Ray Longo, coach to Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation about showing mercy. Longo stated they need to discuss mental health in MMA, calling Prochazka's excuse 'complete nonsense' and saying he simply lost badly. Carlos Ulberg also dismissed Prochazka's mercy claims, stating that fear interfered with Prochazka's performance, not compassion. Ulberg suggested Prochazka is playing to the audience and making excuses 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 between Ulberg and Israel Adesanya, with the two not being seen together recently and ignoring each other's fight results.
Ray Longo, the coach behind Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, has publicly challenged Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation following his loss, calling the Czech fighter's claim that he showed mercy "complete nonsense." Longo went further, saying the sport needs to have a serious conversation about mental health in MMA, and that Prochazka simply lost and needs to own it.
Prochazka, 33, enters this controversy carrying a 32-6-1 record and holding the number-two ranking in the light heavyweight division. Fighting out of Jetsaam Gym Brno, the six-foot-three Czech Republic native owns one of the more aggressive output profiles in the division, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His contention that mercy played a role in his performance has drawn sharp reactions from multiple corners of the sport.
Carlos Ulberg was equally dismissive. The New Zealand-born light heavyweight, ranked third in the division at 15-1-0, offered a blunter read on Prochazka's explanation — that fear, not compassion, affected his performance. Fighting out of City Kickboxing, the six-foot-four "Black Jag" leads the light heavyweight tier in striking output at 6.54 significant strikes per minute, also at 55 percent accuracy. Ulberg added that Prochazka appeared to be performing for an audience, likely maneuvering to secure a rematch, and pointedly noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight concluded.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's rematch ambitions hinge on the narrative around his loss, making his post-fight framing a calculated but risky move
- Ulberg's dismissal, coming from the number-three ranked fighter who just defeated him, carries direct divisional weight
- Reports of a rift between Ulberg and teammate Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing add an internal dimension, with the two reportedly ignoring each other recently and not appearing together publicly
- Adesanya, ranked eighth at middleweight with a 24-6-0 record, trains at the same gym, meaning any tension there carries implications for one of MMA's most prominent teams
