Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation about showing mercy, suggesting it raises questions about mental health in MMA. Longo stated that Prochazka "just got badly beaten" rather than choosing mercy. Carlos Ulberg also disputed Prochazka's mercy narrative, claiming fear held Prochazka back and that he's playing to the audience for a rematch opportunity. Ulberg noted Prochazka didn't approach him after the fight and suggested all his actions are geared toward public reaction. Donald Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after his fight that he's "too handsome to be a fighter." There are also reports of tension at City Kickboxing gym, with Israel Adesanya and Ulberg not seen together recently and ignoring each other's performances. Ulberg is suspected of suffering an ACL tear, which typically requires 9-12 months recovery, though he said definitive answers will come this week.
Veteran trainer Ray Longo publicly dismissed Jiri Prochazka's post-fight narrative following the Czech light heavyweight's recent loss, while Carlos Ulberg added his own sharp rebuttal to the mercy claim that has since circulated widely in MMA circles.
Longo, best known as the longtime coach of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, pushed back hard on Prochazka's suggestion that he held back out of mercy during the fight. In Longo's view, Prochazka simply got badly beaten and his explanation raises broader questions about mental health awareness in the sport. The 33-year-old Czech, ranked second in the light heavyweight division with a record of 32-6-1, carries elite striking numbers — landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy — making the mercy framing all the more difficult for critics to accept.
Ulberg, who was on the receiving end of Prochazka's comments, was equally dismissive. The New Zealand-based fighter rejected the idea that mercy played any role, stating instead that fear was the real factor. Ulberg also claimed Prochazka never approached him after the fight and characterized his public statements as deliberate positioning to generate a rematch opportunity.
Reports of tension within City Kickboxing gym have added another layer to the story. Ulberg and Israel Adesanya, the Nigerian-born middleweight ranked eighth at 24-6-0 and a longtime City Kickboxing cornerstone, have reportedly not been seen together recently and are said to be ignoring each other's results. The reported rift has drawn significant attention given the gym's high profile.
Ulberg is also suspected of having suffered an ACL tear during his fight, an injury that typically carries a recovery timeline of nine to twelve months. He indicated that definitive medical answers were expected within days of the report.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's standing at number two in the light heavyweight rankings means any rematch campaign carries real divisional weight
- A confirmed ACL tear for Ulberg would sideline him for the better part of a year, complicating his own divisional trajectory
- The reported Adesanya-Ulberg rift, if real, signals possible instability at one of MMA's most prominent training camps
- Paulo Costa, ranked 13th at middleweight with a record of 16-4-0, also drew brief attention after a reported exchange with Donald Trump following his own fight
