Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claims about showing mercy, calling it a mental health issue in MMA and saying Prochazka "just messed up badly." Carlos Ulberg dismissed Prochazka's mercy explanation as "complete nonsense," stating it was fear that stopped him and that Prochazka is playing to the audience to secure a rematch. Ulberg also noted Prochazka didn't approach him after the fight and accused him of making excuses. Separately, Donald Trump told Paulo Costa after his fight that he's "too handsome to be a fighter." Tension reportedly exists at City Kickboxing gym between top fighters, with Israel Adesanya and Ulberg not seen together recently. Ulberg may have suffered an ACL tear with 9-12 months recovery time, pending confirmation this week.
Ray Longo and Carlos Ulberg have both come out swinging at Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation that he showed mercy to his opponent, while a separate encounter saw Donald Trump pay a colorful compliment to Paulo Costa following his most recent bout.
Longo, the veteran trainer best known for working with Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, was blunt in his assessment of Prochazka's mercy narrative, calling it a mental health issue in MMA and stating flatly that the Czech fighter simply made a mistake. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, carries a record of 32-6-1 and is one of the most aggressive fighters in the sport, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute with a 55 percent striking accuracy rate.
Ulberg went further, labeling the mercy claim complete nonsense and arguing it was fear, not compassion, that caused Prochazka to hesitate. The New Zealander also noted that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight and accused him of manufacturing an excuse to position himself for a rematch. Ulberg added a layer of concern to his own immediate future, as reports indicate he may have suffered an ACL tear during the contest, with a potential recovery window of nine to twelve months pending confirmation this week.
Adding an unrelated footnote to the post-fight news cycle, Donald Trump told middleweight Paulo Costa that he is too handsome to be a fighter. Costa, 35, holds a 16-4-0 record and ranks thirteenth in the middleweight division, though his output inside the cage tells a different story than his looks — he lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute with a 58 percent accuracy rate, among the highest in the division.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's rematch prospects at light heavyweight could hinge on how the mercy narrative is received by UFC matchmakers and fans
- Ulberg's potential ACL injury would remove him from contention for an extended period, reshaping the light heavyweight picture
- Reported tension between Ulberg and Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing adds an internal dimension to the gym's future stability
