Carlos Ulberg brutally knocked out Dominick Reyes to establish his spot as the top contender at 205lb in their UFC Perth main event on Saturday night.
The light-heavyweight duo competed in the early afternoon on Sunday in order to make the time in Perth work for American viewers. But it did little to dampen the atmosphere from an ultimately sizeable crowd at the RAC Arena after a week full of headlines declaring ticket sales were struggling.
It was ultimately a night that had something for everyone with submissions, knockouts, decisions and even some questionable refereeing. And in the main event the home star delivered with a thudding knockout.
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Carlos Ulberg vs Dominick Reyes result from UFC Perth main event
By the time Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes had made their way into the octagon, any fears about a drab night at UFC Perth were well and truly shut down. The New Zealander was given a rousing reception from his ‘home’ crowd, who were loud if not full to capacity.
Both explosive finishers, the pair were tentative early as they refused to engage in a fire-fight for the opening moments. It took about two minutes for Ulberg to land the first meaningful combination of the night, which he followed up with a perfect jab down the pipe.
After a disastrous run following his defeat to Jon Jones, Reyes’ career was on the line. But he had recovered well, landing three first round knockouts to re-establish himself as a serious contender in the light-heavyweight division.
However, it wasn’t enough as Ulberg landed a straight right hand through the middle and finished him within the opening round.
Carlos Ulberg will travel to Las Vegas for UFC 320
After amassing a massive nine-fight winning streak, Carlos Ulberg seems to be the clear top contender for the light-heavyweight title. He expects to fly to Las Vegas next week, where he will watch Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 320.
He simply warned the duo “I’m coming” in his post-fight promo, and given that there are only two men ahead of him he is the clear top contender. Jiri Prochazka, who has been knocked out twice by Pereira is number two in the division, while the loser of Saturday’s fight will be number one.