TUF 34: Episode 3 Recap
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The Ultimate Fighter: Team Cormier vs. Team Bisping airs every Tuesday on Paramount+ at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.
The season premiered on June 14th, and features competitors in the men’s bantamweight and women’s strawweight divisions. TUF 34 Episode 3 delivers plenty of emotion and drama as the competition intensifies.
Here’s what went down this week:
TUF 34, Episode 3: ‘The Perfect Performance’
The Perfect Performance, aired on on June 23, 2026 on Paramount+.
Coach Bisping turns up the heat on his team after two loses to start the competition; second strawweight fight for a spot in the semifinals.
Episode Notes
- Team Cormier has now won two straight fights, and the momentum is starting to shift.
- Team Bisping’s #2 strawweight, Gigi Canuto, faces Team Cormier’s last pick, Anita Karim in this episode.
- Team Bisping is sparring, and the fighters were not happy because you don’t usually spar this close to a fight. But Bisping believes it’s necessary in the TUF environment.
- Team Cormier emphasizes cardio and conditioning in training, with Karim pushing herself to the point of throwing up. It leaves questions about what kind of fight shape she is in.
- Team Bisping pranks DC by hanging an embarrassing photo of him above the TUF House scale, irritating some of Team Cormier and setting up potential retaliation.
- Tina Black remains unpopular in the house, earning a nickname that translates to “ass kisser.” She and Gigi argue over the prank incident, making a potential semifinal matchup even more intriguing.
- Dana White treats the fighters to Power Slap 19, with Bisping working commentary.
- The trash talk escalates at weigh-ins. Canuto claims DC asked her not to wrestle Karim, which he doesn’t deny. The coaches bet dinner on the fight, while Canuto wagers DC $500 that she’ll score a knockout.
- We get to know Gigi Canuto who is a 23-year-old Brazilian and seven-time jiu-jitsu world champion. She met her future husband after moving to the U.S., and he now serves as her head coach. She says her passion for guns helps her accuracy and focus which makes her better in MMA.
- Anita Karim is a 29-year-old from Pakistan, fighting out of a southpaw stance. She is the only female MMA fighter to represent Pakistan internationally. A BJJ brown belt who chose MMA over continuing her education, she trains alongside her brothers, who also coach her.
- Team Bisping selects the bantamweight matchup for next week: Mehemmedeli Osmanli vs. Artem Belakh (Team Cormier’s #1 overall pick).
The Fight on Episode 3
TUF Fight Rating (1–5 Scale)
1️⃣ 😐 Meh / Okay – Not much happened
2️⃣ 🙂 Decent – Solid fight, nothing special
3️⃣ 🔥 Good / Fun – Crowd got into it, entertaining spots
4️⃣ 💥 Great / Must-See – High energy, memorable moments
5️⃣ 🤯 Epic / Instant Classic – Mind-blowing, fight of the season candidate
Strawweight: Gigi Canuto (7-1) vs. Anita Karim (6-2)
- Results: Gigi Canuto Wins via 1st-Round TKO
- Rating: 🔥
Thoughts on the fight:
- Canuto was expected to have the grappling edge, but she said she never felt threatened by Karim anywhere. After rolling with her during tryouts, she was confident and wanted the matchup.
- Once in the TUF house, Canuto noticed Karim looked soft around the midsection and made targeting the body part of her game plan, which fueled her confidence in the $500 bet with DC.
- Karim entered with the perceived striking and power advantage but needed to keep the fight standing. Her left cross was her best weapon, though Team Bisping had prepared for it.
- Canuto attacked the body immediately with front kicks. One landed clean and badly hurt Karim before Canuto swarmed with strikes.
- Karim landed only one clean strike before the finish. The body shot that ended the fight caused a delayed reaction, leaving her doubled over with her hand on the mat.
- A body roundhouse kick was the final blow before the referee stopped the fight. Canuto advanced with a quick TKO, taking virtually no damage in the process.
- After the loss, DC expressed disappointment with Karim’s performance and questioned her toughness and desire to win the competition.
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