Carlos Ulberg (14-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is on top of the world at 205 lbs as this new week begins. This past Saturday night, the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship was at stake in the main event of UFC 327 in Miami.

Jiri Prochazka (32-6-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC,) who was seeking to claim the light heavyweight title for the second time in his UFC tenure, served as the opposition for “Black Jag.” Prochazka held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2022, but could not make a defense of the title due to injury.

Although the fight was scheduled for an advertised five rounds at five minutes per round inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Carlos Ulberg needed less than a full round to get the job done, completing his assignment in dramatic fashion. Upon sustaining an injured knee in the early going, the new champion uncorked a left hook, followed by some ground and pound shots, to score the knockout.

Carlos Ulberg Provides Update on Knee Injury in Ariel Helwani Show Appearance

Earlier Monday, Ulberg was a guest of The Ariel Helwani Show, during which time Helwani inquired about his injury.

“It was just a freak accident,” Carlos Ulberg began. “The knee felt like it was going in and out of the socket. It felt like there was just a bit of pain. I couldn’t bear any weight on that leg and every time I’d push off that right foot or put any kind of weight on that leg, then it would give out. The pain that I had to go through, too was unbearable.”

Even with the injury, Ulberg kept his mindset on what mattered most on Saturday night.

“You can’t let too much get into your mind, especially at a time like that,” he recalled. “You have to really stay composed and focused. I think that was the main thing for this fight was staying calm in any kind of situation and Jiri being the chaotic fighter that he is, what we had to do was just stick to the gameplan, stay calm, and you’re in a fight. These things happen.”

Carlos Ulberg Soundly Rejects Jiri Prochazka Rematch

From time to time in the world of combat sports, the notion of a rematch for a championship is a given, pending the move to exercise a rematch clause in the fight contract. In the aftermath of his contest with Ulberg, Jiri Prochazka mentioned that he lowered his aggression due to his opponent’s injury, something which cost him a second reign as champion in the end.

After the fight, the latter mentioned that he’d like to run it back against the new champ. Don’t expect Carlos Ulberg to even think of entertaining the idea of a second bout with Jiri Prochazka.

“That’s fear. That’s fear that he had,” he said of Prochazka’s tactics on Saturday. “That wasn’t any kind of mercy. He knows, he’s a fighter. That’s the difference between a champion and someone who’s just playing for the crowd. There was no mercy in there. He was full of fear, hesitation, and that’s what got him clipped.”

Carlos Ulberg’s Verbal Jabs Continue

His onslaught didn’t stop there. During the interview, the new champion landed a particularly vicious shot at his last opponent.

“He’s a pretender. He knew that,” he said. “I think he knows that he’s a pretender. From the very time we faced off, he knew that this is going to be a fight. This is a real one right in front of me. He could feel it, so he knew that I knew he’s a pretender.”

Carlos Ulberg also talked about how his gameplan was adjusted on the fly on Saturday night.

“I think when he had that moment where my leg was compromised, he thought, ‘Oh, this could be my opportunity’”, he continued,  “but with the perseverance that I had and pushed through that and was able to adapt with it, I wasn’t going anywhere. There was that very moment where we locked each other in the eyes and he knew ‘Damn, this is going to be a fight.’”

Final Thoughts

While Carlos Ulberg’s victory in UFC 327 may be one that puts him on the sidelines for an extended period of time due to injury and recovery, it’s still a sweet victory for the new champion. Jiri Prochazka could have chosen to keep up his offensive onslaught when he was hurt, but his decision against that approach is why Ulberg has the title right now.

Although an Ulberg vs. Prochazka rematch won’t be in the cards, you can expect that Jiri Prochazka will take his next opponent seriously. If he dials back his intensity again, it’ll be a grave mistake.