Carlos Ulberg has become one of the most talked-about UFC fighters in a span of a week. For those unaware, he recently fought Jiri Prochazka for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 327. In what seemed like a nightmare for Ulberg, he visibly blew out his knee in the very first round, and it looked like Prochazka could end the fight at any moment.
However, that's when the magic of sports happened. Prochazka became slightly less attentive, and instead of chasing a finish quickly, he seemed sorry for Ulberg and let his foot off the gas. Right at that moment, Ulberg landed a perfectly timed left hook and knocked out his opponent. As a result, he walked out of the octagon with the title around his waist.
Carlos Ulberg’s career so far
While the victory marks a massive leap in his career, it is important to know what brought him here. Carlos Ulberg made his MMA debut back in 2011 and secured a second-round knockout victory. Fast forward three fights, and he secured a chance to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020.
Winning the fight, he landed himself a UFC contract. However, his UFC debut went against him as he lost the fight. That didn’t slow him down, and he went ahead and secured 9 straight wins before getting a title shot.
What’s intriguing about his record so far is the fact that he stands at 14-1 in his MMA career. Interestingly, out of the 14 wins in his career, 10 of those have come by way of a finish. The New Zealand native is now the top draw of the light heavyweight division, and with a potential rematch on the cards against Prochazka, it’s safe to say that his star power is only going to rise if he continues to build on it.
Moreover, with the UFC lacking a true superstar at the moment apart from Alex Periera, Carlos Ulberg could be on his way to become the company’s next big thing. That said, it remains to be seen as to what happens when he defends the title for the first time and potentially proves his critics wrong and justifies being the face of the company.