Ray Longo, coach to Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, strongly criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation about showing 'mercy,' calling it mental health concerning behavior and saying Prochazka 'messed up badly.' Carlos Ulberg dismissed Prochazka's mercy claims as 'complete nonsense,' asserting that fear was the real issue and accusing Prochazka of playing to the crowd with fabricated excuses to secure a rematch. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka didn't approach him after the fight and suggested all of Prochazka's actions are calculated for public reaction. Additionally, the post mentions Donald Trump told Paulo Costa he's 'too handsome to be a fighter' after Costa's recent bout. There are also reports of tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with the two reportedly not seen together recently and ignoring each other's performances.
Ray Longo has publicly taken aim at light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka following Prochazka's post-fight explanation that he showed "mercy" to his opponent, with Carlos Ulberg adding his own sharp dismissal of the Czech fighter's account.
Longo, best known as the head coach of Merab Dvalishvili and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, said he found Prochazka's "mercy" reasoning to be a sign of deeply concerning behavior and stated plainly that Prochazka "messed up badly." Ulberg, meanwhile, called the mercy narrative "complete nonsense," arguing that fear was the actual factor and accusing Prochazka of constructing a convenient story to angle for a rematch. Ulberg also pointed out that Prochazka did not seek him out after the bout, and suggested that every public move the Czech fighter makes is engineered for audience reaction.
Prochazka, 33, carries a 32-6-1 record and is ranked second in the light heavyweight division. The Czech southpaw-turned-orthodox striker out of Jetsaam Gym Brno is one of the most offensively productive fighters in the UFC, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate. His explanation for the outcome has clearly not landed with credibility in some corners of the sport.
Why it matters
- Prochazka holds the number-two divisional ranking at light heavyweight, so any narrative battle following a loss carries real stakes for a potential rematch bid.
- Ulberg's public rejection of the mercy story signals he has no interest in legitimizing a quick rematch without pushback.
- Reported tension between Ulberg and his City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya adds a separate layer of instability around the New Zealand-based camp, though the exact nature of that friction remains unconfirmed.
Separately, middleweight Paulo Costa, who holds a 16-4-0 record and ranks thirteenth in his division, apparently drew a memorable compliment from Donald Trump following his most recent bout, with Trump reportedly telling the Brazilian that he is "too handsome to be a fighter."
