The rise of Carlos Ulberg will soon reach new heights when the UFC light heavyweight contender takes on former title challenger Dominick Reyes at UFC 297.
It’s the first time that Ulberg (Tainui, Te Atiawa, Hāmoa) will be facing a ranked fighter and will have big ranking implications should he win on January 20 in Toronto.
The match was a call-out made official when Ulberg defeated Da Woon Jung via submission at UFC 293 in Sydney last September and proceeded to challenge Reyes during his post-fight interview.
“I need someone who’s been in five rounds with the best of all time” - those words have earned Ulberg his toughest challenge to date.
The No.13 Californian Reyes has been on a string of losses for the last few years. He’s faced the likes of former champions Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka, and his most impressive bout was against veteran Jon Jones in his first title match back in 2020.
Despite the losses, Reyes is still a dangerous fighter for Ulberg. His 12-4 record includes seven KOs, two submissions, and nine first-round finishes, compared to Carlos’ 10-1 record (six KOs, two submissions and five first-round finishes).
But while Reyes is looking to end his losing streak, Ulberg will want to extend his win streak from five to six, and make the light heavyweight rankings for the first time.
Ulberg is the first City Kickboxing fighter to have a bout scheduled in the new year. To close out the year, team Kiwi captain Dan “The Hangman” Hooker (Ngati Maniapoto) will face Bobby Green in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Austin on December 2.
