Carlos Ulberg could earn himself a shot at the Light Heavyweight title when the UFC goes “down under” at UFC Perth on September 27.
The RAC Arena in Perth plays host to the promotion’s return to Australia this month, just one week before the highly anticipated UFC 320.
Kiwi fighter Carlos Ulberg hopes the Australian crowd is behind him for his clash with Dominick Reyes, hoping that a win can earn him a world title opportunity against the winner of Magomed Anklaev vs Alex Pereira at UFC 320.
After the co-main event was cancelled just a week before the show, there has been a big reshuffle of the card, and plunged an Australian veteran back into the spotlight.
Here is everything you need to know about the full fight card for UFC Perth.
- READ MORE – Top 5 Australian MMA fighters ranked including Alexander Volkanovski and the UFC Welterweight champion
UFC Perth main card
Carlos Ulberg vs Dominick Reyes
The main event of UFC Perth pits two top ten Light Heavyweights against one another in a bout that could have ramifications for a future title fight.
Ulberg is one of New Zealand’s top fighters and is on a roll at the moment, boasting an eight-fight winning streak that has propelled him up to #3 in the rankings.
He will be looking for another big knockout win over Reyes, who swapped the football field for the octagon after going undrafted by the NFL.
Reyes has his own three-fight winning streak going on, but a previous four losses in a row, including Reyes’s fight with Jon Jones, prove that he is vulnerable and could struggle at UFC Perth.
Jimmy Crute vs Ivan Erslan
Another Australian on the main card is Jimmy Crute, a UFC veteran in the seventh year of his career. He competes in the co-main event after Junior Tafa vs Ibo Aslan was removed due to injury.
Crute hasn’t really impressed in the past few years, despite a win over Marcin Prachnio at UFC 318. That victory was his first in five years, having suffered defeat after defeat since the turn of the decade.
He doesn’t have the toughest opponent in Croatian Ivan Erslan, but given the poor record for both fighters in the UFC, this fight could go either way.
Jack Jenkins vs Ramon Taveras
In what could be the sleeper fight of the night, Jack Jenkins and Ramon Taveras battle in a Featherweight clash.
He may have suffered defeat in his last two fights, but Jenkins is an entertaining fighter with impressive striking ability and fantastic dodging ability that always gets the crowd on their feet.
The Aussie crowd will certainly get behind their local fighter, as he’ll need all the help he can get to take down “The Savage” at UFC Perth.
Jake Matthews vs Neil Magny
One of the bigger names on the main card is Neil Magny, the perennially-ranked fighter who just can’t get himself a title shot.
The Haitian Sensation is breaking records, recording the most career wins (30) and most UFC Welterweight wins (23) out of any fighter in history.
His incredible career in the UFC continues in Perth, with a battle against Australian fighter Jake Matthews.
Matthews is another veteran, in his 11th year in the promotion, in a fight that more than deserves a spot on the main card.
Tom Nolan vs Charlie Campbell
The last fight on the main card pits Aussie against American, with Tom Nolan battling in his home country against Charlie Campbell.
Both men are impressive-looking fighters in the Lightweight division, with 9 victories already in their young careers.
The younger, taller Nolan will have the advantage, especially with the hometown crowd behind him, which should make him the favorite for this clash.
UFC Perth prelims
Nine fights have already been confirmed for the UFC Perth prelims, including a host of local talent looking to stamp their mark on the promotion as it comes to Australia.
Justin Tafa fights in his home country against a Scotsman, Louie “The Vanilla Gorilla” Sutherland, in what should be an entertaining heavyweight bout, while Navajo Sterling clashes with Rodolfo Bellato on the prelims.
The first women’s fight announcement sees Loma Lookboonmee, on a four-fight winning streak in the Women’s Strawweight division, taking on Alexia Thainara in a fight she should be winning.
They are joined by a Women’s Bantamweight clash between Michelle Montague and Luana Carolina, as well as men’s fights like Jonathan Micallef vs Oban Elliot and Cameron Rowston vs Andre Petroski.
The card is rounded out by three fights, which include Colby Thicknesse vs Josias Musasa in a Bantamweight bout, Jamie Mullarkey’s first fight this year against Rolando Bedoya, and a Heavyweight prelim bout involving Brando Pericic and Elisha Ellison.