Ulberg still holds the light heavyweight title — ACL rehab, no interim, no return date

Carlos Ulberg is still the UFC light heavyweight champion. As of Tuesday night, Sept. 22, his athlete page lists him as Title Holder, and UFC.com rankings still list him as light heavyweight champion. What the division does not have is a next title fight — or an interim belt while he rehabs an ACL tear from the night he won the strap.

How he got here

Ulberg knocked out Jiří Procházka to win the title at UFC 327 on April 11, 2026. He also tore his ACL in that fight. UFC.com’s athlete page still carries recovery and rehab content — including the promotion’s “On The Road To Recovery” package and rehab-in-Vegas video — months after the stoppage. The championship listing has not moved: Ulberg remains the champion on the pages fans check first.

What is not booked

There is no interim light heavyweight title. There is no light heavyweight title bout and no title eliminator on the fetched UFC event pages. The nearest ranked light heavyweight action on the calendar is Azamat Murzakanov vs. Dominick Reyes at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 — a ladder fight, not a title path and not an eliminator the promotion has labeled as such.

Until the promotion books something else, the structural picture is simple: Ulberg holds the belt, he is recovering from the ACL, and the division is waiting.

The wait frame

In an April 23 UFC.com feature, Ulberg said the plan going into his April 16 knee surgery was six to eight months, and that his early progress was going well. The promotion has not printed a return date on his athlete page or in that recovery package as of Tuesday night. A long rehab, not a near-term defense.

Outside pressure, not a UFC decision

Secondary chatter has floated an interim. Paulo Costa has pushed for one while Ulberg rehabs. Dana White has, in interviews, left the door ajar rather than ruling an interim in or out. Ulberg has pushed back on that chatter in secondary quotes. None of that is a UFC decision. As of Tuesday night, no interim exists and no light heavyweight title or eliminator bout is booked.

Bottom line

Ulberg is still champion — Title Holder on UFC.com, champ on the rankings, ACL rehab still the public recovery story. No interim. No title fight booked. Murzakanov–Reyes at UFC 333 is ladder only. The light heavyweight belt is unfinished until Ulberg returns or the promotion changes the picture; UFC has not printed a return date.

Correction, Oct. 9: An earlier version of this story said UFC recovery coverage put Ulberg’s return window in early 2027. UFC.com’s April 23 recovery feature does not say that; it quotes Ulberg saying the plan going into surgery was six to eight months. The story has been updated.