Interim title? Carlos Ulberg’s knee injury likely to sideline UFC 327 champ for remainder of 2026

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: (R-L) Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic punches Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand 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 the new light heavyweight champion.

Unfortunately, he may not be able to defend the 205-pound title after blowing out his knee in the UFC 327 main event last Sat. night (April 11, 2026) at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. “Black Jag” twisted his leg in the opening frame of his Jiri Prochazka fight (it happens sometimes) but managed to land a kill shot before “BJP” could capitalize on the injury.

“It was my knee, I blew out my knee,“ Ulberg (14-1) said after the fight. ”I never, ever counted myself out. I knew that all I needed was that one shot, and I ended up getting it. So, I knew that Jiri was hesitant to come forward, and as soon as I landed my left hand, he’s gone. But I gotta sort this knee out. It’s about getting those moments, and we found it. We found that one kill shot. And he said he could hunt me, but you can’t hunt what you can’t kill.”

It’s too early to know the extent of the damage and Ulberg will likely have an MRI at some point over the next few days to figure out what happened. Knee injuries are notorious for their lengthy recovery window, especially if they require surgery to repair, so we’re unlikely to see the 35 year-old Ulberg back before the end of the year, best case scenario. Worst case? Some point in 2027 or beyond.

Here’s an early diagnosis:

Surgery will likely depend on the severity of the tear.

That’s assuming it’s the solely the ACL. There could be additional damage because Ulberg continued to fight — even throwing a high kick after the injury occurred. Either way, the promotion will have to decide what to do with the title with Ulberg on the bench. The only saving grace is that light heavyweight is running on a lean mixture these days with no clear-cut contenders at the front of the line to warrant an interim title.

See the current Top 10 at 205 pounds right here.

“This is one of the biggest lessons in my life,” Prochazka said after the fight. “I still can’t understand — that fight was won. I had it. It was in my hands and I just let him [stay in it] because I saw his injury. F—k, man. It’s true, I felt like mercy, you know, in that fight. I felt so sorry for him.”

For more UFC 327 news and notes click here.