Paddy Pimblett praises Carlos Ulberg's toughness after UFC 327 comeback win

Lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett has gone on record to praise Carlos Ulberg following Ulberg's remarkable comeback victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327 on April 11, expressing admiration for the New Zealander's toughness and refusal to quit despite suffering a severe knee injury during the fight.

Pimblett, known as "The Baddy," is ranked sixth in the lightweight division with a 23-4-0 record. The 31-year-old from England trains out of Next Generation MMA Liverpool and has built a reputation for his outspoken personality, making his public acknowledgment of another fighter's courage a notable moment of sportsmanship. He made clear that many fighters would have stopped in Ulberg's circumstances, but emphasized that Ulberg pushed through regardless.

Ulberg, nicknamed "Black Jag," entered UFC 327 ranked third in the light heavyweight division and now carries a 15-1-0 professional record after the win. The 35-year-old City Kickboxing product stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and is among the division's most active strikers, landing 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His comeback over Prochazka was the kind of performance that cements a fighter's standing in the divisional picture.

Prochazka, ranked second at light heavyweight, entered the contest with a 32-6-1 record. The 33-year-old Czech fighter is an aggressive, high-output striker in his own right, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute with 55 percent accuracy, and carries a reach of 80 inches at six-foot-three.

Why it matters

• Ulberg's win over the second-ranked Prochazka strengthens his case as a light heavyweight title contender
• The result reshapes the top of a competitive 205-pound division
• Pimblett's public praise underscores the magnitude of Ulberg's performance and the adversity he overcame to secure the victory