Carlos Ulberg is the new UFC light heavyweight champion after stopping Jiri Prochazka to claim the vacant belt in the main event of UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday.
Ulberg and Prochazka squared off with the championship on the line, but the new champion’s night nearly unraveled early when he sustained a knee injury moments into the fight that hindered him. Despite the setback, Ulberg dropped Prochazka with a left hook and finished him with punches to secure the title in his first championship opportunity.
Head coach Eugene Bareman, who served as Ulberg’s chief corner, described the emotional ride cageside. “Trust me, our heart was jumping out of our chest. I was panicking the most, but a lot of our coaches were OK with it because they knew Jiri would kind of come to us then. They were kind of right. That's why I've got brilliant coaching partners, as well.”
Bareman highlighted the qualities that carried Ulberg through after the early injury. “Carlos is about perfect timing and precision. He's not a big power-puncher like a lot of those light heavyweights. It's all about the precise timing and catching people when they're moving forward. That's exactly what he did. I was just relieved because you would've seen the panic on my face, brother, when that knee was compromised. All of us know how to fight when you get injured like that and we know it's a very tough road from that point onwards.”
