Carlos Ulberg admires UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and hopes to fight him someday, as he prepares for his upcoming match against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Macau, aiming to advance in title contention.
Carlos Ulberg holds immense admiration for UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. He’s got a dream, you know? To one day step into the octagon with “Poatan.”
This Saturday, Ulberg’s back in action against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Macau. The 205-pound contender is just awestruck by Pereira’s achievements—three title-defending knockouts! That’s no joke.
“Super, just superhuman,” Ulberg shared with MMA Fighting. “I feel like the time is endless for this guy. He’s a true warrior, a champion. Nothing but respect. That’s why I wanna fight him, title or not.”
Ulberg’s keen to face Pereira because he believes Pereira has truly earned his status as a great champion. No doubt about it.
Back in May at UFC St. Louis, Ulberg made headlines by knocking out Alonzo Menifield in a mere 12 seconds. He was then set to face former champ Jamahal Hill at UFC 303. But alas, both fighters withdrew due to injuries.
Ulberg’s cool with it, though. Just wasn’t meant to be at that moment.
“We’re talking titles now,” Ulberg said. “The opportunity with Jamahal Hill slipped through, but we’re still here in the top 10. It’s all strategic now—a chess game.”
He sees the path more clearly now and hopes for a title shot post-fight with Oezdemir. “But hey, in due time,” he added. Ankalaev might get his shot too, but whoever holds the title—be it Ankalaev or Pereira—is who he wants.
Oezdemir’s been on a roll, defeating Bogdan Guskov and Johnny Walker recently. A win over him would be significant for Ulberg.
“You expect the unexpected,” Ulberg remarked. In the light heavyweight division, anything can happen with such powerful athletes.
“‘No Time’ might come swinging hard,” Ulberg noted, acknowledging Oezdemir’s power and confidence. But Ulberg’s got his own bag of tricks ready to wow the fans—whether it’s on the ground or standing up!