Carlos Ulberg left an indelible mark on his initial UFC headlining bout versus Dominick Reyes this past Saturday evening at RAC Arena situated in Perth, Australia. The ascendant New Zealander extended his remarkable streak of victories to nine consecutively, ceasing the once-again promising former two-time title pursuing Reyes via punches in the first round during UFC Perth, likely positioning him for a chance at the UFC light heavyweight title.
Ulberg (12-1) maintained command for the brief span the contest endured, maneuvering with agility across the Octagon and pinpointing his optimal range. In contrast, Reyes (15-5) struggled to maintain awareness of his adversary’s location, ultimately an endeavor to forcefully close in and instigate action backfired in the manifestation of an impeccable counter one-two from Ulberg. Reyes immediately fell to the floor, and ensuing a forceful follow-up punch by Ulberg, the referee promptly stepped in to cease the proceedings at the 4:27 mark of the initial round.
The triumph propels Ulberg nearer to his inaugural opportunity to contend for the championship than ever previously, ahead of the title rematch featuring UFC light heavyweight titleholder Magomed Ankalaev versus former titleholder Alex Pereira slated for UFC 320 next Saturday. Additionally, the same event showcases a significant 205-pound clash between Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr.
Ulberg communicated after his triumph his intention to attend UFC 320 to solidify his chance to contend for the title.
Concerning Reyes, he will need to reassess his strategy once more following the interruption of his recent sequence of victories in dramatic fashion. The two-time competitor for the UFC title had accumulated three successive conclusive wins preceding UFC Perth, unexpectedly recuperating from a challenging sequence of four defeats which trailed his notable encounter with Jon Jones back in 2020.
During the co-main event of Saturday’s card, Australian crowd-pleaser Jimmy Crute (14-4-2) proceeded to exhibit his newly developed grappling expertise through a submission victory against Ivan Erslan (14-6) within the first round of a light heavyweight engagement.
The Australian combatant brought his opponent to the ground and progressively transitioned to a rear position before implementing a somewhat unconventional, professional-wrestling influenced neck-crank maneuver. Crute has secured consecutive triumphs for the first instance spanning a duration of five years.
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Altogether, a count of 10 out of the 11 fighters from Oceania participating at UFC Perth emerged as victors.
Ulberg, Crute, Tom Nolan, and Brando Pericic were all granted $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses. No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded.
Examine the comprehensive UFC Perth outcomes and notable moments detailed below, inclusive of Uncrowned’s round-by-round commentary pertaining to the main event.
Main card
Light heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg def. Dominick Reyes via knockout (punches) at 4:27 of R1 | Watch highlight
Light heavyweight: Jimmy Crute def. Ivan Erslan via submission (neck crank) at 3:19 of R1 | Watch highlight
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins def. Ramon Taveras via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Welterweight: Neil Magny def. Jake Matthews via submission (d’arce choke) at 3:08 of R3 | Watch highlight
Lightweight: Tom Nolan def. Charlie Campbell via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:08 of R1 | Watch highlight
Preliminary card
Light heavyweight: Navajo Stirling def. Rodolfo Bellato via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Middleweight: Cameron Rowston def. Andre Petroski via TKO (punches) at 2:41 of R1 | Watch highlight
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey def. Rolando Bedoya via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse def. Josias Musasa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Women’s bantamweight: Michelle Montague def. Luana Carolina via unanimous decision (29-26, 30-25, 30-26)
Heavyweight: Brando Peričić def. Elisha Ellison via knockout (punches) at 1:55 of R1 | Watch highlight
Strawweight: Alexia Thainara def. Loma Lookboonmee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
