UFC Omits Current Light Heavyweight Champion Carlos Ulberg from P4P Rankings

The UFC's latest pound-for-pound rankings have raised eyebrows after the promotion quietly omitted Carlos Ulberg, the reigning light heavyweight champion, from the list entirely.

Ulberg, 35, carries a 15-1 record and represents New Zealand fighting out of City Kickboxing. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, the orthodox striker has put together one of the more statistically dominant profiles in the 205-pound division, landing 6.54 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate. Despite holding the light heavyweight title, the UFC has placed him third in the divisional rankings while leaving him off the cross-divisional pound-for-pound list altogether.

The snub is unusual but not without precedent. The UFC previously excluded Jan Blachowicz from its pound-for-pound rankings for more than two months following his light heavyweight title victory in September 2020. Blachowicz, now 43 and holding a 29-11-2 career record, is currently ranked fifth in the division. The promotion also removed Dominick Cruz from the pound-for-pound standings during an extended injury absence in 2013. Aljamain Sterling faced a similar situation, losing his pound-for-pound ranking during a period of inactivity before earning it back with his second victory over Petr Yan. Sterling, now competing at featherweight where he sits fourth in the divisional rankings, carries a 26-5 record and averages 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.

Why it matters

• Ulberg is the reigning light heavyweight champion yet receives no pound-for-pound recognition under the UFC's current criteria
• The omission echoes how the promotion handled Blachowicz in 2020, suggesting inactivity or promotional timing may influence P4P placement independent of title status
• The situation raises broader questions about what the UFC's pound-for-pound list is actually measuring and whether championship status alone is sufficient for inclusion