Akylbek wins TUF final on a DQ for an illegal knee, but fans ask if he played it up

Mahammadali Osmanli was disqualified for kneeing a downed Ilimbek Akylbek at UFC Vegas 121. The broadcast then showed Akylbek alert on his stool, and fans split over how hurt he was.

Ilimbek Akylbek is The Ultimate Fighter season 34 bantamweight winner, but not the way anyone wanted. Mahammadali Osmanli was disqualified for "illegal knee to a downed opponent", the UFC announced, ending their final on the UFC Vegas 121 main card in Las Vegas early on Sunday UK time.

The replay shows the knee landing as Akylbek was down on the canvas on his hands and knees after a takedown attempt. Akylbek did not continue. But as the replay played, the split-screen in the UFC's footage showed him sitting on his stool with his eyes open, looking around and alert, and that was enough for some viewers to question how badly he was hurt.

"Bro got hit by an illegal knee, but he is faking," one fan wrote on X. Another said: "Not going to condone the illegal knee, and definitely should be DQ'd. But why fake going out cold?" Others saw it differently: "If that is but an illegal knee I don't know what is. Akylbek Uulu is out cold," one viewer posted.

The official result is a disqualification win for Akylbek, and with it the TUF title that comes with a UFC contract.

It was the second talking point of the card after Yazmin Jauregui's knee to free her leg from Vanessa Demopoulos in the opening fight: Jauregui drops a knee to free her leg. Every result, including Raul Rosas Jr. against Raoni Barcelos in the main event at around 3am UK time, is in our UFC Vegas 121 live results.

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