Now that the UFC Light Heavyweight Division has a new champion – Magomed Ankalaev – fans are discussing who could challenge the new champ first.
Some pundits, including ESPN’s Jon Anik, believe that the challenger should be the winner of the Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg fight.
Although we’re not sure Dana White will listen to their advice, we do think that the UFC London co-main event carries a lot of weight.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jan Blachowicz | +190 |
| Carlos Ulberg | -225 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: The O2 Arena in London, England
- Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
- Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN+
Jan Blachowicz’s Last Chance to Get a Title Shot Again
Jan Blachowicz is 42 already, meaning that time is ticking away for this guy. But he’s still flying high in the rankings – he’s currently No. 3 in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division.
Plus, he’s the only fighter since 2018 who went inside the Octagon with the new champion, Magomed Ankalaev, and stayed undefeated. Their fight happened in 2022 and ended in a split draw.
Since then, the Polish fighter has fought only once – he lost to Alex Pereira by a split decision in 2023.
Basically, he’s without a win in almost three years, so if he loses to Carlos Ulberg on March 22, his dream of becoming the champ again will go to waste. But if he wins, he’ll have the right to dream big.
Carlos Ulberg’s Biggest Fight Ever
Carlos Ulberg is 11-1 overall in MMA and has a 19-2 record in kickboxing and 11-0 in boxing. He’s all about striking, landing 7.20 significant strikes per minute – the highest average in the division.
The fact is that he also has decent wrestling and grappling. His takedown defense is 83%, which is pretty good, while he lands 0.72 TDs per 15 minutes.
His numbers are impressive, but there’s one thing that he lacks compared to his UFC London opponent – experience.
While he’s been fighting in the UFC for over four years, he just hasn’t fought against a fighter of the same class as Blachowicz. His arguably toughest match was the one with Volkan Oezdemir last year, which he won by decision thanks to landing more significant strikes.
Wonder how many strikes he landed? Ninety-eight, which was just two more than Oezdemir.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg Prediction
UFC London odds favor Ulberg, but we think a surprise will happen on March 22. We think Blachowicz has the experience to get himself a win. Plus, he’ll be super motivated as this is the fight that can decide the trajectory of his career.
Pick: Jan Blachowicz