From Carlos Ulberg’s brutal first-round KO that put the light heavyweight division on notice, to Jimmy Crute’s redemption story, to a day where almost every local fighter had sent the RAC Arena crowd into raptures, UFC Perth delivered everything fans could have hoped for.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the UFC Perth card.
Ulberg is that guy
There’s been a little bit of a chip on the broad shoulders of Carlos Ulberg this week as the No. 3 ranked light heavyweight repeatedly faced questions on his world title chances. Was he next man up? What does he need to do to get it? Are his fights too dull? Is he too safe? Does he need to make a statement?
Well make a statement he did. A stunning, brutal first-round knockout of a rejuvenated Dominick Reyes answered all those questions and more.
It was a surgical dismantling of Reyes, who failed to land a punch. He controlled the cage, controlled the pace, saw his opportunity and took it in devastating fashion.
Your move Dana. Next week before we see Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Roundtree will meet as the four-way battle to be the next man up comes to a crescendo. And Ulberg plans to be there too. Sitting cage side, reminding everyone that he thinks he’s the guy. Unbeaten in years. Untouched in the cage tonight. Confidence unbreakable. His time is now.
Crute redemption arc continues
It was 2019 that light heavyweight Jimmy Crute was named by ESPN as the 7th best prospect under 25. A lot has happened since then. After running into losses against division stalwarts Anthony Smith and Jamahal Hill, Crute’s star faded quickly, after a pair of fights with Alonzo Menifield. After the second fight — a defeat in Las Vegas — Crute laid down his gloves and seemingly left the octagon for good.
Nearly two years away from the sport saw Crute change a lot. He found religion, become a devout Christian, and used his new-found spirituality as a springboard for a return. A draw…
