Carlos Ulberg disclosed that his corner was contemplating stopping his UFC 327 fight between rounds due to an injury, which motivated him to pursue a first-round knockout. The Australian fighter stated he knew he had to finish Jiri Prochazka in the opening round and intentionally hit harder than usual to secure the stoppage before his team could intervene. Ulberg successfully knocked out Prochazka in the first round despite fighting through the injury. The revelation adds context to his aggressive approach in the fight and demonstrates his determination to secure victory despite physical limitations.
Carlos Ulberg has revealed that his corner was on the verge of stopping his UFC 327 bout on the night of April 11, with the New Zealand light heavyweight disclosing that an injury during the fight pushed him to seek an immediate finish rather than risk his team pulling him out between rounds.
Ulberg, known as "Black Jag," said he recognised in the moment that ending the fight in the opening round was his only viable path to victory. He described deliberately throwing with more power than normal to force a stoppage before his corner could intervene. The plan worked, as Ulberg halted Jiri Prochazka in the first round to secure one of the most significant wins of his career.
The 35-year-old New Zealander out of City Kickboxing carries a 15-1 record and holds the number-three ranking in the light heavyweight division. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, Ulberg is one of the division's more active strikers, landing 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Prochazka, the Czech knockout artist ranked second at light heavyweight, entered the fight with a 32-6-1 record. The 33-year-old from Jetsaam Gym Brno stands six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach and had posted a striking rate of 5.69 significant strikes per minute across his career, making him a dangerous opponent under any circumstances.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's disclosure reframes his aggressive first-round approach as a strategic necessity rather than simply an early blitz
- The result moves the City Kickboxing product past the division's second-ranked contender, sharpening his case for a title shot
- Fighting through injury to stop a fighter of Prochazka's calibre underlines the competitive depth now emerging at the top of the light heavyweight rankings
Saturday, April 11, 2026
