Why are Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg fighting for a vacant belt at UFC 327?

Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg will main event UFC 327 for the right to be called undisputed light heavyweight champion, but why is the title vacant?

April 11, 2026 05:35PM EDT

**© Harry How/Getty Images**Jiří Procházka of Czechia

The UFC 327 main event features former champion Jiri Prochazka trying to regain his light heavyweight title. However, Carlos Ulberg is not the champ, he is trying to become one for the first time. So, what happened that the belt is vacant?

Alex Pereira reigned over the 205-pound division for years (barring a loss to Magomed Ankalaev, which he avenged). However, Alex Pereira will go up a weight class to try to achieve the heavyweight crown. Hence, he vacated his title to not hold the division back.

This gave the opportunity to Prochazka to be once again considered for UFC gold. Prochazka’s only two losses in the UFC came to Alex Pereira, so the fact that his boogeyman is out of the division is great news for him. Carlos Ulberg, on the other hand, is on a nine-fight win streak, so he deservedly earned this shot.

Alex Pereira is ready for heavyweight

Alex Pereira is weighing 251 pounds right now. He is ready to roll and has a massive fight scheduled already for his heavyweight debut. Alex Pereira will fight Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title on the White House card.

Alex Pereira weighs 251 lbs (114 kg) right now 🤯

(via @AlexPereiraUFC) pic.twitter.com/NhPS8s6YMW
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 10, 2026

If Pereira wins, he would be in line for a mega fight against Tom Aspinall for the undisputed champion. However, it’s more than that. If Pereira beats Gane, he would become the first UFC fighter in history to be a champion in three different weight classes. He has held the middleweight and light heavyweight titles already.

How much are Jiri Prochazka, Carlos Ulberg getting paid for UFC 327 main event?

UFC light heavyweights champions in history

There have been 18 different undisputed light heavyweight champions. However, after a decade-long dominance from Jon Jones with a couple of Daniel Cormier stints, the division has opened up. From 2020 until now, there’s been six different champions.

Frank Shamrock 1997-1999
Tito Ortiz 2000-2003
Randy Couture 2003-2004
Vitor Belfort 2004
Chuck Liddell 2005-2007
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson 2007-2008
Forrest Griffin 2008
Rashad Evans 2008
Lyoto Machida 2009
Maurico ‘Shogun’ Rua 2010
Jon Jones 2011-2015, 2016, 2018-2019
Daniel Cormier 2015-2018
Jan Blachowicz 2020-2021
Glover Teixeira 2021
Jiri Prochazka 2022
Jamahal Hill 2022
Alex Pereira 2023-2025 and 2025-2026
Magomed Ankalaev 2025

Bruno Milano

Bruno Milano is a sports journalist who joined Bolavip in June 2025 and is always craving the opportunity to find new angles to tell stories. With over 5 years of experience, he has covered prestigious events such as Super Bowl LVII, Super Bowl LX and UFC live events. Specializing in football, soccer, and combat sports, he is the complete package when it comes to creating dynamic sports content. A polyglot who speaks Spanish, English, and Italian, Bruno has a comprehensive understanding of various sports, including NFL, College sports, MLB, soccer, boxing, and MMA. His broad expertise and linguistic skills position him well to engage a diverse global audience with insightful and engaging sports journalism.