With fight week closing in, the road to UFC Fight Night 260 has already turned into a grind. On September 27, RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, will play host to a card fans didn’t quite see coming. Forget Vegas lights—this one’s a 9,000-mile trek for some of the UFC’s biggest names. And at the center of it all? A headliner that pits redemption against momentum. Yes, Dominick Reyes finds his rightful fight.

Carlos Ulberg, the streaking contender with eight straight wins, steps into the spotlight in front of a home crowd. Across from him is Dominick Reyes, a man once hailed as the uncrowned king after pushing Jon Jones to the brink, only to crash into a brutal four-fight skid. Now on a three-fight resurgence, Reyes is clawing his way back toward relevance. For him, this isn’t just another booking—it’s survival at the elite level. But as much as the main event promises fireworks, there’s something else brewing behind the scenes. And that’s where the real intrigue begins.

Dominick Reyes needs to prove he can handle it all

On Sky Sport NZ, Rav and Dan Hooker sat down to preview Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes ahead of UFC Perth, while also reflecting on Ulberg’s career. The host raised an important question: “How much does the occasion come to play with this? We know that Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev are fighting the following weekend, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr. are in action as well. How much does the concentration of this matter, especially since Reyes is on a resurgence and Ulberg is trying to prove he’s a title contender?”

Dan Hooker responded that Reyes’ experience on the big stage is a factor. He explained that Reyes once fought Jon Jones for the title and believed he had done enough to win. “He thought he should be the champion, but he did not get his hand raised,” Hooker said. Holding onto that disappointment led to a four-fight losing streak, with some knockout losses along the way. But Hooker noted Reyes has finally moved on, saying the light heavyweight has processed those emotions and is back on track with a recent knockout win.

Hooker then turned to another challenge: travel. He pointed out that American fighters often complain about the long haul to Australia. “Every American fighter or international fighter that they are like, they will be sitting there on fight week, and they will all be singing the same that they will put on my tiny violin because I am like that we do this every single fight,” Hooker joked.

He further added that fighters constantly mention the need to “travel out here, climatize, blah blah,” but insisted it’s not something locals even think about anymore. So the takeaway? The 9,000-mile journey (from America to Australia) may drain some athletes, but it also evens the playing field. “It does take it out of them. It does affect them. So it will be interesting. That will kind of level of playing field,” he explained.

Still, Hooker highlighted that travel might affect Reyes more than Ulberg. “Reyes has been in big fights before, but he has not done a lot of international travel,” he said. Making the long journey to Perth could test his preparation in ways that go beyond the Octagon.

Despite the anticipation around the main event, the UFC Perth card itself has drawn mixed reactions. Some fans feel the lineup leans too heavily on local Australian talent. Confusion grew further after the latest update confirmed a change in the original co-main event, adding another wrinkle to the already debated card.

Concerns grow over UFC Perth card quality

According to an update from DudesMMA, UFC Perth’s co-main event has seen a shake-up. Instead of the light heavyweight clash between Junior Tafa and Ibo Aslan, fans will now watch Jimmy Crute take on Ivan Erslan right before the Ulberg vs. Reyes headliner. “The new co-main for UFC Perth is Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan. Junior Tafa vs. Ibo Aslan is off due to injury,” the announcement read.

The news was first confirmed through UFC’s official X account for Australia and New Zealand, but reactions from fans were less than enthusiastic. One user fired back, “Absolutely NO STACKED.” Another didn’t mince words either, writing, “Don’t think you know what ‘stacked’ actually means.” The skepticism highlights a growing concern over the overall quality of the card.

From what’s known, Turkish fighter Ibo Aslan was forced to withdraw due to injury, scrapping his matchup with Aussie standout Junior Tafa. That left UFC scrambling to adjust, with Crute vs. Erslan stepping in as the replacement. But the bigger picture shows why some fans feel let down, out of the dozen scheduled fights, only three fighters currently appear in the UFC’s official rankings.

However, even with the criticism, there’s still reason to tune in. The main event between Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes promises real stakes in the light heavyweight division, and some of the prelims could still deliver unexpected fireworks. Whether UFC Perth turns out flat or surprises everyone, fans will have their eyes locked on how it plays out inside RAC Arena. That said, what are your thoughts on the UFC Perth card?