Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, sharply criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim about showing mercy, calling it mental illness and stating Prochazka simply messed up badly. Carlos Ulberg also disputed Prochazka's mercy narrative, saying it was fear that stopped him and that Prochazka plays to the audience while people believe his interviews. Ulberg noted Prochazka didn't approach him after their fight and suggested all of Prochazka's actions are designed for public reaction. Ulberg stated he predicts Magomed Ankalaev will destroy Prochazka. The post also mentions Donald Trump told Paulo Costa he's too beautiful to be a fighter after his bout, and notes apparent tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg. Ulberg's suspected injury is an ACL tear with 9-12 months recovery time expected.
Ray Longo has publicly torn into Jiri Prochazka's post-fight explanation, and Carlos Ulberg has added his own sharp rebuttal, with both men rejecting the Czech fighter's claim that he showed mercy during their bout.
Longo, best known as the longtime trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, was blunt in his assessment. He called Prochazka's mercy narrative a form of mental illness and stated flatly that the light heavyweight contender simply made a serious mistake and was trying to reframe it after the fact.
Prochazka, 33, carries a record of 32-6-1 and is currently ranked second in the UFC light heavyweight division. The Czech Orthodox striker out of Jetsaam Gym Brno stands six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach and is one of the more aggressive volume strikers in the division, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
Ulberg went further, disputing the mercy claim on more personal terms. The New Zealander said it was fear, not generosity, that stopped Prochazka, and argued that everything Prochazka does is calibrated for public reaction rather than genuine feeling. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not approach him after their fight, and he predicted that Magomed Ankalaev will destroy the Czech fighter when they meet.
Reports also indicate Ulberg is dealing with a suspected ACL tear, with an expected recovery window of nine to twelve months, which would sideline him well into 2027.
Separately, reports from the same period note apparent internal tension at City Kickboxing between Ulberg and teammate Israel Adesanya, who holds a 24-6 record and sits eighth in the middleweight rankings at age 36.
In a lighter note attached to the same reporting cycle, middleweight Paulo Costa, ranked thirteenth at 16-4, reportedly received a comment from Donald Trump following his most recent bout, with Trump telling the Brazilian he was too beautiful to be a fighter.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's credibility as a contender is being publicly questioned by fighters and coaches ahead of a potential title bout
- Ulberg's predicted nine-to-twelve month absence significantly alters the light heavyweight division's competitive landscape
- Reported friction at City Kickboxing between Adesanya and Ulberg could affect team dynamics at one of MMA's most prominent gyms
