Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, called for discussion of mental health issues in MMA following Jiri Prochazka's loss. Longo mocked Prochazka's unconventional training methods and post-fight claims about showing mercy, stating the fighter simply made a serious mistake. Carlos Ulberg expanded on his criticism of Prochazka, claiming his opponent was motivated by fear rather than mercy and is playing to the public for a rematch. Ulberg said Prochazka didn't approach him after the fight and believes his actions are calculated for audience reaction rather than genuine. Donald Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after his fight that he is "too handsome to be a fighter." There are also reports of tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with the two not seen together recently and not supporting each other's performances.
Trainer Ray Longo used Jiri Prochazka's recent loss as an opportunity to call for a broader conversation about mental health in MMA, while light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg sharpened his public rebuttal of Prochazka's post-fight mercy narrative.
Longo, best known as the corner man for Merab Dvalishvili and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, took aim at Prochazka's unconventional training philosophy and dismissed the Czech fighter's claim that he showed mercy during the bout. In Longo's view, Prochazka simply made a serious mistake and the mercy framing does not hold up to scrutiny.
Prochazka, 33, carries a 32-6-1 record and is ranked second in the light heavyweight division. The six-foot-three Czech Republic native trains out of Jetsaam Gym Brno and is one of the more aggressive volume strikers in the division, averaging 5.69 significant strikes landed per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Ulberg pushed back even harder, arguing that Prochazka was driven by fear rather than any compassionate impulse and is now engineering a public narrative designed to secure a rematch. Ulberg noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight, which he sees as evidence the mercy claim is calculated theater aimed at audience sympathy rather than a genuine expression of sportsmanship.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's rank of second in the division means the rematch narrative carries real title-picture weight
- The reported rift between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg inside City Kickboxing adds a subplot to Ulberg's growing profile; Adesanya, now ranked eighth at middleweight with a 24-6-0 record, and Ulberg have not publicly supported each other's recent performances
- Middleweight Paulo Costa, 16-4-0 and ranked 13th, generated his own post-event attention after Donald Trump reportedly commented on his appearance following his fight, a lighter footnote in an otherwise contentious weekend of post-fight discourse
