Ulberg vs. Reyes: Weighing the Odds
Dominick Reyes and Carlos Ulberg are set to face each other on Saturday, September 27th. Reyes traditionally comes from a record where he has more fights than his current opponent, Ulberg. This has resulted in him sustaining more losses to his career than Ulberg, but does experience mean this fight will go in Reyes's favor? Known as the “Black Jag,” Ulberg could upset the natural predictions that Reyes will take this fight. However, Reyes is known as the “Devastator” for a reason and has consecutively targeted the head at nearly the same percentage rate Ulberg has accomplished in his shorter time in the ring. Ultimately, as far as striking goes, they are both equal in landing massive shots to incapacitate. Reyes' ground game does fall short of Ulberg's, too, in that he has attempted more with his increased number of fights but has not been as successful as Ulberg overall. That could be the wild card that secures Ulberg the W or win.
Morale-wise, though, they are both coming off of winning streaks and, as such, should be feeling confident when the clock counts down in their five-round bout. Their weights, too, are almost exact, with Reyes currently being only one pound heavier on average. The reach from measuring at both the arms and legs is the same. The fight too isn’t taking place at the same location as the Noche fights, but instead is being hosted in Perth at the RAC Arena. In effect, it may not seem like the “love letter” Dana White had for the past fights of this weekend, but these opponents are so evenly matched that it’ll be a love letter to the Light Heavyweight division of tenacity and guile! After all, both fighters secured their previous wins by knockouts, with Ulberg going into a decision for some of those wins. This is what he should avoid, though, as Reyes, being the more experienced of the two, could come out on top if he lands more punches or stays in a dominant position after a takedown. Reyes will attempt at least one in this fight, too, as he himself is confident in his takedown defense, like Ulberg, demonstrating once again how evenly matched their stats are.
What does a win look like in this fight, though, from two evenly matched opponents who are practically stat twins on the surface? It may be that for this fight, the tenacity between them is simply put. This means if Ulberg could decrease the significant strikes he absorbs against Reyes, he could come out on top by being aggressive on the ground. However, if Reyes manages to knock him out before the fourth round, that may not happen as he is ending his fights earlier than Ulberg and is the one predicted to be the closer between the two, rather than it going to a decision. It is anyone's guess, though, and altogether be there for the bout that will go all night long as the “Devastator” pursues the “Black Jag” for another knockout victory!
