Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's claim that he showed mercy in his loss to Carlos Ulberg, suggesting mental health issues in MMA need discussion. Longo stated that Prochazka simply made a serious mistake, not showed mercy. Ulberg echoed this, saying it was fear, not mercy, and accused Prochazka of playing to the audience to secure a rematch. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not congratulate him after the fight and that he feels everything Prochazka does is calculated for public reaction. The post also mentions that President Trump told Paulo Costa after his fight that he's too handsome to be a fighter.
Ray Longo and Carlos Ulberg have both pushed back hard on Jiri Prochazka's framing of his recent defeat, with Longo calling the "mercy" narrative a fundamental misreading of what happened inside the cage and Ulberg going further, labeling it outright fear.
Prochazka, the 33-year-old Czech contender ranked second at light heavyweight, carries a record of 32-6-1 and has long cultivated a reputation for a philosophical, almost spiritual approach to combat. Standing six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach and averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, he is one of the division's most dynamic offensive forces. Following his loss to Ulberg, Prochazka publicly suggested he had shown his opponent mercy at a critical moment — a claim that drew swift responses from multiple corners of the sport.
Longo, trainer to Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, rejected the mercy framing entirely, stating that Prochazka simply made a serious mistake. Longo also raised the broader point that mental health conversations in MMA deserve more attention in this context.
Ulberg, meanwhile, was more direct. The 35-year-old New Zealander, now ranked third at light heavyweight with a 15-1-0 record, trains out of City Kickboxing and has built his reputation on clean, high-volume striking — averaging 6.54 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, Ulberg said what Prochazka displayed was fear, not mercy. He also noted that Prochazka did not congratulate him after the fight, and suggested that everything Prochazka says publicly is carefully calculated to generate audience sympathy and position himself for a rematch.
Separately, President Trump, in attendance at the event, told Paulo Costa — the 35-year-old Brazilian middleweight ranked thirteenth with a 16-4-0 record — that he was too handsome to be a fighter.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's narrative directly affects his rematch case at 205 pounds
- Ulberg's rebuttal, backed by his trainer's camp, signals a sharp personal edge entering any future negotiations
- The exchange raises genuine questions about how post-fight framing shapes divisional positioning
