Carlos Ulberg has undergone surgery after revealing he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during his stunning UFC light-heavyweight title victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327. The New Zealander, 35, suffered the serious knee injury early in the first round but fought through the pain to knock out the former champion in the same frame.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Ulberg’s manager Ash Belcastro confirmed the extent of the damage, saying Ulberg “snapped” his ACL and went under the knife on Thursday. The surgery “went really well” according to his doctors, but Ulberg also sustained bone bruising and tibia damage from continuing to fight on the torn ligament. “He’s dedicated to getting back as soon as he can,” Belcastro added.
The injury raises questions over the future of the light-heavyweight title, which was vacated by Alex Pereira in February when he moved up to heavyweight. An ACL tear typically requires six to 12 months of rehabilitation without training, meaning Ulberg is unlikely to defend his belt for at least a year. The UFC could follow the precedent set after Prochazka’s similar shoulder injury in 2022, when he was stripped of the title just weeks after winning it.
Alternatively, the promotion may sanction an interim title match, as they did for the heavyweight division. Briton Tom Aspinall is the current interim heavyweight champion but has been sidelined with a serious eye injury sustained in his first defence against Ciryl Gane. With Aspinall still recovering, Gane has been booked to face Pereira for interim gold on 14 June.
