No mercy! Carlos Ulberg blasts Jiri Prochazka’s ‘mistake’ at UFC 327 – ‘I would not have done the same’

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand celebrates after his victory via knockout over Jiri Prochazka of Czechia, not pictured, in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images

“Black Jag” isn’t buying it.

No. 3-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Carlos Ulberg captured UFC gold in emphatic fashion, knocking out former champion Jiri Prochazka in the first round of the UFC 327 main event last night (Sat., April 11, 2026) inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida (watch highlights).

It was a wild, jaw-dropping finish.

Ulberg appeared to be in serious trouble early — potentially dealing with a torn ACL — and looked compromised for much of the fight. But in an instant, he flipped the script, cracking Prochazka with a clean left hook that dropped him before sealing the deal with nasty ground-and-pound.

Still, the biggest talking point wasn’t just the knockout.

It was what happened before it.

Prochazka randomly hesitated when he realized Ulberg was hurt, opting not to press the finish and instead engaging in a more measured exchange — something he later described as “mercy.”

Ulberg doesn’t see it that way.

“No, no, I don’t think he [showed mercy],” Ulberg said during the UFC 327 post-fight press conference. “I feel like he made a mistake there because I would not have done the same. If you’re in there to get that title, you do whatever it takes to get that win.”

Cold-blooded … but logical.

Even while compromised, Ulberg never mentally checked out.

“It is just adapting on the fly,” Ulberg said. “We had issues like this before. We’re in a big fight, and you expect things like this to happen, so I never counted myself out in any moment, but I knew this was going to be an issue at the time — how do I adapt to it? It was just sticking to the game plan, and that is what got us there to the end, just staying calm.”

And then…

He capitalized.

“Jiri made the mistake. I was on the cage, and he walked right into it,” Ulberg said. “It was relieving, for sure.”

While the victory was massive, it may come at a cost.

Ulberg is believed to have suffered a serious knee injury — possibly a torn ACL — which could sideline him for the remainder of 2026. For now, though, the newly crowned champion is holding out hope that it’s “not as severe” as it looked.

For complete UFC 327 fight card results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.