Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 255
Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 255 at The O2 in London. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC London preview
Former light heavyweight champion Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) is back for the first time in around 20 months. He was set to retun from a split decision loss to Alex Pereira in January 2024, but was sidelined by a shoulder surgery. He’s looking for his first win since May 2022. … Ulberg (12-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) dropped his UFC debut in a Fight of the Night winner, but hasn’t looked back. He’s on a seven-fight winning streak to get into contention. He’s had fights against ex-champ Jamahal Hill and former title challengers Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes scrapped – over whom wins would’ve done wonders for his title hopes. A win over an ex-champ like Blachowicz would be his biggest one yet.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC London expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in London features a potential crossroads fight at light heavyweight between Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg.
Despite Blachowicz’s rich history as coming through as an underdog in the UFC, I have a hard time getting my hopes too high for a 42-year-old coming off a 20-month layoff. More importantly, from a stylistic perspective, I’m not sure how much play Blachowicz’s takedowns will have considering the glimpses of improvements we’ve seen from Ulberg.
Not only does Ulberg have the athletic sprawl you’d expect from his first layer of defense, but the City Kickboxing product is also good about circling off of his sprawls and underhooks so that he can get back to the center of the cage.
Ulberg also showed some solid offensive looks and a natural aptitude for topside offense in his fight with Da Woon Jung, so don’t be shocked to see the New Zealand native attempt to flip the script on the former champ.
Although part of me will be cheering for the Pole, I’m officially predicting a statement performance from Ulberg that’s sparked off by the speed of his lead hand. The pick is Ulberg by knockout in Round 1.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC London odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the younger fighter, listing Ulberg -290 and Blachowicz +225 via FanDuel.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg UFC London start time, how to watch
Blachowicz and Ulberg are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 6:15 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.