Just a few days remain before the much-anticipated rematch between light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira unfolds at UFC 320 at the T-Mobile Arena. Early in March, Pereira abdicated his throne after Ankalaev dominated him through the distance. Fans are eagerly waiting to see if the Brazilian can finally turn the tables on the Russian and reclaim his crown. Be it Ankalaev or Pereira, a win is critical, especially in light of the recent divisional shake-ups.

Concerns largely stem from a new threat. At UFC Perth, the Auckland, New Zealand-born Carlos Ulberg demolished Dominick Reyes. The first-round knockout has sent alarm bells across the division. Later, Ulberg spoke about securing a backup berth at UFC 320, where Ankalaev and Pereira headline the main event. Aside from the champion and the challenger, his victory puts other top contenders like Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr., who incidentally fight on the same UFC 320 card, on the spot.

Carlos Ulberg sets sights: Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr. brace themselves ahead of UFC 320

Mixed martial arts writer John Morgan shared an update earlier. “Carlos Ulberg stays firm at No. 3 in the official light heavyweight rankings update following #UFCPerth, trailing only Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka,” he wrote.

Bad news awaits Dominick Reyes, who has now slipped down to the eighth position. Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jiri Prochazka currently occupy the third and fourth slots. Prochazka returns after the KO win over Jamahal Hill that earned him the Performance of the Night honor.

Five months later, Rountree Jr. trounced Hill when they headlined the UFC on ABC card in Baku. So they’ve secured their latest wins over the same man; their last defeats were also handed to them by the same opponent, then-champion Alex Pereira.

That means if Pereira wins this weekend at UFC 320, Ulberg becomes a favorite for the next shot, being a fresh matchup. If Ankalaev retains, then we’ll just have to wait and see who they pick next. But does that make it any better for Jiri and Khalil if either wins at UFC 320? Not one bit.

Carlos Ulberg’s emergence now poses a serious threat to their championship dreams. Additionally, the Kiwi fighter boasts a formidable resume.

A new force to reckon with at light heavyweight

Since the loss to Kennedy Nzechukwu, Ulberg has been on a 9-fight winning streak. It closely matches Magomed Ankalaev’s record. Strangely enough, unlike Rountree Jr. and Prochazka, Ulberg has never been in a title contention.

So the win over Dominick Reyes makes for a compelling argument – that Carlos Ulberg is ready for a title fight.

To understand his current priorities, one only needs to go through his post-fight comments. A reporter highlighted how, despite an impressive winning streak, people haven’t been giving him much attention. Now, after the latest triumph, he’s close to earning a title fight. So they asked, “Do you think it’s now going to be impossible for you to fly under the radar the way you like it?”

Carlos Ulberg acknowledged that it would be difficult now. Weighing in on his soaring stock, he spilled the beans on a conversation with Hunter Campbell, UFC’s Chief Business Officer. Ulberg said, “I asked him to fly me to Vegas. He said, ‘Sweet, all good.’ So we’re good now. We’re going to fly to Vegas, and then I also said then and there, but I didn’t confirm, and I said I will be the backup for that [UFC 320] fight.”

In another show, Ulberg revealed his dream bout against Magomed Ankalaev. So with the soon-to-be 35-year-old’s ambitions clear, Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jiri Prochazka will need to tread carefully.

Between Prochazka and Rountree Jr., who’s your pick for the win at UFC 320?