MMA Knockout

Brutal UFC Perth KO puts Carlos Ulberg in line to fight Ankalaev vs. Pereira winner

"Black Jag" wants a UFC title shot after another huge knockout.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

Top-ranked contenders Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes closed out UFC Perth with a pivotal fight for the light heavyweight title picture.

One week out from the highly-anticipated rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira at UFC 320, Ulberg and Reyes met in Australia to try and decide the next challenger for the 205 lbs. title. Ulberg entered the night on an eight-fight win streak that included five wins via knockout, while Reyes had finished his previous three opponents after snapping a four-fight skid.

After a back-and-forth opening frame, Ulberg finally connected with a big combination during the round's final minute to stop Reyes and put himself in pole position for a UFC title shot.

Carlos Ulberg Stops Dominick Reyes At UFC Perth

Despite his impressive career resurgance, Reyes entered the cage as a sizeable underdog to Ulberg when the pair followed Jimmy Crute's first-round submission against Ivan Erslen in the UFC Perth co-main event.

READ MORE: UFC Perth LIVE: Ulberg vs. Reyes free results, highlights & updates

The opening few minutes saw both men try to get one another to bite on feints while testing each other's defenses. Ulberg found some success with occasional punches to the head and body, while Reyes was content to largely focus on kicks and narrowly missed on several high kick attempts.

Just when it seemed like both fighters might be content to see things move on to the second round, Ulberg connected with a huge combination that floored Reyes before the New Zealander jumped in with a brutal follow-up punch on the ground to end the fight.

READ MORE: 49-year-old UFC Hall of Famer gets KO’d in post-fight boxing brawl

Paul Felder immediately asked Ulberg during the post-fight interview if he thought he'd be next for the winner of Ankalaev vs. Pereira, and "Black Jag" indicated that he has every intention of making the trip to Las Vegas next week to watch UFC 320 and its massive main event.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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