Preparing to headline the UFC’s return Downunder, Carlos Ulberg finds himself somewhere between achievements and dreams.
It wasn’t all that long ago that the light heavyweight mixed martial artist was admittedly learning the ropes of the sport after a decorated kickboxing career.
But now, riding an eight-fight winning streak and ranked at No 3 in his division with the world’s top promotion, the 34-year-old is in rarefied air.
On Sunday, the City Kickboxing-trained athlete will get his first taste of the main event spotlight when he takes on two-time title challenger Dominick Reyes at UFC Perth. It’s a booking that Ulberg calls “a dream come true,” and it is one laced with opportunity.
“Carlos is right on the doorstep of a title shot. He needs to win this fight and he needs to win it convincingly so that he becomes the clear frontrunner in terms of who the next challenger for the title is,” head coach Eugene Bareman tells the Herald.
“He needs to put a stamp on it and make it very clear to the world and to the powers-that-be that he deserves to be the next challenger for that title.”
The same can be said for Reyes. While he only comes into the contest with the No 8 ranking beside his name, his abilities in the octagon are well documented. The fact that he holds a top-10 ranking in itself is testament to his resilience.
The 35-year-old American took almost two years away from the sport after a string of three-straight knockout losses saw him plummet out of title contention.
He returned midway through 2024 looking back at his best, and a run of three-straight knockout wins suggests he rediscovered the form that saw him challenge for the belt on two occasions.
“[He’s] an experienced fighter, much more experienced than Carlos, big hitter and the age-old problem that we deal with in fighting, he’s a left-handed fighter. He’s a southpaw,” Bareman says.
“So, [there are] many things that we have to respect and we have to come into this fight very sharp.”
It’s with all that in mind that Ulberg sees this as a necessary step, putting his No 3 ranking on the line in a bid to further his own title credentials.
The UFC light heavyweight crown will go on the line a week after Ulberg and Reyes meet, with champion Magomed Ankalaev taking on Alex Pereira at UFC 320 in a rematch of the bout that saw the former dethrone the latter.
Given the proximity of the bouts, the winner of Ulberg and Reyes would be on a perfect timeline to match whoever comes out of UFC 320 with the gold.
But while that was clear to Ulberg, he knew he would be a fool to look past the tall task in front of him on Sunday afternoon.
“Dominick Reyes is a dangerous man, and I think everyone in the division knows that. So, a win over Dominick Reyes will definitely warrant it,” Ulberg says when asked if he believed a win would secure him a title shot.
“I’ve done a little bit of work just studying a little bit of his game and what his tendencies are when we hop in the octagon. I feel like he’s adapted and he’s adapted well, but there are some things, there are some holes that we would love to exploit and to work with.
“I think the main goal for me is just to focus, stay focused and to get that win to be victorious.”
RAC Arena. Sunday, September 28.
Light heavyweight main event: Carlos Ulberg (3) v Dominick Reyes (8)
Heavyweight: Brando Peričić v Elisha Ellison
Light heavyweight: Navajo Stirling v Rodolfo Bellato
Middleweight: Cameron Rowston v Andre Petroski
Bantamweight: Michelle Montague v Luana Carolina
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa v Louie Sutherland
Lightweight: Tom Nolan v Charlie Campbell
Light heavyweight: Jimmy Crute v Ivan Erslan
Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee (14) v Alexia Thainara
Welterweight: Jake Matthews v Neil Magny
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins v Ramon Taveras
Welterweight: Jonathan Micallef v Oban Elliott
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse v Josias Musasa
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey v Rolando Bedoya
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.