Carlos Ulberg knocked out Jiří Procházka in the first round at UFC 327, marking his sixth knockout with a left check hook in his last 12 fights. The analyst notes that Procházka was caught by the same strike three times before the finish, despite having been dropped by similar punches twice against Pereira. Procházka failed to adapt his approach to safely close distance against Ulberg's signature weapon. The post also reviews Paulo Costa's destruction of both Kopylóv and Murzakanov, representing dominant wins over Russian hand-to-hand combat specialists. Additionally, Josh Hokit impressed with exceptional athleticism in his performance, ranking among the top three most gifted heavyweights alongside Gane and Aspinall over the past five years.
Carlos Ulberg added another highlight-reel finish to his résumé at UFC 327 on April 11, stopping Jiří Procházka in the first round with the check hook that has become his most dangerous weapon.
Ulberg, ranked third in the light heavyweight division, improved to 15-1 with the stoppage. The 35-year-old New Zealander out of City Kickboxing stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and lands an impressive 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. The finish was his sixth knockout by left check hook across his last 12 fights, and according to post-fight analysis, Procházka walked into the same strike three times before the referee stepped in — a damaging pattern that Procházka never corrected during the bout. The Czech contender had previously shown vulnerability to similar punches in his fights against light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who holds a 13-4 record and owns the division's title at 38 years old, where he was dropped twice by comparable shots.
Elsewhere on the card, Paulo Costa delivered two dominant victories over Russian striking specialists Murzakanov and Kopylóv. The 35-year-old Brazilian, ranked 13th in the middleweight division at 16-4, is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, averaging 6.26 significant strikes per minute with 58 percent accuracy. Both performances reinforced his standing as one of the division's most dangerous knockout artists.
Heavyweight Josh Hokit also drew significant attention with an athletically impressive showing, with analysts placing him among the three most gifted heavyweights over the past five years alongside Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's win at number three in the rankings puts him firmly in contention for a light heavyweight title shot against champion Pereira
- Procházka's inability to solve the check hook raises questions about his path back to contention in a stacked division
- Costa's back-to-back stoppages inject fresh momentum into a middleweight ranking run that had stalled
Saturday, April 11, 2026
