UFC Vegas 121: Mehemmedeli Osmanli disqualified after brutal illegal knee knocks out Ilimbek Akylbeck Uulu

Ilimbek Akylbeck Uulu captured The Ultimate Fighter bantamweight season title, but under extraordinary and unfortunate circumstances. He won via disqualification against highly touted prospect Mehemmedeli Osmanli just 2:19 into the first round after absorbing an egregious illegal knee to the head while grounded, a strike that appeared to render him unconscious. Referee Kerry Hatley eventually stopped the fight and awarded Akylbeck Uulu the victory by disqualification.

Akylbeck Uulu had been trending in the right direction prior to the illegal strike, having landed a takedown and established control early in the bout. Though the abrupt finish overshadowed what had been a quieter season of TUF in terms of mainstream attention, Akylbeck Uulu now stands on a three-fight winning streak. Osmanli's impressive nine-fight winning streak came to an abrupt and controversial end with the disqualification loss, a costly mistake that will draw scrutiny and likely result in disciplinary action from the promotion.