Carlos Ulberg: No real way to prepare for 'unpredictable' Jiri Prochazka
· Yahoo Sports
Carlos Ulberg has won nine straight UFC bouts. | Getty/UFC
Jiri Prochazka is one of the most unorthodox fighters in the sport, which can make game planning something of an interesting process.
The was the challenge Carlos Ulberg faced as he prepared to face Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 327 main event on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. At the same time, the City Kickboxing standout has been eyeing Prochazka as a potential opponent for quite some time as he made his way toward the top of the 205-pound division.
“There's no real preparing for a particular fighter like Jiri. He's very unpredictable,” Ulberg told the UFC. “We do have some looks that can give us what we need for this particular fight. It was a short notice to take this fight on, especially it being a world title fight, five rounds.
“But we've been preparing for this fight for years now. We've seen it happen. We've seen that Jiri could be a possible opponent, whether it be for the title or not. He would be someone in my path. We've always been ready. We know we're ready. When we go in there, it's just about getting the job done and handling business.”
Ulberg vs. Prochazka became a reality once Alex Pereira elected to relinquish the light heavyweight strap to pursue championship gold at heavyweight. “Black Jag” has won nine straight Octagon appearances since dropping his promotional debut in March 2021, so he knew he would likely be in the mix for a shot at the vacant belt.
“There was always the word around town, right, with Pereira possibly moving up. And that's been the word for a while now,” Ulberg said. “And I always thought that that was going to happen. So we had to always think that we could either have Jiri, [Magomed] Ankalaev, or someone else that could possibly be put in that picture for the title shot.
“I think with that fight that Peirera had against Ankalaev, he got the win. And I think the best thing for him was to move up possibly get that third title in a different division. So we were open to anything in the division, whether it be Pereira, Jiri, or Ankalaev.”
Soak in the Energy
Ulberg and his team arrived in Florida early in part to get a feel for the atmosphere and the setting where he will vie for a championship.
“This is a big fight for me, the world title to become the champion of the world. So I'm just going to treat it that way. It's sacred,” Ulberg said.
“It's what it is. And that's how I like to do it, is spend a bit of time on my own as well, just to really soak it in and just soak in the energy, soak in everything that's happening. But at the same time, don't let it overwhelm me, because that's where it gets tricky. And I just think it's keeping everything basic, trying not to reinvent the wheel, really just becoming it.”
Ultimately, Ulberg is confident that he has done what is necessary to be ready for the moment. It’s more than just the current camp — it’s an accumulation of years of training and preparation.
“That's where it all comes from is all that visualization will come into fruition when you know you're honest with yourself and you know you've done the work,” he said. “And this is not just this camp, this is the years of work, the years of struggle, the years of sacrifice, everything that you've put your ass to work and to make sure that you know that when you're put into this position that nobody can deny you.”
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