Carlos Ulberg is a 6'4" Southpaw kickboxer from New Zealand's City Kickboxing gym — the same factory that produced Adesanya and Volkanovski. He is long, technical, and hits hard with a straight left that has put multiple UFC fighters away. He likes to control distance with his jab, teeps, and lead-leg kicks before unloading. His biggest vulnerability is an aggressive pressure fighter who closes distance early and mixes takedown threats with punches — he can be slow to start and has been hurt before. Respect the power, don't stand in front of him, and take him out of his comfort zone at range from round one.
Ulberg is a tall, rangy Southpaw kickboxer with an elite striking pedigree from his time at City Kickboxing in Auckland. He utilizes his exceptional reach and long limbs to control distance, land sharp straight lefts, and fire powerful leg kicks and body work. While primarily a striker, he has shown steady improvement in his grappling and cage work as his UFC career has developed.
Ulberg has been on a strong upward trajectory in the UFC Light Heavyweight division, stringing together impressive finishes and demonstrating increasing confidence in his striking game. He scored a notable KO win over Alonzo Menifield and continued building momentum with subsequent victories. He appears to be approaching top-15 contender status and is considered one of the brighter long-term prospects in the division.
Ulberg is a technically refined, long Southpaw kickboxer who will try to control range and land his straight left with power. The key to beating him is disrupting his distance management early, mixing levels aggressively, and taking the fight to places his City Kickboxing training has been less emphasized. Pressure him early before he settles into his rhythm.
Do NOT stand at the end of his jab range — that is where he is most dangerous. Close distance explosively with level changes to make him uncomfortable, or fight at extreme close range where his length becomes a liability. Angle off his straight left by stepping to his lead (right) side, which angles away from his power hand. Throw check hooks when he extends. Use leg kicks to his lead right leg to disrupt his base. Avoid standing directly in front of him in his power lane.
Work to tie him up and smother his long strikes in the clinch. Body locks and dirty boxing neutralize his reach advantage. Look for trips, over-unders, and clinch knees to disrupt his rhythm. He is not as naturally comfortable in the clinch as he is at range — make him work there.
If you have wrestling, use it. Ulberg's ground game, while improving, is not his identity. Takedowns in the early rounds before he finds his rhythm are critical. Once on top, use ground-and-pound to neutralize his striking threat. If on bottom, avoid getting caught in a guard-passing sequence and work back to the feet quickly.
⚠ Note: The Sherdog URL provided in the source data points to Shamil Musaev (a welterweight), not Carlos Ulberg — this data was disregarded as mismatched. This scouting report is built from independent knowledge of Carlos Ulberg's UFC career through early 2025. Exact fight-by-fight record details and finish counts are estimated and should be verified against current official UFC/Sherdog records before use in competition preparation.
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