Bisping's steak dinner turned chaotic as TUF 34 final takes shape with Black's win

Tina Black punched her ticket to The Ultimate Fighter 34 strawweight final with a convincing three-round decision over fellow Team Cormier fighter Delphine Benouaich, setting up a finale clash with Melissa Amaya at UFC Vegas 121 on September 26 in Las Vegas.

Black controlled the striking exchanges across all three rounds, weathering a few dangerous moments — including Benouaich taking her back in the first — to earn a clear verdict. The result carried extra emotional weight given the bond the two fighters had built in the TUF house. Benouaich had organised a Team Cormier surprise birthday celebration for Black during their time together as housemates.

Bantamweight contestant Xavier Franklin, who has been documenting the season as a guest blogger for MMA Fighting, said the friendship didn’t appear to soften Black once the cage door closed. “Tina was punching her like they weren’t friends,” Franklin said. “F*cking elbows, knees. I’m like, ‘Holy shit.’” Franklin contrasted that with his own semifinal against Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu, admitting he held back a head kick that he would have thrown against any other opponent. “He’s my friend. I’m not gonna do that to my friend,” he said.

Off the mat, Team Bisping had its own drama to navigate. Franklin revealed that a rift had developed between the bantamweight and strawweight fighters on the squad heading into the semifinal round. Coach Michael Bisping attempted to smooth things over by treating the entire team to a high-end steak dinner in Las Vegas — a gesture Franklin said worked, at least initially.

The evening, however, reportedly spiralled into chaos. Franklin, who was fighting just days later, said he attended but tried to keep his eating in check, noting that Bisping was not exactly encouraging restraint. The full extent of the night’s antics, Franklin suggested, went well beyond what made it to air.