Carlos Ulberg just made quite a statement that he should be next in line for a title shot following an emphatic win in the UFC Perth main event.
Taking on Dominick Reyes in a battle of knockout artists, Ulberg was on the gas pedal early but still showing caution during the early exchanges, although it turns out he was just waiting for the perfect opening to unleash his best punches. Once he got Reyes to engage with him, Ulberg unleashed a perfectly timed left hand followed by a devastating right hook behind it that landed flush.
Reyes fell flat to the canvas as referee Marc Goddard rushed in to stop the fight with the end coming at 4:27 in the opening round.
With nine wins in a row in the light heavyweight division, Ulberg obviously believes he should get his shot at gold, especially with the championship going up for grabs in just a matter of days when Magomed Anklaaev battles Alex Pereira at UFC 320.
“That’s exactly what we wanted,” Ulberg said about his knockout win. “I just spoke to Hunter [Campbell] and we’re going to be talking about something, flying me to Vegas so I can go there and witness those guys fight. All the best for them but I’m going to be there in the flesh.
“That’s exactly how I envisioned the whole thing. Props to Dom and his whole team for coming out. Don’t sleep on the guy, always support the brother.”
It was a stunning finish for Ulberg, who stopped Reyes’ recent momentum following three straight knockout wins of his own when it appeared his career might be on life support. Instead, Reyes put himself back in title contention again but his win streak ended on Saturday.
Standing in opposite stances, Ulberg was operating on his front foot and pushing Reyes back as he looked for an opening to throw his best punches. Reyes was tentative and cautious not to overextend himself as he constantly circled away to avoid any power shots coming back at him.
Ulberg was masterful with his footwork to cut off the cage and constantly put himself in position to throw his best punches and Reyes was stuck reacting to him.
When he finally got to step into the pocket for an exchange, Ulberg feasted on the opening as he threw the 1-2 combination with his right hand thudding off Reyes’ chin to send him crashing to the canvas in a heap. It was a dramatic knockout with Ulberg setting up and delivering the perfect picture finish to a rabid local fanbase clearly behind the fighter from New Zealand.
Usually a man of few words, Ulberg had a very brief message for Ankalaev and Pereira as they prepare to battle for the title next Saturday in Las Vegas.
“I’m coming!” Ulberg shouted.
As for Reyes, his inspiring comeback story hit a roadblock in Perth after suffering the knockout loss. He’s now 3-5 in his past eight fights dating back to a controversial decision loss to Jon Jones when they met in 2020.
