Ray Longo, coach of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's mental state and dismisses his claim of showing mercy. Longo stated Prochazka simply made a serious mistake and that the sport needs to address mental health issues. Carlos Ulberg directly refuted Prochazka's mercy narrative, saying fear and hesitation were the real factors, not compassion. Ulberg accused Prochazka of playing to the audience and stated he doesn't believe Prochazka will get a rematch, predicting Magomed Ankalaev will dominate him. President Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after the fight that he is "too handsome to be a fighter." The post also notes apparent tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with no recent public interaction or support between them.
Ray Longo and Carlos Ulberg both pushed back sharply on Jiri Prochazka's claim that he showed mercy in his most recent light heavyweight contest, while a notable exchange between President Trump and Paulo Costa drew attention in the post-fight aftermath.
Longo, the coach best known for guiding Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, was blunt in his assessment of Prochazka's framing. He argued the Czech fighter simply made a serious mistake and that dressing it up as compassion does a disservice to the sport. Longo also used the moment to call for greater attention to mental health within MMA. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, carries a 32-6-1 record and is one of the most aggressive strikers in the sport, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Ulberg was even more direct. The New Zealand-based fighter flatly rejected the mercy narrative, saying fear and hesitation were what actually stopped Prochazka, not compassion. He accused Prochazka of playing to the crowd and went further by predicting Magomed Ankalaev would dominate the Czech fighter if a rematch were to happen, adding that he does not believe that rematch will materialize.
Meanwhile, President Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after the fight that he is too handsome to be a fighter. Costa, a 35-year-old Brazilian middleweight ranked thirteenth, holds a 16-4-0 record and lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, making him one of the hardest-hitting fighters in his division.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's path back to a title shot could hinge on how the UFC views his explanation and public response
- Ulberg's comments carry an edge given reported tension with City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya, with the two appearing to have had no recent public interaction or mutual support
- Adesanya, now ranked eighth at middleweight with a 24-6-0 record, and Ulberg training under the same City Kickboxing banner makes any rift between them a storyline worth monitoring
