Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, addressed mental health in MMA while criticizing Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation. Longo dismissed Prochazka's claim of showing mercy, stating the fighter simply made a serious mistake. Carlos Ulberg also rejected Prochazka's mercy narrative, suggesting fear was the real issue and accusing Prochazka of playing to the audience. Ulberg noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight and believes everything Prochazka does is calculated for public reaction. Additionally, Donald Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after his fight that he is "too beautiful to be a fighter." Tensions are reportedly brewing at City Kickboxing gym, with Israel Adesanya and Ulberg rarely seen together and not supporting each other's recent performances.
Veteran MMA trainer Ray Longo and light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg have both pushed back on Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim that he showed mercy to an opponent, with Ulberg going further by suggesting fear was the more honest explanation.
Longo, best known as the head trainer of bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili and former champion Aljamain Sterling, addressed mental health in MMA while using Prochazka's remarks as a counterexample. He dismissed the mercy narrative outright, saying the Czech fighter simply made a serious mistake and should own it rather than frame it as a conscious act of restraint.
Ulberg, who shares the City Kickboxing gym with middleweight contender Israel Adesanya, was more pointed in his criticism. The New Zealand-based light heavyweight accused Prochazka of playing to the audience and argued that every move Prochazka makes is calculated for public reaction. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not seek him out after their fight, which he took as telling. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, carries a record of 32-6-1 and lands an impressive 5.69 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the most active offensive fighters in the division.
The story also touches on an unusual sidebar involving Paulo Costa, ranked 13th in the middleweight division with a 16-4 record. Donald Trump reportedly told the Brazilian slugger after his fight that he is too beautiful to be a fighter, a remark that drew attention given Costa's reputation as one of the sport's harder hitters at 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Prochazka sits at number two in the light heavyweight rankings, meaning how he handles public perception could affect matchmaking and title positioning
- Adesanya, ranked eighth at middleweight, and Ulberg are reportedly rarely seen together at City Kickboxing, with neither supporting the other's recent outings, hinting at friction inside one of MMA's most prominent gyms
- Longo's framing of mental health versus accountability raises a broader question about how fighters and their teams manage post-fight narratives in a social-media era
