UFC champ could face big fine after losing belt only hours after winning it
Newly crowned UFC Light Heavyweight champ Carlos Ulberg almost faced a huge fine after winning his belt at UFC 327. Despite hurting his knee early in the fight, the 35-year-old from New Zealand knocked out Jiri Prochazka with a strong left hook just over a minute before the first round ended.
Joe Rogan, the commentator, could hardly believe what he saw, and the crowd at Miami’s Kaseya Centre went wild with excitement. The next day, Ulberg told Fox Sports Australia that he originally planned not to drink after winning the title, but things quickly changed.
“I’ve lost the belt, bro,” Ulberg joked. “I’m not exactly sure where it is. At first, I didn’t want to have any drinks, but then someone handed me champagne, and one thing led to another — shots followed. We had a big group celebrating in Miami, went to an after-party, and then back to a friend’s apartment.
“I didn’t want to carry the belt around all night, so I left it there. It’s probably somewhere in that apartment, maybe one of the boys has it with him.”
It’s still unclear if Ulberg has found his belt yet. If he hasn’t, he could face a fine of about £300,000. That’s because, as UFC Heavyweight Champ Tom Aspinall explained in 2025, fighters have to pay if they lose their championship belt, which is worth roughly that much.
Steven Bartlett, host of Diary of a CEO, said, “I heard online that the belt really costs around 300 grand, and fighters have to sign a contract agreeing to pay if they lose it.”
Aspinall added, “If it goes missing, I’m paying for it. Luckily, mine is kept somewhere very safe, so I won’t lose it.”
The UFC action continues this weekend with Gilbert Burns taking on Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg.