Did you know that the 34th season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), coached by UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping
, is currently airing on Paramount+ every Tuesday?Well, if not, I got you covered.
In the third episode, which aired Tuesday night (June 23, 2026), top Brazilian Strawweight prospect and grappling ace Gigi Canuto scored a blistering technical knockout win over Anita Karim — the first female fighter from Pakistan — in less than 30 seconds during their quarterfinal matchup
inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Canuto wasted absolutely no time.
The Brazilian fired off three teep kicks within the first 20 seconds, and the third one folded Karim over in pain. Canuto immediately rushed forward, unloaded punches and added one final kick before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
With the result, Canuto moves on to the semifinal round, while Karim has been eliminated from the competition.
Check out the finish below:
Canuto (7-1) was one of the most hyped prospects selected for the show, and for good reason. She is a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion who has transitioned smoothly to mixed martial arts (MMA).
Before joining TUF, Canuto fought exclusively under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) banner, where she scored seven wins, including five submissions and one knockout.
As for Karim (6-2), her underdog story came to a crashing halt.
Karim is a trailblazer for Pakistan as the first Pakistani woman to fight professionally — and win — in MMA. She also competed four times under the ONE Championship banner and owns a 50 percent finish rate, with two submission wins and one knockout.
While the first men’s fight of the season was a major dud, with Christian Strong winning a dreadful unanimous decision, the first women’s fight delivered a big upset.
Cormier’s Melissa Amaya walked through Bisping’s No. 1 pick, Anna Melisano, despite Melisano’s dangerous Muay Thai striking. Amaya got the better of Melisano on the feet, eventually took her down and submitted her in the first round.
So far, the women are carrying the season.
In episode four, Cormier’s overall No. 1 pick, Artem Belakh, collides with heavy hitter Mehemmedeli Osmanli in the next quarterfinal fight.
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