Carlos Ulberg has visualised winning a UFC title many times – and when he does, his mind goes back to his upbringing.
The 35-year-old has lived a diverse life, going from rugby league player to reality TV star to UFC title challenger, but before all that he was a foster child.
Ulberg moved between foster homes in New Zealand, living with dozens of different families, between the ages of about four and 13.
Ulberg says there were some “good homes” and some “not so good homes”, while other times he would get “beaten up every day” by the other foster children – but the experience shaped him.
“That’s what has created me into this space that I am now and it’s a good thing. That’s what’s brought the best out of me,” Ulberg tells BBC Sport.
“I grew out of that kind of feel-sorry-for-yourself mentality and started to just push forward, and that’s what built a resilience in me.”
At UFC 327 in Miami’s Kaseya Centre on Saturday, Ulberg faces former champion Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light-heavyweight title after Alex Pereira dropped the belt to move up to heavyweight.
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