Franklin Reveals TUF 34 Injury Crisis Before Finale

The Ultimate Fighter 34 bantamweight contestant Xavier Franklin says the final days before the show's semifinals were marred by a string of training injuries that left multiple fighters compromised heading into their bouts.

Franklin told MMA Fighting that strawweight Gigi Canuto dislocated or broke a finger during sparring ahead of her semifinal against Melissa Amaya, who herself suffered a severe back injury that temporarily left her unable to move. While the UFC Performance Institute medical staff got Amaya cleared to compete, Franklin said the rash of injuries prompted questions about the training intensity.

What Franklin Saw During TUF 34 Semifinals

All four semifinal bouts were filmed on the same day, so Franklin missed Amaya and Canuto's fight live. When the contestants gathered afterward to celebrate wrapping the show, he noticed the physical toll. Franklin said Amaya looked shaken after a battle that saw her arm nearly hyperextended to the breaking point. He praised her mental toughness, saying any opponent would need a knockout or choke to beat her because she simply refuses to tap. Canuto confirmed to him that the fight was a war.

Franklin advanced to the semifinals with a first-round knockout of Micaias Urena but drew friend Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu as his opponent. He says the matchup messed with his emotions and left him conflicted heading into a fight for the first time in his career. The Ultimate Fighter 34 streams on Paramount Plus with new episodes every Tuesday, with the live finale date still to be announced.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — The Ultimate Insider | Behind the scenes of TUF 34 injury woes: ‘A lot of bad sh*t that started happening’