Carlos Ulberg has undergone surgery after tearing his ACL during his stunning UFC light-heavyweight title win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327. The New Zealander, 35, sustained the serious knee injury early in the first round but fought through the pain to knock out the former champion in the same frame.
Ulberg's manager, Ash Belcastro, confirmed to Ariel Helwani that Ulberg “snapped” his right ACL and had surgery on Thursday, which “went really well” according to his doctors. The injury also caused bone bruising and tibia damage due to him continuing to fight with the torn ligament.
Belcastro said Ulberg is “dedicated to getting back as soon as he can,” but an ACL tear typically requires six to 12 months of rehabilitation without training. This means Ulberg is unlikely to defend his title for at least a year, raising questions about whether the UFC will strip him of the belt, as they did with Prochazka in 2022 after a similar shoulder injury.
Alternatively, the UFC could sanction an interim title match, as they have done for the heavyweight division. Briton Tom Aspinall is the current interim heavyweight champion but has been sidelined with an eye injury, leading to a bout between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira for interim gold on 14 June.
Prochazka, who lamented showing “mercy” to an injured Ulberg before being caught with a left hook, previously lost his title after a shoulder injury forced him to vacate. The light-heavyweight division now faces uncertainty as Ulberg's recovery timeline remains unclear.
