Carlos Ulberg makes optimistic ‘6-to-8 months’ recovery timetable for UFC 327 knee injury

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand reacts after a knockout victory against Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic in the UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 327 event at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

Carlos Ulberg is confident he won’t be on the shelf for long.

The New Zealand star’s UFC 327 light heavyweight championship celebration was followed by the unfortunate news that he had suffered an ACL tear in his right knee in the April 11 main event. In the first round of that contest, Ulberg was visibly hindered by a leg injury, but miraculously came back to knock out Jiri Prochazka and claim a vacant UFC title.

Ulberg has since undergone surgery for the torn ACL, an injury that typically puts an athlete on the shelf for at least nine months before they can even consider competing again. However, Ulberg hopes to be back sooner than expected.

“Working with the PI, the staff here have been amazing,” Ulberg said in a UFC interview. “Just real positive about the progress and the rehab. Yeah, it’s an ACL. We went into the surgery thinking, OK, this could be say between six to eight months or so, longer for some, but with the progress that we’ve got at the moment it’s only been a week now and we’re moving pretty good.

“I think we’ve got a good formula going and the body’s healing really fast. The doctors are happy, the staff are happy, it’s really nice to be able to work closely with the PI and get the treatment that I need to.”

Ulberg had a steady rise to the top after being signed off of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, losing his first UFC fight and then rattling off nine straight victories—including wins over former champion Jan Blachowicz and past title challengers Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir—to earn his spot in the UFC 327 vacant light heavyweight championship fight opposite Prochazka. With one perfectly timed punch, Ulberg made it 10 straight and exited Miami with gold around his waist.