Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim that he showed mercy to Carlos Ulberg, calling it mental illness in MMA and stating Prochazka simply messed up badly. Carlos Ulberg denied Prochazka's mercy narrative, saying it was fear and hesitation that held Prochazka back, not compassion. Ulberg accused Prochazka of playing to the crowd and using the excuse to angle for a rematch, predicting that Magomed Ankalaev will dominate him instead. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight and questioned the sincerity of his public persona. The post also mentions reported tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with the two ignoring each other's recent performances.
Carlos Ulberg and trainer Ray Longo have pushed back hard on Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim that he deliberately showed mercy during their light heavyweight contest at UFC 327, with both men calling the narrative a self-serving fiction.
Longo, who trains Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, was blunt in his assessment. He described Prochazka's mercy excuse as a form of mental illness within MMA and said plainly that the Czech fighter simply made serious mistakes and paid for them. His comments underscored a view shared widely in combat sports circles — that post-loss narratives which deflect personal error are damaging to a fighter's growth.
Ulberg, the New Zealander who improved to 15-1-0 and sits ranked third in the light heavyweight division, was equally dismissive. The 35-year-old "Black Jag" said it was fear and hesitation, not compassion, that held Prochazka back during the fight. Ulberg accused the second-ranked contender of playing to the crowd and suggested the mercy claim was designed to set up a rematch rather than reflect any genuine competitive instinct. He also noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the final horn, calling into question the sincerity of the public persona the Czech fighter projects. Ulberg predicted that Magomed Ankalaev would dominate Prochazka before any rematch scenario could materialize.
Prochazka, 33, carries a record of 32-6-1 and brings a physically imposing frame — six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach — along with one of the higher striking output rates in the division at 5.69 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's win at UFC 327 positions him as a genuine title threat from the third spot in the light heavyweight rankings.
- Prochazka's post-fight comments have drawn credibility questions that could affect how matchmakers and fans view a potential rematch case.
- The article also surfaces reported tension inside City Kickboxing, where Ulberg and middleweight ranked Israel Adesanya have reportedly been ignoring each other's recent performances, hinting at internal friction at one of MMA's most decorated gyms.
