Carlos Ulberg will look to make the most of the opportunity handed to him as he steps in to face Jamhal Hill at UFC 303.
Late last week, it was confirmed that Khalil Rountree Jr. was out of the contest with Hill after consuming a supplement which contained DHEA, which is a banned substance under the UFC anti doping policy.
The bout will be an extremely turnaround for ‘Black Jag’, whose last outing was on May 12 against Alonzo Menifield. However, the bout was over in just 12 seconds when after Menifield came flying forward, Ulberg adjusted his feet and moved out of range before turning Menifield against the fence and catching him with two huge left hooks which sent Menifield crashing to the mat.
It was undoubtedly the biggest win of Ulberg’s career so far, with the New Zealand man extending his unbeaten record to six. After losing his promotional debut to Kennedy Nzechukwu, Ulberg has learnt on the job and after a unanimous decision win against Fabio Cherant immediately after the loss, is yet to see the judges scorecards again. Three first round finishes against Tafon Nchukwi, Nicolae Negumereanu and Ihor Potieria led to a bout against Da Un Jun, and Ulberg showed his submission game to be as strong as striking with a third round rear naked choke.
He then had a less than ideal start to 2024, having been matched twice to face Dominic Reyes, with both bouts ultimately ending up being pulled, before his initial clash with Menifield on March 30, fell to the same fate. Now looking to make up for lost time, Black Jag could leapfrog many in the division if he can pull off a victory against Hill.
For Hill, the bout will mark an opportunity to prove that he is still at the very top of the division following his first round stoppage loss against Alex Pereira for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight strap. The fight was Hill’s first one back since he suffering a ruptured Achillies tendon. Prior to the injury, Hill became the first of the Contender Series Alumni to be crowned a UFC world champion when he beat Pereira’s team mate, Glover Teixeira, to be crowned the Light Heavyweight champ.
It appears that the bout will still serve as the co-main event on the UFC 303, which will be headlined by the return of Conor McGregor, as he faces Michael Chandler in a Welterweight contest. Other notable bouts on the card include, UFC veterans Cub Swanson and Andre Fili battling it out at 145lbs, Michelle Waterson-Gomez taking on Gillian Roberts and Joe Pyfer will be back in action when he faces Marc-Andre Barriault.
