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Main Event Spotlight | UFC Perth
Carlos Ulberg And Dominick Reyes Head To Western Australia Looking To Stamp Their Claim On A Title Shot
Light heavyweight feels wide-open at the moment. With Magomed Ankalaev set to make the first defense of his title next week at UFC 320 in a rematch with former king Alex Pereira, it’s a perfect time for those in and around the title picture to make their bid for a title shot against whomever carries the title out of Las Vegas.
Timing always helps the situation as does a winning streak, which Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes carry into their headlining bout in Perth. A win with style points in Western Australia could boost either man into that fight for gold, so before they make the walk for their high-stakes matchup, we are taking a closer look at the fight:
Carlos Ulberg
Since joining the roster in November 2020, New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg has represented the country’s best chance at its next UFC champion. He recovered well after dropping his debut bout against Kennedy Nzechukwu in a Fight of the Night effort, scoring three wins (two via knockout) in 2022 to right the ship.
His momentum hasn’t slowed since then, either. The City Kickboxing-representative picked up three more finishes in 2023 and 2024 to set up a top-10 matchup against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir in Macau. In that bout, Ulberg showed off his fight IQ and patience as he secured a decision win against the dangerous “No Time.”
To open up his 2025 account, Ulberg ventured to London to take on former champion Jan Błachowicz, once again securing the victory on the scorecards. With wins over two men with championship-pedigree, Ulberg is in prime position to earn a title shot with a win Down Under.
Dominick Reyes
“The Devastator” is quite simply one of the best feel-good stories of the last year-and-a-half.
After his controversial decision loss to Jon Jones at UFC 247, Reyes went through the wilderness for the next four years, losing three more fights all via knockout. He finally got his mojo back in 2024, however, scoring a first-round knockout against Dustin Jacoby in Louisville to secure his first win since October 2019.
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The good times didn’t stop there. He returned six months later to knockout Anthony Smith midway through their fight at UFC 310, and it appeared as though Reyes could very well get back into the mix with another win. He did just that at UFC 314, knocking out Nikita Krylov midway through the first frame with his signature counter left hand. Few fighters have a better narrative going than Reyes, and if he picks up a win over Ulberg in Perth, it could be hard to argue against giving him a chance for a full-circle moment.
Meeting in the Middle
With 17 knockouts between them, the simplistic way to view this matchup is whoever can land the money punch first wins, but the way they go about their work could skew this bout into a little bit more of a chess match to start.
Ulberg, coming out of the City Kickboxing school, is patient with his work. He maintains his distance well and doesn’t mind fighting off the back foot. One of his favorite shots is a check left-hook, but he also brandishes a heavy kicking game. Reyes’ left kick is strong, and he switches it from the body to the head well, but his best shot is his straight left. He times it well when countering, so it should make for a fascinating matchup if both men are waiting to counter.
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The bout is Ulberg’s first 5-round assignment while Reyes has trained for championship rounds four times prior to this bout but only went the distance against Jones. With a title shot potentially at stake, though, it wouldn’t be surprising for the fight to start quickly as both men seek a statement-making win.
UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs Reyes took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Australia on September 27, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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