Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka will attempt to recapture the crown when he collides with No. 3-ranked title contender Carlos Ulberg atop the UFC 327 fight card on Paramount+, scheduled for Sat., April 11, 2026 inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The promotion may be rooting for Prochazka, who has “champion aura.”
That’s according to former UFC lightweight and current fight night analyst Din Thomas. “Dinero” argues that Prochazka is more marketable with his bonus-bagging fight style
and fan-friendly social media presence. As for Ulberg, he’s more of the “silent assassin” type who is more reserved.
“I think Jiri Prochazka being champion is always going to be good for UFC,” Thomas told MMA Junkie. “He’s one of those guys where you’re just going to love him no matter what. Not that you’re not going to love Carlos Ulberg, it’s just that he’s quietly made his way into this spot to fighting for this. He’s won a gang of fights in a row and looked great every time doing it. He’s very marketable, good looking guy, represents a part of the world that could use a champion. But there’s just part of it that’s missing something, and I’m not really sure what that is. I think Jiri being champion just feels right. He’s got that aura about him where it’s like, ‘We kinda like him as champion.’ I just feel that way about Jiri. He’s got that champion aura about him.”
The belt became vacant when former champion Alex Pereira abandoned his post to try his luck at heavyweight, where an interim title awaits the winner of his UFC White House co-main event against Ciryl Gane. “Poatan” already holds two knockout victories over Prochazka.
“Carlos Ulberg has deserved this spot, but there’s something about the fight where it’s like, ‘It’s really only happening because Alex left the belt on the table,'” Thomas added. “It’s still a great fight, there’s just something about it that makes it feel like a No. 1 contender fight. Still a great fight. Jiri is still the man. Carlos Ulberg deserves his shot. It’s not a matchup that was lingering around for a while, either. It’s a great fight, but it’s not like there’s history between the guys. If there was history I think it would sell it a little harder. It just seems like the next logical step for the division because Alex is moving up.”
And he may be moving back down with a loss to Gane.
