Video: Headliners Carlos Ulberg, Dominick Reyes face off to launch UFC Perth promotion
We're still seven weeks out from the UFC's return to Australia, but already the anticipation is starting to build.
A former light heavyweight title challenger looking to complete a resurgence headlines UFC Perth against a rising standout from nearby New Zealand, and Thursday the promotion brought the fighters together "Down Under" to get face to face.
Dominick Reyes (14-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) takes on Carlos Ulberg (12-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) on Sept. 27 at RAC Arena in Perth in Western Australia. The light heavyweight bout will be the main event. Check out the fighters' Thursday faceoff and comments about their first meeting below.
Reyes knocked out Nikita Kryvlov in the first round in April for his third straight win, which kept in the rearview mirror a four-fight skid and a series of health issues that threatened to end his fighting career. The rut began with a highly debated decision loss to Jon Jones in a light heavyweight title fight many thought Reyes won in 2020.
Ulberg picked up a close decision win against ex-champ Jan Blachowicz in March. Ulberg has one of the best current streaks in the promotion and is undefeated in his most recent eight trips to the octagon. Ulberg trains with former UFC champion Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing in New Zealand.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Perth main event video: Carlos Ulberg, Dominick Reyes face off
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 71
Eryk Anders and Christian Leroy Duncan meet in the main card opener of UFC on ESPN 72 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 76-58-1 Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan UFC on ESPN 72 preview Anders (17-8 MMA, 9-8 UFC) will look to extend his current winning streak to three. The 38-year-old middleweight picked up a big win in his last outing in December, where he stopped former champion Chris Weidman in the second round at UFC 310. Prior to that victory, "Ya Boi" won a unanimous decision against Jamie Pickett last March. ... Duncan (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will also aim to keep momentum on his side. After a unanimous decision loss against Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 304 last July, Duncan returned to the win column by going the distance against Andrey Pulyaev in March. Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan UFC on ESPN 72 expert pick, prediction Despite there being many more sensible main-card openers to choose from, the UFC matchmakers and their minimum for featured middleweight fights supersede any format critiques from me. Still, there is a chance that this matchup between Eryk Anders and Christian Leroy Duncan can provide some excitement. Duncan, who has European pundits and fans alike fawning all over his potential, appears to be a well-rounded athlete for the division and can show flashes of dynamism here and there. Anders, on the other hand, is an undeniable athlete who, unfortunately, had the bar of expectation set too high for him due to MMA's weird "great white hope" obsession when it comes to big guys who used to play football. But for as much potential as there is on both sides, it's hard not to see Anders' propensity to push his opposition into the cage, killing the action in this contest. Even though I'm expecting a bit of a slog, I suspect that Duncan will be the more consistently offensive and damaging fighter down the stretch. The pick is Duncan by unanimous decision. Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan UFC on ESPN 72 odds The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the English fighter, listing Duncan -500 and Anders +410 via FanDuel. Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan UFC on ESPN 72 start time, how to watch As the main card opener, Anders and Duncan are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 71
Miles Johns and Jean Matsumoto meet on the main card of UFC on ESPN 72 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 76-58-1 Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC on ESPN 72 preview Johns (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) aims to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Felipe Lima in December. The result snapped a three-fight winning stretch that included a no contest against Dan Argueta. The victories came against Vince Morales, Cody Gibson and Douglas Silva de Andrade. ... Matsumoto (16-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) enters on the heels of the first loss of his professional career, which was a split decision loss against Rob Font. Matsumoto won his first two UFC bouts by submitting Argueta and winning a decision against Brad Katona. Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC on ESPN 72 expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid offering at bantamweight is a battle between Miles Johns and Jean Matsumoto. I suspect that Matsumoto's offensive stylings will bring the best out of Johns, who has been criticized for his lower-output approach. However, in Johns' defense, the 31-year-old American has been very effective with his countering style, and he works behind a steady and stiff jab that scores consistently. I believe that Matsumoto – especially at this point in their careers – likely has the higher ceiling and room for growth. That said, the Brazilian's lack of head movement scares me in a spot where he likely won't be able to dictate wrestling terms – making this a much closer fight than meets the eye. I'll take a flier on the more experienced and proven product in Johns to edge a tight decision on the scorecards. Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC on ESPN 72 odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian fighter, listing Matsumoto -325 and Johns +250 via FanDuel. Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC on ESPN 72 start time, how to watch Johns and Matsumoto are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Luke Littler beats Mike De Decker to win Australian Darts Masters
World champion Luke Littler added the Australian Darts Masters to his growing list of titles with an 8-4 victory over Mike De Decker in the final. A year after finishing runner-up following an 8-1 humbling by Gerwyn Price, the reigning world champion and World Matchplay winner had too much for the Belgian debutant. Even when the 18-year-old incredibly missed six attempts at double 16 with the score at 6-3, it made little difference to the overall outcome. 'It feels very good. It's another one I can tick off,' Littler told ITV X after winning a World Series event for the first time in six attempts this year. 'I played very well tonight; I didn't play so well last night but tonight is when it really matters. 'It's not gone to plan this year in the World Series but there are plenty of opportunities to win and I've finally picked one up tonight.' Littler swept aside home favourite Damon Heta 6-3 in the last eight and top seed Stephen Bunting 7-4 in the semis. 'He needs to retire because it's not fun any more,' De Decker joked after the defeat.
