UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes the UFC has a significant marketing problem surrounding Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg.
UFC 327 is hours away as former UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jiri Prochazka and streaking contender Carlos Ulberg fight for the vacant light heavyweight championship in the main event. Prochazka’s recent wins over Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill catapulted him back into the title mix, while Ulberg’s impressive win streak earned the talented New Zealander a shot at the belt.
Despite losing the flyweight title co-main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira, UFC 327 has plenty of other exciting matchups for fans to look forward to. Prochazka vs. Ulberg promises to be a firefight for as long as the action lasts, in a matchup between two of the light heavyweight division’s top finishers.
After Alex Pereira vacated the light heavyweight belt to make the move to heavyweight, Prochazka vs. Ulberg was booked as a quick solution to keep the division moving. But UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes the matchmakers got it wrong in booking the UFC 327 main event.
Chael Sonnen: Magomed Ankalaev deserved title shot over Jiri Prochazka, Carlos Ulberg
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen opined that a former UFC champion deserved a shot at the belt over the two UFC 327 headliners.
“Ulberg vs. Jiri doesn’t draw flies!” Sonnen said.
“The constant there is Ulberg…and by the way, what is he doing here? And again, I’m not trying to be the skunk at the garden party, but this fight very clearly belongs to [Magomed] Ankalaev. So if Ankalaev is hurt, then I’d like to know about it. Ankalaev not only is 1-1 against [Alex] Pereira, he’s the only one of the bunch to beat Pereira and the only one that should even be discussed to be in a title fight.
“He’s not even discussed as the Number 1 contender, for whoever comes out of this title fight.”
As of this writing, it’s uncertain when Magomed Ankalaev will return to the Octagon. Ankalaev hasn’t fought since a loss to Pereira in their UFC 320 rematch.
What is your prediction for Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg? Let us know in the comments!