LAS VEGAS – Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka was left puzzled by Dominick Reyes’ performance in his latest setback. Reyes (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) entered UFC Fight Night 260 in Perth on a three-fight winning streak, but it all unraveled quickly against Carlos Ulberg (13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC). The surging Kiwi finished Reyes by first-round knockout in the main event, handing the former title challenger another crushing defeat.
Prochazka’s Reaction
Prochazka, who famously knocked out Reyes with a spinning back elbow in 2021, was surprised at how flat his former opponent looked.
“That was not the day of Dominick Reyes,” Prochazka told reporters at the UFC Performance Institute. “He was slow, he was not in himself, and he just walked into the combination. That was a pure catch with no action. That was not his day.”
Prochazka Eyes Title Path at UFC 320
Prochazka (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has his own business to handle this weekend when he faces Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) on the UFC 320 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A win would help him reassert himself in the title picture.
Meanwhile, Ulberg’s star power continues to rise. UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell informed him he will serve as the official backup for Saturday’s UFC 320 main event the light heavyweight title rematch between champion Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1) and Alex Pereira (12-3).
For Prochazka, the equation is simple: beat Rountree, and he could leapfrog Ulberg to the front of the line for another shot at UFC gold.