Carlos Ulberg Has Ulterior Motives With Jiri Prochazka’s Next Fight After UFC 320

The timing couldn’t be better. The light heavyweight landscape is once again wide open. Pereira, who lost his belt to Ankalaev earlier this year, admitted at UFC 320 media day that Ulberg had caught his eye with, “I’m not going to be the one to pick, but I think Carlos Ulberg is a guy who is coming up and has been doing a good job,” Pereira said, praising the Kiwi’s rise.

Even Magomed Ankalaev, in a recent MMA Fighting interview, couldn’t resist taking a shot, “But this new guy, the Ulberg guy you’re talking about, I mean, he’s interesting. He’s on an interesting streak. He’s been unbeaten for a little while, and I think if the UFC wants to stop him, what they’ll do is they’ll give him a fight against me so he will finally face defeat.”

That kind of attention can be both a blessing and a curse. For Carlos Ulberg, it’s validation that the top dogs are watching. Nine straight wins, six finishes, and a composure that mirrors his mentor Israel Adesanya’s rise through the same gym, City Kickboxing, it’s hard not to see the parallels. However, his recent words about a fight against Jiri Prochazka stand in stark contrast to what the former champion has been saying.

Jiri Prochazka claims Carlos Ulberg “denied” a clash against him in Australia

Speaking at UFC 320 media day, Jiri Prochazka didn’t hold back when asked about Ulberg’s growing presence in the division. According to ‘BJP’, “I really don’t care what he wants, I want to right now go through Khalil and go for the title. That’s all I can say. He already had the chance to face me, and I wanted to go to Australia to fight him and he declined that. So what can I say?”

The statement painted a different picture from Ulberg’s current bravado, one that questioned whether the Kiwi was ready for the chaos Prochazka brings. When pressed on whether he sees Ulberg as one of the biggest threats in the division, Prochazka stayed dismissive as he stated, “Right now, the biggest challenge is to be the champion.”

And so, Carlos Ulberg’s pursuit of Jiri Prochazka isn’t just about rankings, it’s about perception. Both men see themselves as rightful heirs to the light heavyweight throne, but their philosophies couldn’t be more different. Ulberg, calm and calculating, wants to prove his worth through action, even if it means taking the hard road. Prochazka, ever the warrior-poet, remains fixated on reclaiming gold before acknowledging anyone else’s challenge.

What makes this budding rivalry fascinating is the contrast: Ulberg’s precision against Prochazka’s chaos, City Kickboxing’s discipline versus Czech unpredictability. It’s the kind of clash that doesn’t just decide contenders; it defines eras!