Carlos Ulberg reveals injury nearly forced corner stoppage at UFC 327

Carlos Ulberg has revealed that his corner was weighing a stoppage between rounds at UFC 327 on April 11, which pushed the New Zealand light heavyweight to pursue an urgent first-round finish.

Speaking after the event, Ulberg disclosed that he sustained an injury during the fight and that his team began discussing whether to pull him out before the second round. Knowing his corner might not let him continue, he made a conscious decision to dig deeper than usual, deliberately throwing with more power than his typical output to end the fight before the bell. He successfully secured the first-round stoppage despite the adversity. The nature of the injury was not specified.

The 35-year-old City Kickboxing product improved to 15-1-0 with the victory and currently sits at number three in the light heavyweight rankings. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, Ulberg is one of the division's more physically imposing strikers. His numbers back that up — he lands 6.54 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 55 percent, figures that rank among the best in the 205-pound weight class.

Why it matters

• Ulberg's ability to finish under physical duress reinforces his status as a legitimate title contender at light heavyweight
• A first-round stoppage at a numbered pay-per-view event strengthens his case for a top-two matchup
• His City Kickboxing corner's willingness to consider pulling him out underlines how seriously the team manages fighter welfare, adding context to how the finish was achieved