Azerbaijani fighter Magomedali Osmanli and Kyrgyzstan's Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu could face each other again following the controversial conclusion to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 34 final.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the official UFC website addressed the bout in its review of UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos and raised the possibility of a future rematch between the two fighters.
The TUF 34 bantamweight final took place at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, USA, as part of UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos and ended in the opening round.
At the 2:19 mark, Osmanli landed a knee to the head of Akylbek Uulu while the Kyrgyz fighter was grounded. Akylbek Uulu was unable to continue, resulting in Osmanli's disqualification and his opponent being awarded the victory.
The UFC review noted that such an ending was not what either the fighters or fans wanted, but described the disqualification as the correct decision. At the same time, the article suggested that their rivalry may not be over.
"There's a good chance we'll see these two run it back in the not-too-distant future," the UFC review stated.
Therefore, although a second fight has not been officially announced, the possibility of an Osmanli-Akylbek Uulu rematch has already been raised in an article published on the official website of the world's leading MMA promotion.
Osmanli also commented on the incident after the fight. During an Instagram Live session, the Azerbaijani questioned how seriously his opponent had been affected by the illegal strike.
"He's pretending. At first, he grabbed my leg. When the referee stopped the fight, he put on a show like a clown," Osmanli said.
Osmanli and Akylbek Uulu had already been added to the active UFC roster before the TUF 34 final. The two fighters also had a conflict during their time on the reality show, meaning a potential rematch could become the next chapter in their rivalry.
Five other Azerbaijani fighters are currently competing in the UFC: Rafael Fiziev, Nazim Sadykhov, Tofiq Musayev, Farman Hasanov and Tahir Abdullaev.
