Apr 12, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Dominick Reyes (blue gloves) reacts during UFC 314 fight against Nikita Krylov (not pictured) at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Dominick Reyes Gets A New Opponent For UFC Perth Card!

Dominick Reyes headlines the UFC Perth card with a fresh matchup, looking to reignite his career in front of a massive Australian crowd!

Apr 12, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Dominick Reyes (blue gloves) reacts during UFC 314 fight against Nikita Krylov (not pictured) at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Dominick Reyes has been through a lot of career ups and downs. The former light heavyweight title challenger once came closer than anyone to beating Jon Jones during his legendary reign, losing a controversial decision that many fans still argue he should have won. That heartbreaking loss in 2020 sent Reyes into a tailspin that included four straight defeats and serious health problems that threatened to end his fighting career completely.

But Reyes has clawed his way back from rock bottom with three straight victories. This included a spectacular first round knockout of Nikita Kryvlov in April. His comeback story shows the kind of adversity that either breaks fighters or makes them stronger. Reyes clearly chose the latter path, and now he’s ready to prove that his resurgence is the real deal. Now he is ready to face another high level opponent!

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Dominick Cruz vs Carlos Ulberg Set For Perth

The UFC has rewarded Reyes’ hot streak with a main event slot against Carlos Ulberg at UFC Perth on September 27th. This matchup has all the ingredients for fireworks. Ulberg represents everything that makes modern mixed martial arts exciting. He is undefeated in his last eight fights and trains alongside former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at the famous City Kickboxing gym in New Zealand. His most recent victory came against former champion Jan Blachowicz in March, a close decision win that proved he belongs among the division’s elite contenders.

Carlos Ulberg will take on Dominick Reyes in the main event at #UFCPerth, UFC announced on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/E0laD2CKPm
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 29, 2025

What makes this fight particularly intriguing is the clash of styles and career trajectories. Reyes brings veteran experience and knockout power, while Ulberg offers youth, momentum, and technical striking that his gym is famous for developing. The New Zealander has quietly built one of the most impressive winning streaks in the light heavyweight division without getting the recognition he probably deserves. A victory over a former title challenger like Reyes would change that immediately and launch him into serious title contention discussions.

Australia hasn’t seen a UFC event in more than 2 years, so the promotion clearly wants to make a statement with this card. Putting two surging contenders in the main event sends a message that they are serious about delivering quality matchups for Australian fans who have been waiting patiently for the octagon to return Down Under. Both fighters have legitimate reasons to believe a victory here could lead to bigger opportunities. This should create the kind of urgency that produces a memorable fight!

(Image Credit: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images)

Carlos Ulberg

Dominick Reyes

UFC Perth

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!