UFC’s newly crowned LHW champion, Carlos Ulberg, reportedly lost his latest belt worth $330,000 shortly after winning it. So, did the promotion strip it? Not exactly, as Ulberg claims he simply misplaced it after a wild night out. Last week, New Zealand star made history after knocking out former champion Jiri Prochazka inside the Kaseya Center in Miami to capture the vacant LHW title in a first-round finish.

However, despite the big win, ‘Black Jag’ did not head immediately to rest. Instead, while in Miami, he gave in to the city’s party atmosphere and joined his team for a night out. After a few drinks and a long night, he later realized he could not find his belt. Speaking to Fox Sports Australia in his latest outing, Carlos Ulberg revealed that after the wild night with his team, he is still not entirely sure where the belt ended up.

“I’ve lost the belt, bro,” said Carlos Ulberg. “I don’t know exactly where it is. Initially, after winning, the plan was to not have a drink. But you know how these things go, right? First, someone gives you a champagne to celebrate. Then one thing leads to another, and you’re doing shots. So it’s ‘OK, I’ll have another, and another, and another …’

We’ve got a big group of boys over here in Miami, and when the fight was done, we all went out to the afterparty at a nightclub,” UFC champ added. “Then after that, it was back to one of the boys’ apartments, and we all hung out there. I didn’t want to be carrying the belt around, so I think it’s still there at the apartment somewhere. One of the boys probably has it in bed with him.”

Notably, Miami is known for its wild nightlife. However, the real question remains: Will Dana White & Co. actually take it lightly? The belt reportedly costs around $330,000, largely because of its materials, including gold-plated zinc alloy and rubies, which get added as fighters defend their titles.

In the past, former UFC LHW champion Rashad Evans also shared what Dana White told him about the value and importance of the belt. At the same time, Carlos Ulberg is not the only fighter to have misplaced a UFC belt. In fact, just last year, UFC legend Henry Cejudo lost his first-ever UFC belt after a burglar broke into his studio in Texas, leaving him devastated.

Similarly, MMA great Demetrious Johnson lost his belt in 2018 when an airline misplaced his luggage, showing that even top fighters have faced similar situations. Now, turning back to Carlos Ulberg, fans will be watching Dana White’s reaction closely, especially given his long-standing firm stance on not handing out replacement belts to champions.

UFC’s strict rule on awarding new belts to champions

Back in the day, the UFC awarded champions a new belt after every successful title defense. However, after noticing that some fighters, including champions like Anderson Silva, sold their belts for money, the promotion introduced a strict rule. Since then, fighters have kept only one physical belt throughout their reign in each weight class, while the UFC issues replica belts for additional defenses.

As a result, Demetrious Johnson, with 11 title defenses, now has only two UFC belts at home, while the rest remain stored in the UFC’s warehouse, which has led to claims that one of his belts has “disappeared.” However, back in 2017, during the Johnson vs Reis matchup, Dana White highlighted the financial concern of handing out real belts for every title defense.

“If we’re handing out belts with every single defense here, you know,” said Dana White, “it’s a big deal. I mean, if we’re handing out belts with every single defense here, you know, it’s a big deal, that’s a lot of money.”

What’s your take on the UFC keeping belts reserved for legends instead of giving them out more freely? Do you think that’s the right approach? Drop your thoughts below.