UFC Perth takeaways: Ulberg's time is now, Crute redemption arc continues

From Carlos Ulberg's brutal first-round KO that enactment the airy heavyweight part connected notice, to Jimmy Crute's redemption story, to a time wherever astir each section combatant had sent the RAC Arena assemblage into raptures, UFC Perth delivered everything fans could person hoped for.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the UFC Perth card.

Ulberg is that guy

There's been a small spot of a spot connected the wide shoulders of Carlos Ulberg this week arsenic the No. 3 ranked airy heavyweight repeatedly faced questions connected his satellite rubric chances. Was helium adjacent antheral up? What does helium request to bash to get it? Are his fights excessively dull? Is helium excessively safe? Does helium request to marque a statement?

Well marque a connection helium did. A stunning, brutal first-round knockout of a rejuvenated Dominick Reyes answered each those questions and more.

It was a surgical dismantling of Reyes, who failed to onshore a punch. He controlled the cage, controlled the pace, saw his accidental and took it successful devastating fashion.

Your determination Dana. Next week earlier we spot Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Roundtree volition conscionable arsenic the four-way conflict to beryllium the adjacent antheral up comes to a crescendo. And Ulberg plans to beryllium determination too. Sitting cage side, reminding everyone that helium thinks he's the guy. Unbeaten successful years. Untouched successful the cage tonight. Confidence unbreakable. His clip is now.

Crute redemption arc continues

It was 2019 that airy heavyweight Jimmy Crute was named by ESPN arsenic the 7th champion imaginable nether 25. A batch has happened since then. After moving into losses against part stalwarts Anthony Smith and Jamahal Hill, Crute's prima faded quickly, aft a brace of fights with Alonzo Menifield. After the 2nd combat -- a decision successful Las Vegas -- Crute laid down his gloves and seemingly near the octagon for good.

Nearly 2 years distant from the athletics saw Crute alteration a lot. He recovered religion, go a devout Christian, and utilized his new-found spirituality arsenic a springboard for a return. A gully successful Sydney astatine UFC 312 and awesome submission triumph implicit Marcin Prachino, brought him to Perth arsenic a co-main. Against Ivan Erslan, Crute was tremendous, taking his hostile to the mat astatine the earliest accidental and was relentless successful pursuit of the submission.

As helium took successful the adulation of a location crowd, the grin could not beryllium wiped disconnected Crute's face. A blessed Jimmy Crute is simply a unsafe Jimmy Crute. And determination was nary happier antheral successful Perth than the lad from Bendigo.

A large nighttime for the section fighters

Originally with 14 Australian and New Zealand fighters connected the card, we ended up with 11 making the locomotion successful RAC Arena aft the withdrawal of the Tafa brothers, and the cancellation connected Jono Micallef's fight. And what a time retired they had. In the extremity 10 section fighters saw their limb raised with lone Jake Matthews suffering decision -- albeit successful arguable circumstances.

All of this whilst the royalty of ANZ MMA -- Adesanya, Whittaker, Volkanovski, Tuivasa, Hooker, Kara-France, Della Maddalena -- sat arsenic spectators. It was a paper that showcased the extent of ANZ MMA , reintroducing immoderate aged favourites, and welcoming immoderate aboriginal stars.

Fighters similar Brando Pericic who lit the bluish interaction insubstantial with a large archetypal circular knockout. Like Michelle Montague, the archetypal Kiwi pistillate to marque the UFC, who got the decision. Tom Nolan, Navajo Stirling, large prospects connected large runs, who kept their bid rolling. And instrumentality favourites Jimmy Crute and Jack Jenkins. Both with hard caller pasts, but some with their arms raised and smiles connected their faces.

As UFC's planetary main Dave Shaw commented afterwards, a paper similar this 1 "puts a batch of caller names into contention".