UFC Champ Carlos Ulberg Shares Update on Injury That Nearly Ended UFC 327 Title Fight

Newly-crowned UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Carlos Ulberg has shed some light on the injury that nearly ended his title bid at UFC 327.

Now on an incredible 10-fight win streak, Ulberg got his first crack at UFC gold last Saturday when he and Jiří Procházka threw down for the light heavyweight title that Alex Pereira vacated ahead of his move up to the heavyweight division.

It looked like Ulberg’s night might come to a premature end when he visibly damaged his knee during the opening round and was struggling to use the leg, but “Black Jag” managed to bite down and floor Procházka with a left hook before diving in with ground punches to claim the light heavyweight belt.

Carlos Ulberg Shares Injury Update After UFC 327

There was obviously concern in the immediate aftermath of UFC 327 that Ulberg might be sidelined for an extended period, and this week the New Zealander revealed that he’s going to get tests done on his knee once he gets to Las Vegas.

Carlos Ulberg (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Jiri Prochazka (red gloves) during UFC 327 at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

“We’re just waiting and I’ll get the scans done when I arrive in Vegas this week, and we’ll know everything once that’s done,” Ulberg told Ariel Helwani (h/t Bloody Elbow). “It was just a freak accident, the knee felt like it was going in and out of the socket, it felt like a pain there and I couldn’t bear to put any weight on that leg.”

Jiri Prochazka (red gloves) fights Carlos Ulberg (blue gloves) during UFC 327 at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It seemed clear during the fight that Procházka was aware his opponent was compromised. Rather than focus on attacking the injured leg, the former light heavyweight titleholder seemed to encourage Ulberg to keep fighting and was largely content with trading punches until the fight’s finishing sequence.

Who Will Challenge For Ulberg's UFC Belt First?

Procházka’s own reign with the light heavyweight belt was cut short due to a shoulder injury, and now fans will have to wait and see how long Ulberg may be sidelined before he’s able to return to the cage and defend his belt.

Ulberg seemed to be a near-lock to fight for the light heavyweight belt after he knocked out former title challenger Dominick Reyes last September, and the 35-year-old is a refreshingly new face at the top of a division that’s largely been dominated by the same names in recent years. Following his title-winning performance against Glover Teixeira and subsequent decision to vacate the title due to his shoulder injury, Procházka fought Pereira for the light heavyweight belt twice and was stopped on both occasions.

Alex Pereira (red gloves) fights Magomed Ankalaev (blue gloves) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“Poatan” successfully defended the light heavyweight strap three times but was unseated by Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Pereira reclaimed the belt in their immediate rematch before making the decision to move up to heavyweight, and Ankalaev could be a strong candidate for Ulberg’s first title defense once the newly-crowned champion is able to return to action.

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