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'That's definitely going to happen': Carlos Ulberg eyes UFC world title showdown with Pereira
Stephen Foote • November 20th, 2024 3:01 pm
Photo: Photosport
Among the host of Kiwi fighters shining on the UFC stage, Carlos Ulberg's star is among the brightest of them all.
Over the past two years, the City Kickboxing product has been on a tear through the light heavyweight division, leaving a wake of unconscious bodies in his wake.
Since his stumble in his promotional debut in 2021, 'The Black Jag' has reeled off six consecutive victories, the last five of which have finished inside the distance.
His most recent outing lasted just 12 seconds, with Alonzo Menifield left prone in what was the biggest statement of his career to date - a feat which lifted him inside the top-10 official divisional rankings.
This weekend, he'll have the opportunity to stake his strongest claim yet as a potential title challenger to Alex Pereira, when he squares off with Volkan Oezdemir at the UFC Fight Night in Macau.
Brazilian superstar Pereira is one of the hottest properties in the promotion. His five consecutive wins since losing to New Zealand's own Israel Adesanya include him recapturing the light heavyweight belt and successfully defending it on three occasions, none of which have gone to the judges.
Photo: Photosport
With legendary heavyweight champion Jon Jones now among those laying down the gauntlet to Pereira, Ulberg realises he'd need to continue his current trend of show-stopping finishes to put himself in the conversation to become the next fighter to challenge for his strap.
"You could see a match up against Pereira after a good finish here in Macau," Ulberg told Sport Nation.
"If we get a good win here, then who knows? Early next year, mid-next year, we could be looking at a championship fight.
"It's an exciting division and Pereira is the hot plate right now. He's a respectable guy. I like the way he conveys himself inside and outside the Octagon.
"It's definitely a big fight for the fans. A lot of them have been asking me when I'm going to face this guy because it's going to be a big showdown.
"That's something that's definitely going to happen very shortly in the pipeline."
Sport Nation has landed | Scotty and Izzy
The most immediate obstacle in Ulberg's path is hard-nosed veteran Oezdemir.
Sitting two spots above him in eight in the rankings, the 35-year-old Swiss - who challenged the great Dan Cormier for the title in 2018 - has won three of his last four fights. His last Octagon outing was shortlived - a first-round KO of Brazilian Johnny Walker.
"You can expect blood, you can expect mayhem, you can expect the unexpected, and you can expect a show," Ulberg warned.
"You'll definitely be hanging at the edge of your seat, because we're both knockout artists.
"That's what the fans love to see. It could finish in the first round and it'll be an exciting one."
Headlining the Macau card is a bantamweight showdown between Petr Yan and Deveison Figueiredo.
