Carlos Ulberg outlines future of UFC light heavyweight title picture

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MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand celebrates after his victory via knockout over Jiri Prochazka of Czechia, not pictured, in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images Carlos Ulberg was in the house to watch Magomed Ankalaev take care of business in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event and he has some thoughts on how the light heavyweight roster should be booked going forward. The reigning 205-pound champion has been sidelined since April, when he won a vacant UFC title with a shocking knockout of Jiri Prochazka that occurred moments after Ulberg appeared to severely injure his leg. Ulberg later announced he tore his ACL in the fight, leaving his division in a strange place. After watching Ankalaev beat Bogdan Guskov live at Etihad Arena, Ulberg took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday to provide an update on his health and do some fantasy matchmaking. “I’ve been asked the same two questions repeatedly,” Ulberg wrote. “1) How is the leg? Strong enough to remind a few people who the champion is. 2) Who do you want to defend the title against? That’s not my decision. That’s the UFC’s job. “My responsibility is simple: Get healthy. Stay fit. Stay ready.” Ankalaev, coming off a light heavyweight championship loss in his rematch with Alex Pereira, returned to the win column with a fifth-round knockout over Guskov that brought a definitive end to an otherwise dull fight that Ankalaev controlled from start to finish. Unbeaten in 15 of his past 16 fights, Ankalaev has his eye on becoming a two-time champion, but he’s also open to fighting middleweight transplant Paulo Costa. Pereira is currently out of the mix after vacating the light heavyweight belt to move to the heavyweight division, but Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr.—originally scheduled to fight Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi before withdrawing due to injury—remain relevant contenders. Ulberg has an idea for finding the No. 1 contender at 205 pounds ahead of his return. “After last night’s fight, here’s my thoughts,” Ulberg wrote. “Ankalaev vs. Jiri. Give them both a full camp. It’s a fight the division deserves, and stylistically it’s one the fans would love to see. “Costa vs. Rountree. That’s the wild card. High risk, high reward. Someone’s leaving with serious momentum.” A knee injury of the nature that Ulberg suffered can shelve an athlete for a lengthy period of time, possibly more than a year, but Ulberg has maintained an optimistic mind set when it comes to recovery. Though there’s still no exact timetable for his return, Ulberg is ruling out the remainder of 2026 and expects the timing to work out for him to defend his championship against one of the worthy contenders sometime next year. “By the time the dust settles… I’ll be ready,” Ulberg wrote. “Whoever earns it. See you in 2027.”

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JULY 24: Magomed Ankalaev celebrates after fighting against Bogdan Guskov in their light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena July 24, 2026 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Magomed Ankalaev certainly has the résumé and credentials to be next in line to fight for the UFC light heavyweight title, but the former champ’s performance in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event didn’t seem to impress the MMA community. With new champ Carlos Ulberg out with an injury and expected to return in the first half of 2027, does Ankalaev get the first crack at Ulberg in an attempt to regain the belt? On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what’s next for Ankalaev after his fifth-round stoppage win over Guskov, and if a title fight is coming up in his next fight, or if he has to compete again. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Ramazan Temirov following his first-round destruction over Steve Erceg in the co-main event, along with fellow main card winners Magomed Zaynukov, Rizvan Kuniev, Abubakar Vagaev, and more. Plus, the fellas take your matchmaking suggestions at the end of the show. Catch the UFC Abu Dhabi edition of On To the Next One below. Audio-only versions of the podcast can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. View Link

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Carlos Ulberg eyes numerous title challengers