Ray Longo, coach to Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, has strongly criticized Jiri Prochazka's post-fight claim about showing 'mercy' to his opponent. Longo suggested that Prochazka's unconventional behavior, including praying to Olympus, standing on his head, and drinking his own urine, may indicate mental health issues that should be addressed in MMA. He characterized Prochazka's mercy explanation as complete nonsense, stating the fighter simply made a critical mistake due to fear rather than compassion. Carlos Ulberg echoed this sentiment, saying Prochazka's claims are fabricated for public attention and to secure a rematch, predicting Ankalaev will defeat him. Ulberg also noted Prochazka didn't approach him after their fight and believes everything Prochazka does is calculated for audience reaction. The post also mentions that Paulo Costa received a compliment from Trump after his fight, and suggests tension exists at City Kickboxing gym between top fighters like Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, who haven't been seen together recently and ignore each other's performances.
Ray Longo, the veteran coach known for guiding Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, has publicly called out Jiri Prochazka over the Czech fighter's post-fight claim that he showed "mercy" to his opponent, labeling the explanation outright nonsense and raising broader questions about Prochazka's mental state.
Longo argued that Prochazka did not show compassion in the moment but instead made a critical mistake rooted in fear. He went further, pointing to a pattern of unconventional behavior from the light heavyweight contender — including reported practices such as praying to Olympus, standing on his head, and drinking his own urine — and suggested those habits may represent genuine mental health concerns that the sport should take seriously rather than dismiss as eccentricity.
Prochazka, 33, carries a record of 32-6-1 and is currently ranked second in the light heavyweight division. The six-foot-three Czech Republic native trains out of Jetsaam Gym Brno and is one of the division's most aggressive strikers, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at a 55 percent accuracy rate.
Carlos Ulberg added his voice to the criticism, characterizing Prochazka's mercy narrative as a calculated performance designed to attract attention and secure a rematch, predicting that Magomed Ankalaev will beat him when they meet. Ulberg also noted that Prochazka did not approach him following their own fight and said he views everything Prochazka does as audience management rather than genuine belief.
Why it matters
- Longo's comments elevate the "mercy" controversy beyond social media noise, putting credible coaching voices on record
- Ulberg's rematch prediction directly concerns the light heavyweight title picture, where Prochazka sits at number two in the rankings
- The reported distance between Ulberg and Israel Adesanya within City Kickboxing adds a subplot around team cohesion at one of MMA's most prominent gyms
- Paulo Costa, ranked 13th at middleweight with a 16-4-0 record, received separate attention after his recent fight when Donald Trump offered him a public compliment
