Carlos Ulberg is anticipating a brief hiatus from fighting. The light heavyweight champion, who secured his title with a decisive first-round knockout against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327, is already focusing on his recovery after undergoing successful ACL surgery.
Despite a visible knee injury during his championship bout, Ulberg managed to turn the tide with a powerful left hand that dropped Prochazka, leading to an emphatic finish. It was later revealed that Ulberg had torn his ACL, an injury that typically requires a recovery period of at least nine months.
However, the new champion remains optimistic about returning sooner than expected. In a recent interview with the UFC, Ulberg shared his positive outlook on his rehabilitation, which is taking place at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
“I’m working with the PI. The staff here have been amazing,” Ulberg stated. “I’m just real positive about the progress and the rehab. It’s an ACL. We went into the surgery thinking this could be between six to eight months or so, longer for some. But, you know, with the progress that we’ve got at the moment, it’s only been a week now and we’re moving pretty good. I think we’ve got a good formula going, and the body is healing really fast.”
Ulberg mentioned that the medical team has been impressed with the speed of his recovery. He expressed confidence in his ability to surpass the conventional recovery timeline and make an earlier return to the Octagon.
“I think we’re just impressed that the surgery went well. We’ve done it quickly and then got on to the rehab as soon as we could,” he added. “I think it just comes down to the staff has just been on me about it. We’re doing two a day, and I think we’ll be alright. I think it just comes down to the mentality that I have and the belief that I know that I’m going to get there a lot quicker than anyone else.”