Carlos Ulberg

Overview

Carlos Ulberg lost his UFC debut by second-round knockout, then won ten straight, six of them inside the first round. That run ended with a first-round knockout of Jiří Procházka in a title fight at UFC 327.

Ulberg, nicknamed "Black Jag," is the Light Heavyweight champion. He is from Auckland, New Zealand, fights out of City Kickboxing, and carries a 10-1 UFC record, 15-1 across all promotions. Seven of his ten UFC wins came by finish.

The loss came on night one. The ten fights since all went in the win column.

UFC Career

Ulberg debuted at UFC 259 on March 5, 2021, and lost to Kennedy Nzechukwu by KO/TKO at 3:19 of round 2. His previous fight, on Dana White's Contender Series, was a first-round KO/TKO of Bruno Oliveira. That one is a professional win, but not part of his UFC record.

He returned almost a year later and beat Fabio Cherant by unanimous decision at UFC 271. Then the finishes started. Tafon Nchukwi went in 1:15 of round 1, Nicolae Negumereanu at 3:44, and Ihor Potieria at 2:09. In September 2023 Da Woon Jung became his only UFC submission win, at 4:49 of round 3.

The step up in competition came in 2024. Ulberg knocked out Alonzo Menifield in 12 seconds, a win over an opponent our model rates as strong. Volkan Oezdemir, also rated strong, went the distance and lost a unanimous decision that November.

Then came the biggest test on paper. In March 2025 he beat Jan Błachowicz by unanimous decision, the one win over an elite-tier opponent on his record. He followed it with his first UFC main event, finishing Dominick Reyes at 4:27 of round 1 in September 2025.

The title fight came at UFC 327. Procházka lasted 3:45 of the first round.

Eleven UFC fights, ten wins, one belt.

Fighting Style

Ulberg is a busy, accurate striker. He lands strikes at a high clip and connects with a large share of what he throws. He gets hit about as often as most UFC fighters, so his edge comes from output and precision, not from being hard to hit.

The finish pattern backs it up. Six of his seven UFC finishes are first-round knockouts or TKOs, and the seventh was a third-round submission win over Jung. His other three UFC wins went to decision.

He rarely shoots for takedowns and almost never hunts for submissions, but he is very hard to take down. The one submission on his UFC ledger came from him, not against him.

Notable Wins

• Jiří Procházka — KO/TKO, round 1 (3:45), UFC 327 (2026), title fight
• Jan Błachowicz — unanimous decision, UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Brady (2025), against an elite-tier opponent
• Dominick Reyes — KO/TKO, round 1 (4:27), UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs Reyes (2025), main event
• Alonzo Menifield — KO/TKO, round 1 (0:12), UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Nascimento (2024)

Quick Facts

• Division: Light Heavyweight (champion)
• UFC record: 10-1
• Professional record (all promotions): 15-1-0
• UFC debut: 2021
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height: 6'4", reach: 77"
• Team: City Kickboxing
• Born: Auckland, New Zealand