Carlos Ulberg was born on November 17, 1990, in Auckland, New Zealand, and from the age of four was raised by a foster family in South Auckland. His father was a boxer who represented Samoa at the Commonwealth Games, and Ulberg himself also proved to be a highly versatile athlete: before dedicating himself to combat sports, he played semi-professional rugby league for Counties-Manukau. He even appeared on the New Zealand reality show “Game of Bros” and was approached twice for the local version of “The Bachelor”.
His combat sports career began to take serious shape in kickboxing, where he built an impressive 19–2 record with 12 knockouts between 2016 and 2019 and won two King in the Ring titles. He brought that hard-hitting, explosive stand-up into MMA, the sport in which he joined the renowned City Kickboxing team in Auckland, led by Eugene Bareman—the same gym that produced, among others, Israel Adesanya.
After a knockout victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, Ulberg received his UFC contract. His debut in 2021 was difficult, ending in a loss, but an impressive run followed: he remained unbeaten in ten consecutive UFC fights, with notable victories over Ihor Potieria, Dominick Reyes, Volkan Oezdemir, and former champion Jan Błachowicz. His twelve-second knockout of Alonzo Menifield in 2024 offered a striking demonstration of his explosive power.
That run culminated in April 2026, when Ulberg captured the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 327 by knocking out Jiří Procházka in the first round, despite suffering a leg injury during the fight. Shortly after winning the title, it emerged that he had torn his ACL, forcing him into a lengthy rehabilitation period and delaying his first title defense.
New Zealand
