Carlos Ulberg scored one of the most remarkable knockouts in history after he blew out his knee and then somehow cracked Jiri Prochazka with a punch that ended their fight at UFC 327 and crowned him as the new light heavyweight champion.
While he’s still awaiting word on the severity of the injury he suffered, Ulberg knew he was in trouble in the fight, especially if the first round ended and his coaches and ringside physicians had a chance to examine his leg; instead, Ulberg ended the fight in dramatic fashion. Afterwards Prochazka professed his regrets about how it all played out because he showed “mercy” to his injured opponent and it cost him.
On Monday, Ulberg fired back at Prochazka and his claims that didn’t go for the kill after realizing that “Black Jag” was badly injured.
“Bullshit. That’s bullshit. Total bullshit,” Ulberg told Yahoo Sports. “That’s fear. That was fear that he had. That wasn’t any kind of mercy. He knows. He’s a fighter. That’s the difference between a champion and someone who’s just playing for the crowd. There was no mercy in there. He was full of fear and hesitation and that’s what got him clipped.”
Throughout his UFC career, Prochazka has been celebrated for his highly unorthodox training methods and his unique approach to fighting, which often times leads to him being referred to as a modern day samurai.
But Ulberg isn’t buying that Prochazka fell prey to some sense of bushido code of honor in their fight this past Saturday night. Ulberg rewatched the fight and saw Prochazka attacking him with the same ferocity before and after his knee injury occurred.
That only strengthened his belief that Prochazka loves the attention and adoration he receives for his persona but he doesn’t buy that any of it is actually real.
“I think he’s a pretender,” Ulberg said. “He knows that I know that he’s a pretender. I think from the very first time we faced off, he knew this was going to be a fight, this is a real one right in front of me. He could feel it. He knew that I knew he’s a pretender.
“I think when he had that moment where my leg was compromised, he thought ‘this could be my opportunity’ but with the perseverance that I had and pushed through that and was able to adapt with it, I wasn’t going anywhere. There was that very moment where we looked each other in the eyes and he knew ‘damn, this is going to be a fight, he’s not going anywhere’ and I’ve still got my hands. That’s the danger that I have is one shot can kill.”
While things were largely cordial between the fighters in the days leading up to the fight, Ulberg confessed that he’s always felt like Prochazka was a fake. Witnessing his excuses for losing after UFC 327 only strengthened that belief.
“I’ve always known it,” Ulberg said. “He’s just playing for the crowd. People just see those soundbites and believe it. That’s playing for the crowd. I’m here to be the best in the world. I’m not here to play for the crowd. I’m here to be the best.”
After the event was over, Prochazka took to Instagram and once again stated that he regretted showing mercy to Ulberg after he was injured and his hope was that they could run it back for a rematch in the future.
Of course, Ulberg still has to wait to find out the full extent of his injuries before he can even begin planning his first title defense as UFC champion, but he promises that fight won’t come against Prochazka.
“When that word ‘merciful’ was fed into his mouth on that night when he had said what he said, he went with it and played with it that was his excuse so he could hopefully get a rematch,” Ulberg said. “There is no way he gets that rematch.
“I don’t see him getting past [Magomed] Ankalaev. He gets his ass beat from Ankalaev and I don’t see him in that top picture anymore.”
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