Miami — A rollercoaster of emotions no doubt hit Carlos Ulberg upon winning the UFC’s light heavyweight title on Saturday.
Ulberg knocked out Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 327 in Miami to claim gold, but was critically injured in the fight, limping around the cage with a possible blown ACL or similar knee injury. That he was even able to finish the former champion, inside of the first round, was a miracle in and of itself.
“It is all over the place at the moment,” Ulberg (14-1) said following the win, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “It hasn’t really sunk in, but the team is happy, we’re happy, we came in and we got the job done. And that’s what we are here for, is to get that title. And we did that.”
The key to survival as a wounded fighter, explained Ulberg, was “adapting on the fly,” and he noted that “we’re in a big fight, and you expect things like this to happen. So I never counted myself out at any moment.”
“Just sticking to the plan, sticking to the game plan, and I think that’s what got us there in the end, was staying calm. Staying calm, and whatever fire came through us. I guess Jiri made the mistake of coming forward as I was on the cage, and it walked into that left hook.”
Prochazka, following the win, bemoaned that he had shown mercy on Ulberg, backing off a bit due to his injured leg. Ulberg himself would not have employed the same strategy, he admitted. “I feel like he made the mistake there, because I would not have done the same. If you were in there to get that title, you do whatever it takes to get that win.”
The light heavyweight title picture is in flux at the moment. Dominick Reyes picked up a win on Saturday but was essentially booed out of the building, and already has a loss to Ulberg. Paulo Costa was successful as well, but was previously fighting at middleweight. Alex Pereira has gone up to heavyweight.
“I’m not too sure who else is there. Who knows, we’ll leave it up to the guys who know what they’re doing,” Ulberg said in regards to potential title defenses. “And I just get myself into the gym and prepare for whatever is next.”
With the injury, of course, what’s next might not be for a while.
Watch the full UFC 327 post-fight press conference with Carlos Ulberg above.
