Can former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes stay hot and shut down the surging Carlos Ulberg at UFC Fight Night 260?
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 260 main event between Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes.
Carlos Ulberg UFC Fight Night 260 preview
Staple info:
- Record: 12-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC
- Height: 6'4" Age: 34 Weight: 205 lbs. Reach: 77"
- Last fight:Decision win over Jan Blachowicz (March 22, 2025)
- Camp: City Kickboxing (New Zealand)
- Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
- Risk management: Good
Supplemental info:
- + Kickboxing accolades and experience
- + 1-0 as a pro boxer
- + Rugby background
- + 7 KO victories
- + 2 submission wins
- + 6 first-round finishes
- + Knockout power
- + Educated lead hand
- ^ Prods, counters, hooks off the jab
- + Hard leg kicks
- + Strong inside the clinch
- + Improved wrestling and grappling
- ^ Works well from topside
- +/- 2-1 opposite UFC-level southpaws
Dominick Reyes UFC Fight Night 260 preview
Staple info:
- Record: 15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC
- Height: 6'4" Age: 35 Weight: 205 lbs. Reach: 77"
- Last fight:Knockout win over Nikita Krylov (April 12, 2025)
- Camp: Cobra Kai Victorville (California)
- Stance/striking style: Southpaw/kickboxing
- Risk management: Fair
Supplemental info:
- + Regional MMA titles
- + Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt
- + Wrestling accolades and experience
- + 10 KO victories
- + 2 submission wins
- + 11 first-round finishes
- + Knockout power
- + Explosive athlete
- + Solid striking flow
- ^ Variates well to body and legs
- + Accurate left cross and power kicks
- + Shows good wrestling fundamentals
- ^ Defensively and offensively
- + Rides and transitions well from topside
Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes point of interest: Look out for the left
The main event in Australia features a pairing of light heavyweight contenders who tend to do their cleanup hitting off the left side.
A former collegiate football player who fights out of a southpaw stance, Dominick Reyes brings in a host of well-rounded, physical attributes to complement his skills. And despite his background and on-paper experience, the 35-year-old appears to have a natural feel for the striking arts.
Displaying a preternatural sense for range, Reyes typically uses pressure to draw out reactions. He has hard hooks and kicks that keep his opposition honest, but it’s his pinpoint left cross that acts like a battering ram, both coming forward and off the counter.
Reyes also excels when varying his attack levels, targeting the body or legs with regularity. In more recent years, Reyes has displayed better lead-hand awareness and function, which should serve him well going forward. That said, Reyes will still need to be mindful of the lead side of his opposition this Saturday.
Despite fighting out of a right-handed orthodox stance, Carlos Ulberg does a lot of his work with his left hand.
Not only does Ulberg possess a lot of the lead hand and low kick interplay that’s a staple of the City Kickboxing stable, but you can also see a ton of Alex Pereira influence in the New Zealander’s style – likely from years spent having to imitate him for Israel Adesanya.
Working off more of an in-and-out flow, Ulberg usually looks to poke and prod his opposition in hopes of walking them into devastating traps in the form of counter hooks and crosses. Ulberg also has a solid array of kicks he keeps in his back pocket, but has primarily paired down his attacks to punishing leg kicks after suffering his first-career loss in the UFC.
However, with this being an open-stance affair on paper, I’ll be curious to see if Ulberg leans a bit more on alternative kicking options like he has against southpaws in the past.
Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes breakdown: Potential grappling threats
Considering the chaos that could be taking place on the feet, I’ll be curious to see if either party looks to change things up by interjecting some grappling into the mix.
Despite a somewhat limited sample size to draw from, Reyes – who was a decorated wrestler in high school – demonstrates solid wrestling chops in transit, whether he is using fundamentals to defend takedowns or exercising what appears to be a more than serviceable takedown game. That said, fighters who have tried to take Ulberg down in the UFC have not found it as easy as some might expect.
Although it doesn’t get highlighted too much, the City Kickboxing fighters have quietly been shoring up the wrestling presence in their fights – and Ulberg has been a prime example.
Not only has Ulberg shown some solid defensive fundamentals under fire, but the 34-year-old has also proven that he’s capable of putting down opponents who come in hot. And when Ulberg is able to ground his opposition, he flows on top fairly naturally, seeking out striking and submission opportunities from solid positional rides.
I won’t be shocked if Ulberg attempts to take the fight into this realm this weekend, but Reyes has traditionally been a tough fighter to control.
Reyes has always shown absurd athleticism and balance from multiple positions that have bailed him out before and, more importantly, appears to be hard-wired to properly scramble with immediacy whenever in disadvantageous spots (something that I suspect he can thank his grappling coach Joe Stevenson for). And if the 35-year-old talent finds himself working from topside, he displays solid rides and decision-making regarding when he should sink in his hooks and commit to a position.
Nevertheless, unless either man is able to seriously hurt or fatigue the other, then I suspect that the scrambles between these two will be short and sweet – at least by light heavyweight standards.
Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes odds
The oddsmakers and the public are siding with the native of New Zealand, listing Ulberg -260 and Reyes +205 via FanDuel.
Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes prediction, pick
Despite these odds being a bit too wide for my liking, I can understand Ulberg being favored in this spot.
Between looking the part and carrying a solid winning streak to boot, it’s safe to say that many are looking to Ulberg as the breath of fresh air that this division desperately needs. And though I could easily see Ulberg capitalizing on an aggressive blitz from Reyes, I can’t say for certain that “Black Jag” is any less liable than his opposition in this spot.
Sure, Reyes’ vicious run of stoppage losses is undoubtedly etched into our brains, but let's not pretend this weight class hasn’t traditionally been littered with potential glass cannons – Ulberg included.
Ulberg may not have the same record of getting starched like Reyes does, but the City Kickboxing product – aside from being stopped before – has also been stunned in his fair share of fights given their shared susceptibility to counters.
In fact, both fighters, perhaps realizing this, have looked to counter a lot more in subsequent contests throughout their career – which could make for some surprising staring stanzas this Saturday. And though a patient fight seems like it could benefit Ulberg on paper, I’m not sure how well he will be able to control the action opposite a southpaw like Reyes.
Like many orthodox fighters in MMA, Ulberg doesn’t commit nearly as much with his lead hand in open-stance affairs, often looking to counter.
Whereas Reyes, who will be the first southpaw since Ulberg’s loss to Kennedy Nzechukwu who can offer size and athletic parity, has gotten better about filling space and working off of his lead hand. And though the fight may have taken place a few years ago, I didn’t like the fact that Fabio Cherant was able to hit Ulberg with just about every left hand he threw at him.
Counter hooks will be live on both sides, but I suspect that Reyes will be the more offensively potent of the two. It’s not a popular pick, but I’ll take Reyes to eventually find the finish in a fight that could get off to a cautious start.
Prediction: Reyes inside the distance
Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes start time, how to watch
As the main event, Walker and Mingyang are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 12:15 a.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes pick, odds, time: UFC Perth
Category: General Sports
