Ulberg came to MMA out of New Zealand’s kickboxing scene, the familiar pipeline at Auckland’s City Kickboxing gym — the same camp that produced Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkov. He earned his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in late 2020 and made his promotional debut in March 2021 against Kennedy Nzechukwu inside the Apex. He battered Nzechukwu through the first round, ran out of gas, and got knocked out in the second. In a Yahoo Sports feature, Ulberg later pinned the loss on part-time preparation, the moment that pushed him to commit to the sport full-time.
Stylistically he’s a long, patient kickboxer who fights at range and waits to counter. At 6-foot-4 with a southpaw-friendly kicking arsenal, he lands 6.57 significant strikes per minute at 56% accuracy — numbers that sit among the division’s best. His takedown defense and his work in the clinch have come along with his cardio. Power is the signature: of his ten knockout wins, several came inside one round, and the only submission on his record came after he’d already softened the opponent up. Critics still point to that early gas-tank problem, but he hasn’t been finished since the Nzechukwu loss.
The résumé tightened quickly. After grinding out wins over Nicolae Negumereanu and Ihor Potieria, he submitted Da Woon Jung at UFC 293 in September 2023, then erased Alonzo Menifield in 12 seconds in May 2024. A decision over Volkan Oezdemir followed, then a unanimous decision over former champion Jan Blachowicz in London in March 2025. He headlined for the first time that September in Perth, knocking out former title challenger Dominick Reyes in the opening round. The Procházka fight came on short notice after Alex Pereira vacated to chase heavyweight gold, and Ulberg got the first-round finish despite tearing his right ACL early in the fight.
Ulberg had ACL surgery shortly after UFC 327 and told the UFC he’s targeting a six-to-eight-month return, faster than the standard nine-month timetable. The light heavyweight picture behind him includes Magomed Ankalaev and a recovering contender pool, with no challenger formally booked. His first title defense is the only fight that matters now. The question is whether a guy who rebuilt himself around patience can do the same with a reconstructed knee.