Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, called out mental health issues in MMA and criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claims about showing mercy. Longo dismissed Prochazka's explanation, saying he simply got beaten badly and stood there confused. Carlos Ulberg stated that Prochazka's mercy claim was nonsense and that fear was the real issue, accusing him of playing to the audience for a rematch. Ulberg also noted Prochazka didn't approach him after the fight and suggested everything he does is for public reaction. Donald Trump reportedly told Paulo Costa after his fight that he's too handsome to be a fighter. Reports also surfaced of tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, who haven't been seen together recently and aren't supporting each other publicly.
Veteran MMA trainer Ray Longo and light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg have both gone on the record to challenge Jiri Prochazka's post-fight narrative, dismissing the Czech fighter's claims of showing mercy to an opponent as unconvincing spin.
Prochazka, 33, carries a 32-6-1 record and is currently ranked second in the light heavyweight division. Fighting out of Jetsaam Gym Brno, the six-foot-three orthodox striker is one of the most aggressive finishers in the sport, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate. His post-fight explanation — that he had chosen to show mercy rather than press for a finish — drew sharp responses from two separate corners of the MMA world.
Longo, best known as the trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, flatly rejected Prochazka's account. He said the Czech simply got beaten badly and stood there looking confused, and that framing the performance as an act of restraint did not hold up to scrutiny.
Ulberg was equally blunt, calling the mercy claim nonsense and identifying fear as the more likely explanation. He accused Prochazka of playing to the audience in order to set up a rematch narrative, and added that Prochazka did not approach him after the fight — a detail Ulberg used to reinforce his view that Prochazka's public statements are calculated for reaction rather than candor.
Separately, reports have emerged of friction between Ulberg and Israel Adesanya inside City Kickboxing. Adesanya, 36, holds a 24-6-0 record and sits eighth in the middleweight rankings. The two teammates have not been seen together recently and have not been publicly supporting one another, according to those reports.
On a lighter note, Paulo Costa — the hard-hitting middleweight ranked thirteenth with a 16-4-0 record and a striking accuracy of 58 percent — reportedly received an unusual compliment from Donald Trump after his most recent fight, with Trump telling the Brazilian he is too handsome to be a fighter.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's post-fight credibility is under pressure from two credible voices, complicating any rematch push he attempts to build
- Ulberg's willingness to speak this candidly about a former teammate signals potential long-term friction at City Kickboxing
- Any gym tension involving Adesanya carries divisional weight given his profile at middleweight
