Carlos Ulberg opens up on how knee injury disrupted plan for Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327

Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC

Carlos Ulberg crowned himself UFC light heavyweight champion after knocking out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327 in Miami last Saturday.

The New Zealander secured the vacant belt following Alex Pereira’s move up to heavyweight, delivering a defining moment in his career on a major stage.

However, the result could have been very different, with Ulberg later revealing he was afraid about what his own corner could do.

Carlos Ulberg reveals knee injury forced aggressive approach against Jiri Prochazka

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Ulberg suffered a right knee injury before the halfway point of the opening round but chose to continue despite the visible damage.

Speaking on UFC’s About Last Fight, he explained how the situation forced him to immediately change his strategy inside the Octagon and rush for a quick knockout.

“Exactly that. That’s why I knew that I had to finish him in that first round. I knew that I had to pop my shots a little harder and get him out of there before he was to go to the back or go to the corner,” he said.

He also noted that Prochazka’s team would likely have targeted the injury had the fight continued into the next round.

The decision paid off, as Ulberg increased his aggression and secured the knockout before any intervention from his corner could occur.

Uncertainty surrounds light heavyweight division after Carlos Ulberg win

Ulberg’s injury now raises questions about the immediate future of the division.

There has been no official update on the severity, although the UFC is hopeful it is not a serious setback.

If the damage proves significant, such as an ACL injury, he could be sidelined for months, potentially leading to an interim title situation.

Read more:

• After a night of thunderous KOs, Joe Rogan calls UFC 327 one for the ages
• Olympic gold medallist signs with UFC to boost heavyweight division
• UFC 327 aftershocks: Paulo Costa and Donald Trump’s painfully awkward face-off