Carlos Ulberg offers to be UFC 320 backup following KO win over Dominick Reyes

Carlos Ulberg emerged victorious at UFC Perth in sensational fashion, and he’s eyeing an emergency backup spot for Oct. 4.

Ulberg shared the Octagon with Dominick Reyes inside RAC Arena in Perth this past Saturday. It was a pivotal clash in the light heavyweight division. Ulberg dropped his opponent with a one-two combination and finished it off with follow-up punches for the first-round knockout victory.

During the UFC Perth post-fight press conference, Ulberg said he didn’t plan to celebrate too much. That’s because “Black Jag” is hoping to secure a backup role for the UFC 320 main event between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira (h/t MMAJunkie).

“It’s time to celebrate – (only) a little bit, because we’ve got other plans,” Ulberg said at a post-fight news conference backstage.

“He said, ‘Sweet, all good.’ So we’re all good now,” Ulberg said. “We’re going to fly to Vegas. I was going to say it then and there, but I didn’t confirm. I will be the backup for that fight.”

In terms of who he’d rather fight for the light heavyweight gold, Ulberg sees positives facing either Ankalaev or “Poatan.”

“I think both guys would be massive for sure,” Ulberg said. “Fighting Pereira would be historical. He’s massive. He’s got a big following. Everyone loves the guy. Finishing someone like him would be awesome. Fighting a guy like him would be great on its own. But when you look at Ankalaev, who has been dominant and he’s also beaten Pereira, you beat someone like him, it just means you’re at the top. It means no one can touch you. That’s what I want. I want to make sure I can beat the best. If you want to be the best, if you want to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man. Right now, I’m the man. I don’t even have the title. I’m the man.”

With the victory over Reyes, Ulberg extended his winning streak to nine. His pro MMA record now stands at 13-1. The lone loss took place in Ulberg’s fifth pro MMA bout. It also happened to be Ulberg’s UFC debut, and he has now emerged as a title contender.