Carlos Ulberg has strongly disputed Jiri Prochazka's post-fight comments suggesting he showed mercy during their UFC 327 encounter. Ulberg stated there was no mercy whatsoever and accused Prochazka of being driven by fear and hesitation rather than compassion. He believes Prochazka is playing to the public and using the mercy narrative as justification to seek a rematch. Ulberg emphatically rejected any possibility of granting Prochazka a rematch and predicted that Magomed Ankalaev would defeat the former champion. The New Zealand fighter positioned himself as someone focused on being the best in the world rather than engaging in theatrics.
Carlos Ulberg has fired back at Jiri Prochazka following their UFC 327 meeting, flatly rejecting the Czech contender's suggestion that he held back out of mercy during the fight.
Ulberg, who trains out of City Kickboxing in New Zealand, carries a 15-1 record into the aftermath of the bout and sits third in the light heavyweight rankings at 35 years old. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, he has built a reputation as a high-output striker, landing 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His tone after UFC 327 matched that aggressive identity — he stated plainly that no mercy was shown and accused Prochazka of letting fear and hesitation drive his performance rather than any calculated restraint.
Prochazka, the former light heavyweight champion from the Czech Republic, holds a 32-6-1 record and is ranked second in the division at 33 years old. The six-foot-three, 203-centimeter reach fighter is no stranger to high-volume exchanges, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute himself. Ulberg dismissed Prochazka's post-fight framing as theater, arguing the mercy narrative exists primarily to build a case for a rematch — one Ulberg made clear he has no interest in granting.
Beyond rejecting the rematch, Ulberg also weighed in on the division's immediate future, predicting that Magomed Ankalaev would defeat Prochazka should the two meet. Ankalaev, ranked first at light heavyweight and fifth pound-for-pound, carries a 21-2-1 record and brings a well-rounded game at 34 years old, averaging 0.79 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside his striking.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's win over a ranked former champion strengthens his case as a legitimate title contender at number three in the division
- His public dismissal of a Prochazka rematch could shape how the light heavyweight top five is reshuffled heading into the next title cycle
- Ankalaev sits directly above both men in the rankings, making any Ulberg prediction about that fight carry added weight in the divisional conversation
