Carlos Ulberg earned a stunning first round knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka tonight at UFC 327 to win the light-heavyweight title after suffering a knee injury early on in the fight.

Round One

The light-heavyweight main event is underway in Miami.

Calf kick for Ulberg. He lands it again. Prochazka marches forward behind straight punches.

Calf kick lands for Prochazka. Ulberg lands his again. Left hand from Prochazka as Ulberg was coming in.

Prochazka looking to strike, but Ulberg lands a left hook.

There’s an exchange and as Ulberg’s is stepping back his leg seems to buckle and he stumbles. Prochazka lands a kick to that leg and Ulberg’s leg is buckling. Even moving seems to be troubling Ulberg’s balance so there’s clearly something wrong with his right knee.

Prochazka seems to be somewhat emphatic here as he speaks to Ulberg and points to the canvas as if he wants them to just slug it out at close quarters. They trade punches briefly.

Ulberg is in all sorts of trouble here, but he’s trying to fight on regardless and Prochazka is still encouraging him to just slug it out toe-to-toe rather than quit.

Suddenly as Prochazka is looking to engage Ulberg fires off a blistering counter left hook and it sinks Prochazka to the canvas. Ulberg goes all-in with strikes to his grounded opponent to try to seal the deal and gets the KO finish at 3.45mins of the opening round!!

What a crazy stoppage out-of-the-blue for Ulberg to win the vacant light-heavyweight title despite having blown out his knee!

Prochakza will be rueing the fact that he appeared to be showing Ulberg some mercy due to his injured knee rather than going in for the kill.

All credit to Ulberg for hanging on in there though and finding a way to win. Unfortunately that could be a bad injury that keeps him out for a long time though, so will he be kept on as champion, or will he have to vacate the belt as Prochazka once also did so the division can keep moving?