UFC 293 Prelims: Fast-Rising Carlos Ulberg Throttles Da Woon Jong in Sydney

Carlos Ulberg looks the part of an emerging threat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.

The City Kickboxing representative put a fifth consecutive victory in the books, as he disposed of Da Woon Jung with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their featured UFC 293 prelim on Saturday at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Jung (15-5-1, 4-3-1 UFC) conceded defeat 4:49 into Round 3.

Ulberg (9-1, 5-1 UFC) controlled much of the first 10 minutes with superior distance management and accurate power punches. He decked Jung with a stiff right hand in the first round and opened a cut under his right eye with a consistent jab in the second. The Korean Top Team upped his pace down the stretch, but Ulberg was up to the challenge. He struck for a takedown late in Round 3, climbed to full mount and unleashed his ground-and-pound before cinching the choke.

Meanwhile, Elevation Fight Team standout Jose Mariscal slammed onetime Eternal MMA champion Jack Jenkins into a gruesome technical knockout in the second round of their featherweight confrontation. Jenkins (12-3, 2-1 UFC) appeared to suffer a right elbow dislocation when he hit the mat, resulting in an immediate stoppage 3:19 into Round 2.

The 30-year-old Mariscal (15-6, 2-0 UFC) made his gains in the clinch, where he cut loose with short punches and thudding knees to the body and legs. Jenkins had built an early lead with crushing kicks to the lower legs and punishing jabs, but all his work went out the window a little more than midway through the middle stanza. The Aussie tried to post on an attempted takedown from Mariscal and sustained the fight-ending injury, a collective cringe engulfing the crowd.

Mariscal has won five straight bouts.

Related » UFC 293 Round-by-Round Scoring

Elsewhere, Tristar Gym’s Nasrat Haqparast called upon high-volume punching, as he outstruck former Titan Fighting Championship titleholder Landon Quinones to a unanimous decision in a three-round lightweight firefight. All three judges scored it the same: 30-27 for Haqparast (15-5, 7-4 UFC).

A short-notice substitution for Sam Patterson, Quinones (7-2-1, 0-1 UFC) handled himself well in his organizational debut. He forced Haqparast to switch stances to hide his lead leg from repeated low kicks, unleashed a potent jab and opened a significant cut above the Moroccan’s right eye. It was not enough to spring the upset. Haqparast dazed him with more than one overhand left and overwhelmed him with output, his efforts spearheaded by consistent body-head combinations.

The setback was Quinones’ first since April 26, 2019 and closed the book on his five-fight winning streak.

Further down the card, MMA Masters export Gabriel Miranda put an overweight Shane Young to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their featherweight tilt. Having missed weight by nearly four pounds, Young (13-8, 2-5 UFC) lost consciousness 59 seconds into Round 1. He had never before been submitted.

Miranda (17-6, 1-1 UFC) slipped behind the Kiwi during one of their initial exchanges, powered him to the mat and climbed to the back with a body triangle. He trapped Young at the base of the fence, locked in a face crank and transitioned to the choke for the finish.

Winless since Feb. 9, 2019, Young has lost four fights in a row.

Finally, former Hex Fight Series champion Kevin Jousset put away SBG Ireland’s Kiefer Crosbie with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their welterweight pairing. Crosbie (10-4, 0-1 UFC) raised the white flag of surrender 4:49 into Round 1.

Jousset (9-2, 1-0 UFC) set the tone with a punishing jab and damaging low kicks. Late in the first round, the City Kickboxing rep countered a takedown into top position, advanced to the back and secured his position with hooks. Jousset met with little resistance as he snaked his arms into place for the choke, tightened his squeeze and prompted the tapout.

The 30-year-old Jousset has rattled off four consecutive victories.

In other action, former Superfight MMA champion Jamie Mullarkey (17-6, 5-4 UFC) was awarded a unanimous verdict against John Makdessi (18-9, 11-9 UFC) in a three-round lightweight scrap, earning 29-28 marks across the board; and VFS Academy-trained newcomer Charlie Radtke (8-3, 1-0 UFC) laid claim to a unanimous decision over Mike Mathetha (3-3, 0-3 UFC) in a foul-filled welterweight affair, drawing 29-27 scores from all three cageside judges.