Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's mental state after his loss, calling out his eccentric behaviors and rejection of the "mercy" narrative. Carlos Ulberg strongly denied Prochazka's claim that he showed mercy during their fight, stating it was fear and hesitation, not compassion. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the bout and accused him of playing to the audience to justify a rematch. Additionally, tensions reportedly exist at City Kickboxing between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with the two not being seen together recently and showing no public support for each other. President Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after a fight that he is "too handsome to be a fighter." Ulberg's injury is suspected to be an ACL tear with recovery projected at 9-12 months.
Carlos Ulberg has pushed back firmly against Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim that he showed mercy during their light heavyweight contest, and a reported rift between Ulberg and teammate Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing is drawing further attention to the fallout surrounding the bout.
Ulberg rejected Prochazka's suggestion outright, saying the Czech fighter's late-fight hesitation was rooted in fear, not compassion. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka never approached him after the fight ended and accused him of working the crowd to build a narrative that would justify a rematch. Separately, trainer Ray Longo — known for his work with Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling — weighed in critically on Prochazka's mental state following the loss, questioning his eccentric behaviors and dismissing the mercy framing entirely.
Prochazka, now 32-6-1, is ranked second in the light heavyweight division. The 33-year-old from the Czech Republic is one of the sport's most aggressive strikers, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His unorthodox style has always invited scrutiny, and the post-fight framing of his performance appears to have only deepened that conversation.
Adesanya, the 36-year-old Nigerian standout from City Kickboxing, carries a 24-6 record and sits eighth in the middleweight rankings. The switch-stance striker lands 4.03 significant strikes per minute. Reports indicate that he and Ulberg have not been seen together publicly in recent weeks and have not publicly supported one another, raising questions about the dynamic inside their shared gym.
Adding a lighter note to the wider news cycle, Paulo Costa reportedly received a compliment from President Trump following a recent fight. Costa, ranked 13th at middleweight with a 16-4 record, was told he was too handsome to be a fighter.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's suspected ACL tear and a projected nine-to-twelve month recovery timeline could delay any potential rematch with Prochazka significantly
- Prochazka's mercy claim and Ulberg's rebuttal complicate the rematch narrative and may affect how the division is matched up at the top
- A reported cooling of relations between Ulberg and Adesanya raises questions about cohesion at one of MMA's most prominent training camps
