight, Osmanli came forward with a running knee that ended the contest. The problem was that Akylbek was considered grounded when the strike landed, making the knee illegal and prompting the referee to immediately stop the fight.

That’s where things became complicated.

Akylbek initially appeared to continue fighting for a position, grabbing Osmanli’s leg and adjusting his grip. But after the referee intervened, he rolled onto his back and appeared to be badly affected by the strike.

He remained on the canvas for several minutes, with his team eventually helping position him against the cage.

The sequence immediately sparked debate over whether Akylbek was genuinely suffering the effects of the knee or had realized that remaining down would give him a disqualification victory.

And there is at least some precedent for fighters displaying delayed reactions to significant strikes.

At UFC 262 in 2021, Shane Burgos suffered one of the most bizarre delayed knockouts in recent UFC history against Edson Barboza. Barboza landed a massive right hand that initially looked like Burgos had simply eaten it and kept moving.

Then, seconds later, everything suddenly went sideways. Burgos’ eyes rolled back before he dropped face-first onto the canvas, turning what looked like a normal exchange into one of the strangest knockouts of the night.

So while Ilimbek Akylbek’s reaction definitely raised eyebrows, it doesn’t automatically prove that he was faking the effects of the knee. MMA fighters can have some seriously weird, instinctive reactions after being badly rocked or knocked out, and delayed responses to big shots have happened before.

Still, Mehemmedeli Osmanli has been adamant that Akylbek knew exactly what he was doing.

Mehemmedeli Osmanli accuses Ilimbek Akylbek of faking it all at TUF

It seems like Mehemmedeli Osmanli wasn’t exactly buying what he saw either. After the fight, the Azerbaijani fighter went on Instagram Live and claimed Ilimbek Akylbek was perfectly fine at first, at least until the referee stepped in.

“He fake,” Osmanli said. “First he take my leg. Then when referee stop, he put on show.”

And the slow-motion replay certainly gives fans something to talk about.

Akylbek can be seen grabbing Osmanli’s leg, adjusting his grip and seemingly trying to fight for position before the referee intervenes. Then, almost immediately, he rolls onto his back and appears dazed.

He remained dazed for several minutes; his team eventually positioned him against the cage as the bizarre finish sank in

But Osmanli didn’t stop there. While discussing the incident on the Believe You Me podcast, the Azerbaijani fighter gave an even more detailed version of what he believes happened and made it clear he thinks Ilimbek Akylbek took advantage of the situation.

“When I (threw) the knee, it was just a mistake,” Osmanli said. “I think he tried to wrestle. I didn’t think his knee was down. I thought he was up, and he tried wrestling. His position was like wrestling position and his hands up.

“When the referee stopped the fight, it’s like Akylbek had a chance to win. He used this because the translator told him, ‘If you don’t get up, you’re going to win—disqualification.’ And he had just one chance to win, and he used it like a girl. Sneaky b—-, what can I say? That’s bulls—. One hundred percent, he faked it.”

‘The Ineffable’ also doubled down on his claim that the strike wasn’t nearly as damaging as Akylbek made it look, insisting the knee itself never actually connected.

“First he took my leg, he tried to wrestle, and when I kneed him, it wasn’t my bone. It was my muscles, not knee. He’s a clown,” Osmanli added.

Despite the bizarre loss, though, the 22-year-old isn’t planning to sit around feeling sorry for himself. The Azerbaijani fighter is already looking ahead to his UFC comeback and wants to get back in there as soon as possible.

“We’re waiting to talk to Sean Shelby Monday,” Osmanli said. “People love me. I’m a future superstar because I have striking, wrestling, grappling. I show everywhere great. I want to fight in Abu Dhabi, maybe Qatar. I will see.”

So, for Osmanli, the controversial ending is already in the rearview mirror. Now, he’s focused on getting another UFC fight and proving himself all over again.

As for a rematch with the 32-year-old, however, Osmanli does not expect his rival to be interested.

“Why not (a rematch)? I think he don’t want,” he said. “He never wants because he felt who I am. I didn’t feel his physicality. I didn’t feel anything.

“I killed him like a kid. Just one punch, he go down. He’ll never want to fight again with me.”

For now, the bizarre TUF 34 finale is staying exactly as it stands in the record books: a disqualification win for Ilimbek Akylbek.

As for what really happened after that knee? That’s going to be debated for a while. The footage has given fans plenty to argue about, with some seeing a genuine delayed reaction and others seeing a fighter who knew exactly what he was doing. Either way, this was one Ultimate Fighter ending that nobody is forgetting anytime soon.