Carlos Ulberg has dismissed Jiri Prochazka's claim that showing mercy cost him their fight, stating that fear was the real factor. Ulberg criticized Prochazka for making excuses to secure a rematch and accused him of playing to the audience rather than being genuine. The champion also noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight. Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, separately commented on the need to address mental health in MMA, referencing Prochazka's unusual training methods. Reports also suggest tension within City Kickboxing gym between Ulberg and Israel Adesanya, as the two have not been seen together recently and do not acknowledge each other's fights publicly.
Carlos Ulberg has fired back at Jiri Prochazka following the Czech contender's claim that showing mercy was the reason he lost their light heavyweight bout, with the champion flatly rejecting that explanation and pointing to fear as the genuine cause of the defeat.
Ulberg, 35, carries a 15-1 record and holds the light heavyweight title fighting out of City Kickboxing in New Zealand. Known as "Black Jag," he is ranked third in the division and is among the most active strikers in the weight class, landing 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. He accused Prochazka of manufacturing an excuse designed to position himself for a rematch, and further criticized the Czech fighter for playing to the crowd rather than being honest. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not seek him out after the fight ended.
Prochazka, ranked second in the division, is a 33-year-old orthodox striker from the Czech Republic with a 32-6-1 record. Standing six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach, he averages 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His unconventional training methods drew separate commentary from trainer Ray Longo, who used Prochazka as a reference point in a broader call for MMA to take mental health more seriously.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's dismissal of Prochazka's mercy narrative directly undermines any straightforward path to a rematch for the ranked contender.
- Tension reportedly exists within City Kickboxing between Ulberg and teammate Israel Adesanya, a middleweight ranked eighth with a 24-6 record, as the two have reportedly not been seen together and neither publicly acknowledges the other's fights.
- Any fracture inside one of MMA's most successful gyms carries potential consequences for both fighters' camps and support structures heading into future bouts.
