Carlos Ulberg is not rushing his way toward a title shot, but knows beating Volkan Oezdemir on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 248 would go a long way in enhancing his case.
Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) enters the matchup with Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC), which takes place at Galaxy Arena in Macau (ESPN+) riding a six-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight, with the past five coming by stoppage. The City Kickboxing product is riding high on confidence, and with champion Alex Pereira steamrolling the division, it’s hard to ignore the potential significance of a victory.
“My time will come, and I know it’s not far,” Ulberg said at UFC Fight Night 248 media day. “This fight here is no different. He’s an experienced fighter. I get a good win over Oezdemir, it catapults me high anyway, so in this division, at any point, we can be called up for the title. I’m not surprised either way. Anything can happen, and I’m ready for anything to happen next year.”
Ulberg is a fresh face to the title conversation, but Oezdemir has been there. He challenged then-champion Daniel Cormier for the title in 2020 and since then has been trying to build himself back up to that same position. With back-to-back wins, Oezdemir is looking in solid form, and Ulberg isn’t lost on the fact he will be coming into their fight with great motivation, as well.
“He’s an experienced fighter,” Ulberg said. “He’s experienced in the UFC. After his third fight, he fought for the title against Cormier. I feel like he is primed and he is ready to shoot up for that next title shot as well. We’re in the same state right now where we’re putting ourselves towards the title. I think for himself, he would think if he’s going to get the win, he’s going to go for the title after this as well.”
On paper, this is the biggest test of Ulberg’s career. However, he’s not intimidated by the moment. He thinks he’s been prepared well to deliver – now he just needs to go out and execute.
“I trust myself that I’ve got myself this far,” Ulberg said. “Everything is going to fall into place, and I’m just going to do what I’ve prepared myself to do at this point.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.