Ray Longo, trainer to Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, questioned Jiri Prochazka's mental state and dismissed his post-fight "mercy" explanation as an excuse. Longo suggested that Prochazka simply made a critical mistake rather than showing compassion. Carlos Ulberg stated that Prochazka's claim of showing mercy was nonsense and that fear, not compassion, was the real factor. Ulberg accused Prochazka of playing to the audience and creating a narrative to justify a rematch demand. He noted that Prochazka did not congratulate him after the fight and believes Prochazka's actions are calculated for public reaction. Additionally, the post mentions that Donald Trump told Paulo Costa after his fight that he is "too handsome to be a fighter," and suggests tension exists at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with neither publicly supporting the other's recent performances.
Veteran MMA trainer Ray Longo and light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg have both pushed back hard against Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim that he eased up on his opponent out of mercy, with Longo calling it an excuse and Ulberg going further, suggesting fear was the real motivation.
Longo, best known for guiding Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, argued that Prochazka simply made a critical error and was now constructing a narrative to soften the blow. In his view, the Czech fighter's explanation does not hold up under scrutiny.
Ulberg was more pointed in his dismissal. The New Zealand-based fighter said the mercy claim was nonsense and accused Prochazka of playing to the crowd, manufacturing a story designed to justify a rematch demand. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not congratulate him after the fight, which he took as a sign that the charitable framing was calculated rather than genuine.
Prochazka, 33, carries a 32-6-1 record and is ranked second in the light heavyweight division. Fighting out of Jetsaam Gym Brno, the Czech Republic native has built his reputation on high-volume, high-risk striking, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's ranking and vocal rematch push put the light heavyweight title picture directly in play
- Ulberg's credibility as a contender hinges partly on how this post-fight dispute is perceived publicly
- The reported tension between Ulberg and teammate Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing, with neither publicly supporting the other's recent performances, adds an internal dynamic worth watching
Separately, the post-fight environment produced a lighter moment when Donald Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa, ranked 13th at middleweight, that he was too handsome to be a fighter. Costa, 35, fights out of Team Borracha and carries a 16-4-0 record with one of the division's most aggressive output rates at 6.26 significant strikes per minute.
