On the main card of UFC Macau, we saw a big time matchup in the light heavyweight division where a rising top contender got his toughest test to date. 10th ranked Carlos Ulberg (11-1) was looking to pick up his seventh straight win as he took on former title challenger Volkan “No Time” Oezdemir (20-8).
Both men entered the octagon on Saturday with a good amount of momentum. After going through a rough few years, Oezdemir entered the octagon having won back-to-back fights. Meanwhile Ulberg had won six in a row after stumbling in his UFC debut. Whoever won on Saturday was going to be in a good position to continue climbing up the ranks.
Entering the bout, I really thought Ulberg’s technical advantage was going to be on full display and that’s exactly what happened on Saturday night. Oezdemir had moments, but for the most part, Ulberg was too clean from distance and landed the much bigger shots throughout. When the scorecards were read at UFC Macau, it was nearly a clean sweep for Carlos Ulberg.
What’s next after UFC Macau?
Oezdemir entered the octagon Saturday with the eighth ranking in the light heavyweight division. Now that Ulberg has defeated him while winning his seventh fight in a row, I fully expect to see him either seventh or eighth in the rankings when they drop tomorrow.
With his seventh straight win under his belt, what should be next for the UFC’s light heavyweight contender. Honestly, I think the perfect fight is for him to face Khalil Rountree. Rountree is currently ranked sixth in the division and he’s coming off a loss to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Stylistically, it’s an incredible fight pairing two of the more technical strikers in the division against each other. If Rountree were to win, the UFC could put him right back in the mix for a second title shot after he gave Alex Pereira a helluva fight. If Ulberg wins, he could be next or he could just be one win away from challenging for the light heavyweight title.