Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation, suggesting mental health issues in MMA need discussion. Longo dismissed Prochazka's "mercy" claim, stating the fighter simply made a major mistake. Carlos Ulberg directly disputed Prochazka's narrative, saying fear prevented him from finishing, not mercy, and accused him of playing to the audience to secure a rematch. Ulberg noted Prochazka didn't approach him after the fight and believes his opponent's actions are calculated for public reaction. Meanwhile, Donald Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after his fight that he's "too handsome to be a fighter." Ulberg potentially suffered an ACL tear with 9-12 months recovery expected.
The fallout from the light heavyweight bout between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg continued to generate controversy this week, with trainer Ray Longo and Ulberg himself publicly pushing back on Prochazka's post-fight explanation.
Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, carries a professional record of 32-6-1 and has long been regarded as one of the most explosive strikers in the 205-pound class. The Czech fighter averages 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His post-fight comments suggested he chose not to finish Ulberg out of mercy, a claim that drew swift and blunt responses.
Longo, trainer to fighters including Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, dismissed the mercy narrative outright, saying Prochazka simply made a major mistake. Longo also raised the broader topic of mental health in mixed martial arts as context for his remarks.
Ulberg, ranked third at light heavyweight and representing New Zealand's City Kickboxing, was more pointed in his rebuttal. The 35-year-old holds a 15-1-0 record and is one of the division's most active strikers, averaging 6.54 significant strikes per minute. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, Ulberg said fear, not compassion, was what stopped Prochazka from finishing the fight. He also accused Prochazka of crafting a public narrative designed to engineer a rematch, noting that Prochazka did not approach him after the contest. The report also noted Ulberg may have suffered an ACL tear, with a recovery window of nine to twelve months expected.
Elsewhere, middleweight Paulo Costa, who holds a 16-4-0 record and ranks thirteenth in his division, drew attention after Donald Trump reportedly told the Brazilian fighter he was too handsome to be a fighter following his bout.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's rematch positioning in the top-two of light heavyweight could hinge on how this public dispute is perceived
- Ulberg's potential ACL tear would remove a top-three contender from the division for the better part of a year
- The credibility battle between Prochazka and Ulberg may influence how matchmakers approach a potential second fight
