The
Ultimate Fighting Championship preserved its high-stakes
co-main event with a rising star making a quick turnaround.
At
UFC 303 on June 29, former champ Jamahal
Hill (12-2) was expected to face Khalil
Rountree in the co-headlining spot. Rountree was forced out of
the contest due to a
failed drug test, and he was issued a reduced suspension of two
months plus anything the Nevada State Athletic Commission will add.
In Rountree’s stead will be surging New Zealand-based force
Carlos
Ulberg (10-1), with news of him serving as the replacement
breaking from the New Zealand Herald on Thursday. The pairing
has since been
confirmed by multiple
outlets.
Hill is looking to rebound from a concussive defeat at the hands of
Alex
Pereira at UFC 300, where he fell short to reclaim his former
belt. Hill snatched the vacant throne against Glover
Teixeira in early 2023, capping off a four-fight win streak
where he prevailed over Jimmy
Crute, Johnny
Walker and Thiago
Santos on his way up. “Sweet Dreams” became the first fighter
in company history to win a title after earning a contract on
Dana White’s Contender Series, doing so back on
the third season when he stopped Alexander
Poppeck with strikes.
“Black Jag” has not looked back since suffering his first career
loss, as Kennedy
Nzechukwu punched him out at UFC 259 in 2021. Since then,
Ulberg has rattled off six straight wins, including five finishes
with four of them taking place in Round 1. Most recently, the City
Kickboxing standout smoked Alonzo
Menifield in 12 seconds to record one of the quickest knockouts
in divisional history, doing so in May at UFC on ESPN 56. As a pro,
Ulberg posts 80% of his victories via stoppage.
UFC 303 will go down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 29,
with a non-title main event pitting Conor
McGregor against Michael
Chandler at 170 pounds. While Hill-Ulberg will be at the no. 2
spot on the lineup, the remainder of the billing has not yet been
made official. Other likely main card encounters include a women’s
bantamweight contest between Mayra
Bueno Silva and Macy
Chiasson as well as a clash at 185 pounds when Joe Pyfer
fights Marc-Andre
Barriault.