Last month, I penned an article about the effect that the White House card scheduled for June on Trump’s birthday has on the current UFC calendar. This weekend’s UFC 327 pay-per-view card that will be hosted at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida is more proof of that, especially given the line-up that was assembled from some of the pieces of the puzzle left after the White House card was announced.
Jiri Prochazka, the longtime veteran and former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, will square off with Carlos Ulberg, the talented striker that is riding a nine-fight win streak ahead of the bout, for the vacated 205 LBS title. The belt was vacated by Alex Pereira, who will fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship at the Freedom card in June. Jiri has a pro record of 32-5-1 with a reputation for entertaining fights, but this headliner very much has a consolation prize atmosphere around it. Pereira beat Prochazka twice, originally for the vacated UFC Light Heavyweight championship via TKO in the second round in November 2023 before he defeated him again in the same fashion in the same round of the rematch in June the following year. At this point, if Jiri wins the 205 LBS belt again, it’s more that the tougher competition vacated the title to move up a division rather than proving that he’s the top fighter in the division. This also applies, to a lesser degree, to Ulberg as well since he would defeat someone that lost to the previous champion twice. This fight seems like it was put together more for Jiri’s track record, and the fact that Ulberg has a record of 13-1 than anything else. It’s not as though there was a level of anticipation for this match-up or that their paths in the division necessarily justified this contest. Management needed a fight to crown a new champion after Pereira decided to move up to the heavyweight division, not that Prochazka/Ulberg was viewed as a championship bout prior to this.
Jiri, the Chezh striker that is known for his risk-taking style, is on a two-fight win streak. He defeated Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree via TKO and KO respectively last year. Ulberg has a kickboxing background so the stage is set for an action-packed main event, but the gravitas usually associated with pay-per-view title fights just isn’t there for this show. That said, there’s meat on the bone in this one, specifically for the diehard fan base that looks for the substance of a quality fight over the promotional sizzle often seen with the UFC. That is being saved for Dana White’s pal, the orange blob in the White House for his birthday.
That’s the biggest issue for this main event match-up, it has nothing to do with the entertaining skills of either Prochazka and Ulberg, but rather that the promotion is more or less on autopilot until they can pacify Trump with his own personalized birthday event. Given Jiri’s wild style, it’s tough to pick a winner for this one, as one punch for either of these strikers could set up to finish the fight. That said, I’ll pick Jiri to get the victory, mostly because he has fought and defeated tougher competition than the opponents on Ulberg’s record. Furthermore, if the bout reaches the championship rounds, Prochazka’s hefty experience advantage could be key. Carlos Ulberg hasn’t fought more than three rounds in his career, and hasn’t fought more than three rounds against competition the caliber of Prochazka.
A Flyweight title fight was originally slotted to serve as the co-main event on the show, but an injury moved the Joshua Van/Tatsuro Taira contest to next month’s UFC 328 pay-per-view, a broadcast that will be headlined by Khamzat Chimaev defending the Middleweight championship against Sean Strickland. If Strickland deserves another shot at the title since he only had one win after he lost to Dricus Du Plessis for a second time in their rematch for the championship is a different discussion for a different time. It appears, at least on the surface, that management is trying to use Strickland’s pig-headed and often controversy comments to sell some tickets. Given that the UFC is throwing the orange villain a birthday party, it’s not surprising that they’re trying to market Strickland’s ignorance to sell tickets. Anything for the almighty dollar, right?
With UFC 327 needing a co-main event, Paulo Costa looks as though he’s going to be fed to the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov so there’s not much intrigue for that bout, despite its position on the card. Speaking of lack of intrigue, the Dominik Reyes/Johnny Walker contest is more or less a battle of the underachievers. More than six years ago, Reyes lost a razor-close decision to Jon Jones, a bout that many argued that he won, but afterwards, he never truly progressed the way that many thought he would with the way that he possibly defeated Jones, depending on your perspective. Following the close defeat on the score cards, Reyes lost three fights in a row before he picked up three wins in a row. He was knocked out by the previously mentioned Ulberg in the first round of his most recent fight last September. Sure, Reyes fought solid competition, but since the performance of his career against Jones, his record is a reflection of indifference. Much of the same can be said for his opponent, Johnny Walker, as he was touted as a future star upon his debut in the organization several years ago, but he was never consist enough to put himself in the championship conversation. Key losses put him at an almost .500 record, which again, is the definition of indifference. You can pick a winner for this contest, but it won’t matter either way.
Elsewhere on the card, Josh Hokit, an undefeated heavyweight that has racked up eight victories since he joined the pro ranks just two and a half years ago, will step into the octagon against journeyman, Curtis Blaydes. Knowing that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, Hokit has tried to use some pro wrestling tactics to hype his upcoming bout, and we’ve seen how such approaches yield attention, if nothing else. However, I think that will prove to be a key mistake for Hokit. Granted, Blaydes is being used in the gatekeeper role here since he lost against the upper-tier of the division previously, but found success against anyone even a rung underneath that on the ladder toward the top of the 265 LBS weight class. Obviously, this contest is designed to find out where Hokit gauges in the division. Blaydes is undoubtedly the toughest competition of Hokit’s relatively young career, and I’d pick Blaydes to get the victory, mostly because of his experience advantage.
Finally, Cub Swanson will have his retirement fight against Nate Landwehr. After an astounding 22-year card, the 42-year-old featherweight will hang up his gloves, closing another chapter in MMA history, as he’s one of the very few fighters remaining from the WEC days. Swanson is a perfect example of how the fight business is still the entertainment business, which is meant in the most positive way possible. We’ve seen how the politics of the fight game, both in MMA and boxing, can sometimes prevent the best quality bouts from taking place. Cub Swanson was a guy that, regardless of it he won or lost, you were going to get your money’s worth when you paid to see him fight, which is why he kept a job with the UFC for as long as he has. His wild brawl with Choi Doo-ho won the fight of the year award in 2016. He didn’t duck anyone, he showed up to fight, not just to avoid a defeat, and he will have a legacy as one of the guys that stepped into the cage to put on a show. Sure, he never won UFC gold, or was truly in contention for a title, but his heart and grit made him a commodity in the MMA landscape. Much like the rest of his career, it won’t matter if he wins or loses his final bout, it’s just going to be entertaining to watch him fight before his retirement.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
