Daniel Cormier has high praise for Carlos Ulberg after the New Zealander’s dramatic championship performance against Jiri Prochazka. Speaking on his YouTube channel following the fight, the former UFC two-division champion said Ulberg deserved his pick for best performance of the night after winning under extremely difficult circumstances.
Cormier said his performance bonus went to Ulberg, marveling at the fact that he managed to win while seemingly limited to one leg. He praised Ulberg not only for getting the victory, but for scoring a knockout and leaving with the belt.
The result immediately reshapes the light heavyweight division, which has been searching for stability near the top. With Ulberg now holding the championship, the UFC suddenly has several possible directions, including a rematch with Prochazka, a defense against a top contender, or a showdown with another established name at 205 pounds. For Ulberg, the win was more than a title breakthrough — it was proof that he can handle chaos and still finish at the elite level.
What made the finish even more striking was the adversity he dealt with almost from the opening moments. Early in the fight, Ulberg’s right knee appeared to buckle, taking away the movement and footwork that have long been central to his style. Even so, he still managed to put Prochazka away in the first round and claim the vacant light heavyweight championship.
From an American MMA media perspective, that kind of win tends to travel fast. Fans in the U.S. respond to fighters who can push through visible damage and still produce a finish, and Ulberg’s stock is likely to rise quickly because of it. Now the attention turns to how healthy he is, how soon he can return, and who the UFC wants standing across from him in his first title defense.