UFC Perth main event could decide next fight for Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2 winner

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 7:00 AM ET

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The UFC’s return to Australia later this year will officially be headlined by a massive light heavyweight clash.

Scheduled to take place at the RAC Arena on September 27, UFC Perth features as part of a packed slate of international trips for the world’s leading MMA promotion during the latter half of 2025.

The UFC heads to Shanghai to close out August before kicking off September with UFC Paris. The Paris card is headlined by a likely middleweight title eliminator fight between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, and UFC Perth is also set to feature a huge matchup with serious implications for the light heavyweight title picture.

Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes Headlines UFC Perth

With a handful of fights already confirmed for the event on September 27, the UFC announced that its return to Perth will officially be headlined by top-ranked light heavyweight contenders Dominick Reyes and Carlos Ulberg.

Heavy hitters heading to Perth @UlbergCarlos vs @DomReyes is the #UFCPerth main event!

Learn more https://t.co/UocfFnKw6h | #WATheDreamState pic.twitter.com/hLEZUyEE36
— UFC (@ufc) July 29, 2025

Following a knockout-loss in his UFC debut in 2021, New Zealand’s Ulberg has put together an incredible eight-fight win streak that includes a five-fight run of finishes, with four of those bouts ending via knockout in the very first round.

“Black Jag” most recently took a unanimous decision over former divisional kingpin Jan Błachowicz in March, and as the UFC’s #3-ranked light heavyweight contender he’s likely only one win away from his first crack at UFC gold.

Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

"The Devastator" Is Back In The UFC Title Mix

Reyes famously suffered a controversial loss to Jon Jones when he took his undefeated record into a 205 lbs. title bout at UFC 247, and after that setback “The Devastator” was knocked out in three-straight outings to put the formerly-unbeaten light heavyweight on a four-fight skid.

The 35-year-old took a considerable amount of time off following those losses and was actually booked to return against Ulberg on two separate occasions last year. After both of those bookings fell through, Reyes rebounded in sensational fashion with a three-fight run of knockouts that was capped off by a first-round finish against Nikita Krylov at UFC 314 in April.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The winner of the UFC Perth main event between Reyes and Ulberg would immediately be on the short list of challengers for the light heavyweight belt, which will be up for grabs in October at UFC 320 when Alex Pereira tries to reclaim the title in an immediate rematch against Magomed Ankalaev.

UFC Perth

• Main Event: Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes

• Doo Ho Choi vs. Daniel Santos

• Navajo Stirling vs. Rodolfo Bellato

• Loma Lookboonmee vs. Alexia Thainara

• Colby Thicknesse vs. Josias Musasa

• Luana Carolina vs. Michelle Montague