Carlos Ulberg’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. From foster homes to fight nights, from rugby fields to the UFC Octagon, he has carried his heritage with pride. But many fans still wonder: where does he really come from? What’s his background, and what role has faith played in his life?
The light heavyweight contender is now preparing for one of the biggest fights of his career against Dominick Reyes at UFC Perth. But before the cage door closes, let’s take a closer look at Ulberg’s roots, his beliefs, and the journey that shaped him into the fighter known as ‘Black Jag’!
Carlos Ulberg was born on 17 November 1990 in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. This means that he is a New Zealand national. On the other hand, he’s quite a mix of many races when it comes to his ethnicity. Ulberg’s ethnic background is of Samoan and Māori descent, which is a common racial background found among people all over New Zealand. However, the light heavyweight star also carries a bit of German heritage.
The City Kickboxing export has always represented New Zealand whenever he’s fought as a professional MMA fighter. Other than that, the 34-year-old also tried his hand at reality shows, most notably the Kiwi version of The Bachelor. But that’s not all. The 34-year-old even works as a part-time model. That’s a lot of work for a UFC fighter, but it hasn’t affected the fighting side of things for Ulberg.
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Meanwhile, let’s explore another aspect of Carlos Ulberg’s life – his religion. Here’s what we know!
Well, like some of the other fighters who prefer to stay under the radar, Carlos Ulberg’s professional endeavors don’t quite help him to do that. Given that he’s a model and has even appeared on television shows, his fans are constantly looking to find more details about him. However, when it comes to Ulberg’s religion, he prefers to keep his lips sealed about it.
But if we had to pinpoint his religion, we could take a peek into the religious composition of his hometown, Auckland. While there have been reports that a majority of the population doesn’t really adhere to any religion, the city has a vast Christian population with a few followers of Hinduism and Islam.
‘Black Jag’ may be enjoying a lot of success now, but he grew up in a rather problematic environment. He jumped through a lot of struggles, and as such, let’s take a stroll down memory lane to look at the childhood of Carlos Ulberg.
Apart from the fact that his parents had three different ethnic backgrounds, there isn’t much publicly available information on Carlos Ulberg’s parents. But what we do know is that his father used to be a Samoa-representing boxer who competed in the Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, during his childhood, he navigated through some dangerous situations. Ulberg got passed along from one foster care home to another, and he even had to witness an environment of dr*g and alc*hol abuse, and even violence. But he’d stray away from that direction, which helped him become the person he is today.
After finally getting adopted by a foster family in South Auckland, Carlos Ulberg would go on to attend Hillary College, located in Otara, New Zealand. He slowly developed a passion for sports, and just like his biological father, would get into the combat sports world.
Before MMA, rugby was Carlos Ulberg’s passion. He dreamed of becoming a national rugby league player and even had plans to transition into the famous All Blacks team. But then, everything changed.
In a Q&A with UFC.com, he revealed, “My father was a boxer. I had to defend myself a lot as a child, but I didn’t really think I’d want to be a professional fighter until 2014.” That year, he shifted his focus entirely.
What made him switch? According to Ulberg, fighting gave him something rugby could not. “I found fighting gave me more of an adrenaline rush and accomplishment as an individual. The idea of being a gladiator for my people and country gave me insight to so much more,” he explained. While rugby was a team sport, MMA allowed him to stand alone as a warrior for his heritage.
He even admitted he could one day return to rugby, but the Octagon became his true arena. As he prepares for UFC Perth, Ulberg isn’t just fighting Dominick Reyes. He’s carrying a story that began in Auckland, survived hardship, and found purpose in combat.
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