UFC 327: Carlos Ulberg knows title fight is just the first mountain to climb in building a legacy

Ulberg is buoyed by legends in his gym like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski who inspired his run to the belt

Brent Brookhouse

Apr 8, 2026

1:06 pm ET

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4 min read

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Not only does Carlos Ulberg have the opportunity to win the UFC light heavyweight championship on Saturday, but he also has the chance to become the face of a new era for the division. Ulberg faces former champion Jiri Prochazka for the vacant championship in the main event of UFC 327 on Saturday.

Fighting out of the City Kickboxing gym that helped in the success of legendary fighters Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, Ulberg made his UFC debut at UFC 259 in March 2021, already being labeled as the next big thing out of a red-hot gym and having blasted his way to a UFC contract with a first-round knockout on Dana White's Contender Series.

Ulberg's UFC debut was a brutal reality check as Ulberg was knocked out by Kennedy Nzechukwu. Such a setback could ruin a career, especially considering that loss came in just the fifth fight of Ulberg's professional career.

Instead of crumbling, Ulberg bounced back and continued to evolve and grow as a fighter. Wins piled up, first over lower-tier fighters, then over notable names.

After a six-fight winning streak, Ulberg defeated former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir, then former champion Jan Blachowicz, both by decision, before knocking out another former title challenger in Dominick Reyes this past September.

Now riding a nine-fight winning streak, Ulberg has his first chance to be crowned champion. The belt is up for grabs after Alex Pereira vacated to move up to heavyweight, where he'll challenge for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House.

Pereira provided stability to a light heavyweight division that had seen four champions -- including Prochazka -- with a single combined successful title defense after longtime light heavyweight king Jon Jones left the division. Speaking with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, Ulberg said he understands winning the belt on Saturday would only be the first part of building a legacy.

"I put it this way, I'm climbing a mountain, and I want to get to the top of the mountain," Ulberg said. "I know when I get to that top of that mountain, there's going to be another mountain. So, for me, I just do what I need to do, handle business. When I get to that top, I'm not really satisfied. I'm not really satisfied, you know? So, I might celebrate, but I know there's a bigger task to be done. I know there's something more to be done. And that's the whole reason of being in the UFC. It's not to just be here and take part. It's really just to just be the best. To be the best and to prove that I'm the best. To make sure that I prove to myself, prove to everyone that I'm the best."

Ulberg has seen plenty of sustained championship success in his time at City Kickboxing. Adesanya and Volkanovski are regulars, and former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has also begun dropping by the gym.

Those three men have a combined 18 wins in championship bouts (including interim title fights). Watching their success, Ulberg says, gave him hope that he could reach the same level of success.

"I think that's what it comes down to, is they give hope," Ulberg said. "When you see a champion in your own homeland, it gives you a bit of hope that maybe it can happen for you. So, I think when those guys have become champion, and you're close to them, and they're from where you're from, you know, cut from the same cloth, then it just gives you a bit of belief in yourself that maybe I can do the same too. So, I hope that when I become the champion, I can do that for someone else."

> "When you see a champion in your own home land, it gives you a bit of hope that maybe it can happen for you."@UlbergCarlos aims to bring home UFC gold and inspire the next generation 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/Z0y1t65ANK

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) April 8, 2026

To reach that level of success and provide the same type of hope for future fighters from Australia and New Zealand his teammates provided him, Ulberg has to navigate a fight with one of the most unique fighters on the UFC roster.

Prochazka fights with a wild, wide-open style that would be ill-advised for any fighter. Despite that style, Prochazka is 6-2 in the UFC, with five of those wins coming against former champions or title challengers, and all of his wins coming by stoppage. He defeated Glover Teixeira in 2022 to win the title, but an injury forced him to vacate it. Prochazka failed to regain the belt in both of his UFC losses, which both came against Pereira, the hard-hitting accomplished kickboxer who was able to take advantage of Prochazka's wild style.

Even in winning performances, Prochazka often finds himself in dangerous situations or hurt by oppon