Carlos Ulberg strongly rejected Jiri Prochazka's post-fight comments suggesting he showed mercy during their UFC 327 encounter. Ulberg stated there was no mercy and accused Prochazka of playing to the crowd rather than fighting like a true champion. He believes Prochazka's claims are merely an excuse to secure a rematch, which Ulberg says will never happen. The New Zealand fighter expressed confidence that Magomed Ankalaev would defeat Prochazka if they were to meet. Ulberg characterized Prochazka's actions as driven by fear and indecision rather than compassion, dismissing the narrative that his opponent deliberately held back.
Carlos Ulberg wasted no time firing back at Jiri Prochazka in the days following their UFC 327 clash on April 11, flatly rejecting the Czech fighter's suggestion that he held back out of mercy during the bout.
Ulberg, known as "Black Jag," improved to 15-1 with the win and sits third in the light heavyweight rankings. The 35-year-old New Zealander, who trains out of the renowned City Kickboxing gym in Auckland, is one of the division's most active strikers, averaging 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy — numbers that make the idea of deliberate restraint difficult to square.
Prochazka, ranked second at light heavyweight, carries a 32-6-1 record and has built his reputation on an unpredictable, high-volume style of his own, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute. The 33-year-old from the Czech Republic trains out of Jetsaam Gym Brno and holds an 80-inch reach. Despite those physical tools, Ulberg dismissed his post-fight narrative entirely, characterizing Prochazka's behavior inside the cage as the product of fear and indecision rather than any calculated act of generosity toward an opponent.
Ulberg went further, stating that Prochazka's mercy claims are little more than a mechanism to manufacture a rematch — one Ulberg says will not happen. He also expressed confidence that top-ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev, who sits at number one in the division and fifth in the pound-for-pound rankings, would defeat Prochazka if the two were matched up.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's win moves him to within striking distance of a title shot from the third-ranked position
- Prochazka, still ranked second, risks losing ground in the division if the narrative around his performance gains traction
- Ankalaev, at 21-2-1 and fifth pound-for-pound, looms as the likely next challenger, and Ulberg's endorsement of him further marginalizes Prochazka's rematch case
- A potential Ulberg versus Ankalaev matchup would pit two of the three highest-ranked light heavyweights against each other for title positioning
Saturday, April 11, 2026
