The Ultimate Insider: Xavier Franklin tells behind-the-scenes story of controversial win, Daniel Cormier ‘going crazy’

Xavier Franklin's path to the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter 34 reached the semifinals with a dramatic knockout victory over Micaias Urena that sparked ringside chaos and controversy. The bantamweight fighter ended their opening-round bout with a last-second punch that sent Urena to the canvas, but the finish was overshadowed by debate over a knee strike that preceded it.

On the TUF 34 episode, Urena's coach Daniel Cormier loudly protested the knee as illegal, even after UFC CEO Dana White reviewed footage showing the strike connected to Urena's chest and shoulder—nowhere near his head. White reportedly suggested Cormier "might be mentally ill" for continuing to argue the point, and Cormier later admitted the knee was legal. Franklin recalled the moment escalating into a chaotic scene with numerous people storming the cage and onlookers trying to intervene as tensions boiled over.

In an interview breaking down the fight, Franklin explained the knee wasn't intentional—he had tried to frame Urena and lift him up before the strike landed. Franklin later spoke with Urena, who confessed he knew the knee was to the chest but chose to stay down and feign a head strike in hopes of securing a disqualification win. Franklin emphasized he wasn't manufacturing drama; he valued authenticity over reality-TV theatrics. He had shared a genuine conversation with Urena earlier that day, discussing Urena's family and aspirations, making the pre-fight kitchen confrontation that followed feel inauthentic to Franklin.

The victory evened the scoreboard between coaches Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier at four wins apiece heading into the semifinals. Team Bisping retained three bantamweights and one strawweight, while Team Cormier held three strawweights and one bantamweight in the tournament.