Carlos Ulberg punched his ticket for a front row seat to witness the UFC 320 main event next Saturday with a stunning knockout over Dominick Reyes for his ninth win in a row overall.
Heading into the UFC Perth main event, Ulberg knew a pedestrian win likely wouldn’t secure a title shot, especially with Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr also competing next weekend. But Ulberg did his part with an emphatic finish in the first round and the fight largely played out exactly how he expected.
“Everything’s a bit of a blur but I’ve seen it many times throughout my camp,” Ulberg said about his finishing combination during the UFC Perth post-fight show. “Just visualized the whole thing.”
Immediately after his win, Ulberg spoke to UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, who was in attendance in Australia, and he was promised a plane ride and a ticket to watch UFC 320 where Magomed Ankalaev defends his title against Alex Pereira in the main event.
Not big on predictions, Ulberg didn’t make a call on who he thought might win that fight but he instead he gave his opinion on who he would prefer to face with the UFC title on the line.
“I would like for Ankalaev [to win],” Ulberg said. “I just feel he is 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 just means that no one has been able to beat him other than Paul Craig but me. I want to do that. He’s good. He’s awesome and I want those challenges.”
Ankalaev is the only active UFC light heavyweight with a longer winning streak than Ulberg in the division so it makes sense why that would be his pick.
Of course, Ulberg would have no problem fighting Pereira if he comes out on top and he’s actually planning to stay ready for either potential opponent if the UFC needs him.
Despite just going through an entire training camp, weight cut and then his fight on Saturday, Ulberg said he even offered to step into the UFC 320 main event on short notice if he’s needed.
“I told [Hunter] I am prepared to be a backup for next week,” Ulberg said. “Fly me to Vegas and I’ll be there. I am not going to eat or drink anything today. Go spend some time with the family and if need be, I’ll be there to backup anyone for that title shot.”
While Campbell didn’t give him a definitive answer in that moment, Ulberg is just staying ready just in case because he wants to show the UFC he’ll take that title fight under any circumstances.
Whether that means a full training camp or taking a fight on six days’ notice, Ulberg is prepared for his opportunity to become a UFC champion.
“I’m just putting it in the air,” Ulberg said about being the backup to the main event. “But I’m definitely flying out there. Hunter said ‘yep, you’re going to jump on the plane, on the private jet’ and we’re going to be there.
“At least we’re going to be there and I said if need be, I’ll keep my weight to a minimum and I’ll be there. It’s those opportunities.”