Carlos Ulberg has slammed Jiri Prochazka’s claims that only his “mercy” enabled the New Zealander to become UFC light heavyweight champion, firing: “That’s bulls***, total bulls*** … that’s fear, that wasn’t any kind of mercy. He knows”.
The declaration comes as the latest ANZAC fighter to win a UFC title also branded fan favourite Prochazka, who is famed for living, and fighting, by the samurai code, of being a “pretender” who competed in Sunday’s headliner with fear.
Less than 48 hours after claiming UFC gold on one leg – and then telling Fox Sports Australia how he had misplaced the belt amid celebrations in Miami, Florida with mates – the fighter dubbed ‘Black Jag’ has now taken aim at suggestions he was somehow gifted the title.
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Ulberg scored one of the UFC’s most unlikely title victories on Sunday when, despite almost certainly rupturing his ACL in the first round, and stumbling several times, he still managed to KO Prochazka with a brutal check left hook.
During a post fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan however, Prochazka spoke of having let the win slip from his grasp, adding that the loss came from his showing “mercy” to a clearly injured rival.
However, speaking on Monday’s edition of The Ariel Helwani Show, Ulberg left nobody in any doubt as to what he thought of those claims.
“That’s bulls***, total bulls***,” the Aucklander said.
“That’s fear.
“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, hesitation, and that’s what got him clipped.
“He’s a pretender.
“And he knows I know he’s a pretender.
“From the very first time we faced off, he knew that this was going to be a fight — this is a real one right in front of me. He could feel it.
“So he knew that I knew he’s a pretender.”
Soon after, Ulberg continued of the mercy claim: “That was his excuse so he can hopefully get a rematch.
“There’s no way he gets that rematch. I don’t see him getting past Ankalaev. He gets his ass beat by Ankalaev.”
Ulberg wasn’t long into Sunday’s title fight when his right knee appeared to become severely compromised during an exchange.
“When he had that moment where my leg was compromised, he thought, ‘Ah, this could be my opportunity’,” Ulberg continued of his opponent.
“But with the perseverance that I had and pushed through that and was able to adapt with, I wasn’t going anywhere.
“There was that very moment where we locked each other’s eyes, and he knew, ‘Damn, this is going to be a fight. He’s not going anywhere’.
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“And I’ve still got my hands. That’s the danger that I have. One shot can kill ‘em.”
Asked the extent of his injury, the Kiwi added: “We don’t know for sure [if it’s a torn ACL]. We’re just waiting.
“I’ll get the scans done when I arrive in Vegas, and we’ll know everything when that’s all done.
“I have never [injured] the knee at all, so I have no idea how to react to it.
“It’s just swollen at the moment. It’s hard to get up, so there’s something up in there.
“It definitely takes me a while now to get anywhere, so I’m definitely walking like an old fella.”
And as for his reflections of the fight?
“The knee felt like it was kind of going in and out of the socket,” the new champ explained.
“The pain there, I couldn’t bear any weight on that leg.
“Anytime I pushed off that right foot or step, any kind of weight on that leg, it would give out.
“So that’s basically it. The pain that I had to go through, too, was unbearable.
“[But] I know my left hook — it can reach, and I’ve been practicing that shot specifically for him.
“I knew that eventually he would walk into it. What I wanted him to do was give him a fake sense of comfort, and then he would come in, and I’d land that shot.”
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia on Monday, Ulberg explained how, despite having fought, and won, on what was likely a busted ACL, he still hadn’t been to hospital to get the injury examined.
But what he had done?
“I’ve lost the belt, bro,” he grinned.
“I don’t know exactly where it is.
“Initially after winning, the plan was to not have a drink. But you know how these things go, right?
“First, someone gives you a champagne to celebrate. Then one thing leads to another and you’re doing shots.
“So it’s ‘OK, I’ll have another, and another, and another …’
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“We’ve got a big group of boys over here in Miami and, when the fight was done, we all went out to the afterparty at a nightclub.
“Then after that, it was back to one of the boys’ apartments and we all hung out there.
“I didn’t want to be carrying the belt around so I think it’s still there at the apartment somewhere. One of the boys probably has it in bed with him …”
Asked the extent of his injuries, the new UFC light heavyweight king laughed: “I haven’t actually been to the hospital yet”.
You haven’t?
“Nah, first things first – go to the afterparty,” he grinned. “We went out, hung out with all the boys. Got together … so my knee isn’t really wanting to forgive me right now.
“It’s all been a crazy, crazy whirlwind and I’m just going with it.
“My knee is really swollen so I’ll stay in the US for scans and then, if I need to go under the knife, I will.
“I think I’ll fly to Las Vegas in the next few days and see the doctors there.
“Then I can do physio at the UFC Performance Institute and get looked after by the guys there.
“That’s the plan.
“Get the knee sorted in Las Vegas and hang around for a few weeks …”