“I think we’re just going to have two guys in there who are on the same type of mission.” Speaking on SHAK MMA, Carlos Ulberg reflected on his then-upcoming bout against Dominick Reyes. He knew he was there to throw down as would Reyes. As the fight unfolded at the RAC Arena, the crowd in Perth learned—while both Ulberg and Reyes were on a mission—only one would make it to the finish line. And Black Jag reached the destination much before his American counterpart could manage to tap him out.
The headliner at UFC Fight Night 260 ended before it started. Fighting from the inside, Carlos Ulberg threw a neat right that landed flush on Dominick Reyes’ face in the very first round. A few more strikes and it was all over for the former light heavyweight title contender. The feat extends the Kiwi MMA star’s winning streak in the UFC to 9-0. On SHAK MMA, the host reflected how he was ‘the highest-ranked contender in the division not to have fought for a UFC title.’ So Ulberg’s stunning victory over Reyes erased lingering doubts about his title aspirations. So what’s next? For the time being, the Auckland-born fighter appears happy doing a backup cameo at UFC 320, which features the rematch between champion Magomed Ankalaev and star Alex Pereira.
Carlos Ulberg is ready to up the ante
Carlos Ulberg made his intentions clear during the post-fight presser. One of the reporters asked, “It’s been stated that you’ve been flying under the radar with your eight-win streak. You’re now on the cusp of the title fight, all but confirmed with a win like that. Do you think it’s now going to be impossible for you to fly under the radar the way you like it?” And Ulberg replied, “I don’t think so.”
Especially after winning a fight in such a dominant fashion against a fighter as great as Dominick Reyes, he felt his prospects were certainly high. So it seems he reached out to UFC’s Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell. “I asked him to fly me to Vegas. He said, ‘Sweet, all good.’ So we’re good now. We’re going to fly to Vegas, and then I also said then and there, but I didn’t confirm, and I said I will be the backup for that fight,” Carlos Ulberg said.
Later, while speaking with Dan Hellie, Robert Whittaker, and Paul Felder, he reiterated. “I told him (Hunter) that I am prepared to be a backup for next week. Fly me to Vegas, and I’ll be there. … I’ll be there to back up anyone for that, that, uh, that title shot.” When asked why he would want to serve as a backup for the title match next month after a win like that, which nearly guarantees him the title shot anyway, Carlos Ulberg replied, “Because I don’t think anyone’s done that before.”
It was early in March that Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira met for the first time.
The fight the Black Jag’s been waiting for
The bout ended the Brazilian star’s title reign when all the judges scored in the Russian fighter’s favor. Later, Pereira suggested that he fought at 40% efficiency when he entered the cage. Now, the two are set to return to the same arena where they exchanged belts for a high-stakes bout that could shape the division in the months ahead.
Carlos Ulberg finds himself in the mix now. When asked about his dream matchup, the light heavyweight took Magomed Ankalaev’s name. Like Ulberg, Ankalaev has suffered only one loss in his career. He suffered his first, and ever since, the last loss in 2018 to Paul Craig.
“I would like Ankalaev,” said Ulberg. Barring Craig, no one else has managed to beat Ankalaev. So he wants to join the small group who’ve managed to beat the Dagestan native. “He is quite a dominant opponent, or someone in the light heavyweight division. He’s been quite dominant. I would like to take him out so that when I do it, it just means that no one has been able to beat him other than Paul Craig, but me.”
Fans should stay tuned as further developments emerge.
Who would you want Carlos Ulberg to fight next?