Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, called for discussion of mental health issues in MMA, specifically criticizing Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation. Longo mocked Prochazka's explanation that he showed mercy, saying the Czech fighter simply made a serious mistake. Carlos Ulberg directly rejected Prochazka's mercy claim, stating fear and hesitation were the real factors, not compassion. Ulberg accused Prochazka of playing to the public and using the mercy excuse to secure a rematch, adding that Prochazka didn't even approach him after the fight. There are also reports of tension at City Kickboxing gym, with Israel Adesanya and Ulberg not seen together recently and neither supporting each other's recent performances. Trump told Paulo Costa after the fight that he's too handsome to be a fighter.
Veteran trainer Ray Longo has publicly criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight comments following the Czech light heavyweight's recent loss, while Carlos Ulberg offered a blunt rebuttal of Prochazka's explanation and separate reports have surfaced of friction within the City Kickboxing gym.
Longo, best known as the longtime trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, used the moment to call for a broader conversation around mental health in MMA. He was dismissive of Prochazka's claim that he showed mercy to his opponent late in the fight, stating plainly that the 33-year-old Czech fighter simply made a serious mistake and should own it rather than dress it up as compassion.
Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division with a professional record of 32-6-1, is known for an aggressive, high-output style — landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His performances have rarely been associated with restraint, which made the mercy explanation land poorly with several figures in the sport.
Ulberg was even more direct. The New Zealand-based fighter flatly rejected the mercy narrative, arguing that fear and hesitation were the actual reasons Prochazka failed to finish, not any act of compassion. He also accused Prochazka of playing to the public and suggested the mercy framing was a calculated move to position himself for a rematch. Ulberg added that Prochazka made no effort to approach him after the fight concluded.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's rematch positioning in the light heavyweight division could be complicated if his post-fight explanation is widely seen as disingenuous
- Ulberg's public pushback signals he has no interest in allowing a revisionist narrative to take hold
- Reports of distance between Ulberg and City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya — ranked eighth in the middleweight division at 24-6-0 — add another layer of internal tension to the gym's public profile
- Paulo Costa received an unusual post-fight compliment from Donald Trump, a notable footnote to an already eventful card
