Athletes
Carlos Ulberg’s Mission Continues Saturday Night
Ulberg Wants To Make A Statement Against Nicolae Negumereanu At UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira
Some people fight because they have to, but that cannot be said of Carlos “Black Jag” Ulberg, who fights Nicolae Negumereanu this Saturday on the UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira card in New York City.
The former rugby league player and reality TV contestant, who moonlights as a model, has never been short on career options.
Having options can be dangerous for a fighter. The fighters who reach the top are usually those that live and breathe their improvement as a mixed martial artist and leave little room for other interests. At first glance, you may wonder if that’s the reason Ulberg made his professional MMA debut in 2011 but waited until 2016 to fight again. Was he was distracted by his other options?
Order UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira Today!
But according to Ulberg, the opposite is true: that gap in his record is indicative of just how seriously he took his mixed martial arts journey, or ‘mission’ as he describes it. After winning his first few MMA fights with limited training, he knew he was hooked on fighting. He also knew, however, that he needed to go back to the drawing board and hone his craft if he wanted to make the top of the sport. The mission, though, has long been to reach the top of the MMA world.
“I was more focused on my boxing and kickboxing career during that period, trying to tune up the basic art of boxing and kickboxing; my whole mission was to tidy up those things and eventually get back into the mixed martial arts scene,” said Ulberg, who has a 19-2-0 record in kickboxing and a 1-0 record in boxing.
“After having a couple of fights in 2011, (I thought) this could be something that I look at furthering later on, so I thought why not go back and start fresh with the boxing and kickboxing, and here we are; we’re in the UFC, as I envisioned back in 2011 after my first two fights in MMA,” said Ulberg. “I guess back then I went straight into professional fighting without any amateur fights, and I thought if I’m going to take this seriously, I really have to tune up my skills.”
With that context, Ulberg’s seemingly fast path into the UFC makes sense. The New Zealander secured a UFC contract with a November 2020 knockout over Bruno Oliveira on Dana White’s Contender series (a move White described as a “no brainer”), having a 5-0 record at the time.
WATCH: Free Fights From The Biggest Stars At UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira
Ulberg’s UFC debut at UFC 259: Blachowicz vs Adesanya did not go as planned. After a back-and-forth battle that played out on the feet, Ulberg lost to Kennedy Nzechukwu by second-round knockout. Since then, Ulberg has put together two wins: a February 2022 decision win over Fabio Cherant and a June 2022 first-round knockout over Tafon Nchukwi.
Ulberg ’s City Kickboxing teammates Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker and Brad Riddell will also be fighting on Saturday’s card. Adesanya seeks revenge and another title defense, while Hooker and Riddell will both look to end two-fight losing streaks. No UFC fight is inconsequential, but more than ever, a lot rides on Saturday for one of the sport’s most formidable teams.
Carlos Ulberg Closes The Show Early Against Nchukwi | UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Gamrot
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Carlos Ulberg Closes The Show Early Against Nchukwi | UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Gamrot
/
To hear Ulberg tell it, that’s been a good thing for his preparation.
“It’s always good training with a big crew, especially when we’re all on the same card, (we have) the same vibe and are feeding off each other, I’m here (in New York) with a big crew now, the vibes are high and strong.”
For his part, Ulberg says the team is viewing Saturday as a joint mission.
“With Israel leading this card and then we have the other two boys, it’s a mission and we treat it like a mission. Complete the four wins and go home.”
In Negumereanu, a former Romanian national wrestling champion, Ulberg will have the opportunity to prove himself against a solid wrestler. While Negumereanu is perhaps not as polished on the feet as Ulberg, he also has heavy hands and eight knockout wins to his name.
UFC 281 Countdown: Full Episode | Adesanya vs Pereira | Esparza vs Weili | Poirier vs Chandler
Ulberg, who is father to a 12-year-old son, sees the fight as a fork in the road in both men’s careers.
“I’ve seen a little bit (of footage of my opponent), enough for what I need to know; he’s got some skills, I know with Nicolae he’s got some notable wins, he’s beaten a guy I lost to in my debut,” said Ulberg. “I guess with myself and Nicolae we’re at that point where whoever wins this breaks into that next tier where things start to get serious. We’re both at that point where if either one of us wins this fight, things can start to happen for us.”
Ulberg is not shy in predicting how he sees the fight unfolding come Saturday, as he looks to complete the mission: both for himself and the team.
“I knock him out.”
UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira took place live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on November 12, 2022. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards, and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
