One of the UFC’s top contenders at 205-pounds has not had the usual path to the Octagon that most fighters go through.
Carlos Ulberg wasn’t granted his wish to fight Khalil Rountree after calling for a fight with the former title challenger following his latest win over Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Macau but he still finds himself in a pivotal light heavyweight clash.
Instead, he will now face former champion Jan Blachowicz who looks to spoil the potential rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira by getting his hand raised whilst his opponent looks to secure his biggest victory to date.
The New Zealander found himself having to make a big call early on in his MMA career after coming to a crossroads in life.
Ulberg chose fighting over becoming a reality TV star and whilst this decision has paid off for him, that isn’t where the stories about his potential career paths end.
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Carlos Ulberg dispels rumor that he was a male stripper before signing to the UFC
As a former rugby league player turned kickboxer, Carlos Ulberg had some other options on the table before he decided to really dedicate himself to MMA around 2016.
‘Black Jag’ appeared on the second season of a reality TV gameshow in New Zealand called ‘Game of Bros’ which was similar in format to ‘The Bachelor’.
Whilst Ulberg did in fact turn down the chance to pursue more similar opportunities despite continuing to get some work as a model, the #6-ranked contender did recently have to dispel a rumor about his past.
A question during his media day interviews ahead of Saturday night in London referenced how far the 34-year-old has come in such a short time, especially considering his past as a male stripper.
Ulberg went on to talk about how he was playing catch-up at points in his career after signing to the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series with just four fights under his belt and several long gaps of inactivity.
He then came back around to the male stripper comment, clarifying that this was never his job though he did have a role to fulfil that required him to use his appearance for the benefit of the establishment that he worked at.
“I’m just riding the wave… and for the note, I wasn’t stripping. It was more so hosting parties and just enticing women to come into clubs and stuff like that so yeah, just putting it out there.”
Carlos Ulberg is on the cusp of a UFC title shot
Regardless of whether he used to be a male stripper or not, Carlos Ulberg’s trajectory in the UFC has been fascinating to watch.
The City Kickboxing fighter lost his UFC debut via knockout but has gone unbeaten ever since with 7 consecutive wins and 5 finishes.
Though it does look like Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira will be meeting in a rematch for the light heavyweight title, a win over former champion Jan Blachowicz this weekend all but confirms that Ulberg will be the next in line.
This would be particularly fascinating if ‘Poatan’ is able to reclaim the title given his history with City Kickboxing and Ulberg’s teammate, Israel Adesanya.