Carlos Ulberg is confident his time away from fighting will be short.
The new light heavyweight champion, “Black Jag,” secured his title earlier this month with a decisive first-round knockout against former champion Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327. Despite sustaining a knee injury early in the fight, the New Zealander managed to turn the tables with a powerful left hand, leading to a swift and emphatic finish.
It was later revealed that Ulberg had torn his ACL and has since undergone successful surgery. While such an injury typically requires at least a nine-month recovery period, the newly crowned champion is optimistic about an accelerated comeback.
Carlos Ulberg Targets Accelerated Return After ACL Surgery
In a recent interview with the UFC, Carlos Ulberg shared details about his successful ACL surgery on his right knee and his ongoing rehabilitation 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 (injury). 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 added that the medical team is impressed with the pace of his recovery. He is confident he can surpass the standard recovery timeline and make a faster 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. 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.”
English Translation:
Carlos Ulberg is convinced his time on the sidelines will be brief. The “Black Jag” captured the light heavyweight title earlier this month, scoring a stunning first-round knockout of former champion Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 327 main event. At first, it seemed like his title opportunity might slip away after he injured his knee and was visibly hindered early on. But the New Zealander turned the fight around in a flash, unleashing a devastating left hand that floored “BJP” before pouring on follow-up shots to secure an emphatic finish. It later emerged that Carlos Ulberg had torn his ACL and has since undergone successful surgery, an injury that typically sidelines fighters for at least nine months before a return is even considered. Despite that, the newly crowned champion is optimistic about making his comeback sooner than anticipated.
During a recent interview with the UFC, Carlos Ulberg opened up about his successful ACL surgery on his right knee and detailed his ongoing rehab work at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
“I’m working with the PI. The staff here have been amazing,” Ulberg said. “I’m just real positive about the progress and the rehab. It’s an ACL (injury). 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.”
“Black Jag” added that the medical team has been impressed with the pace of his recovery, while expressing confidence that he can outpace the usual timeline and make a quicker 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. 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.”
