Ray Longo, trainer of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling, has strongly criticized Jiri Prochazka's claim that he showed mercy in his recent loss. Longo connected Prochazka's unconventional lifestyle choices to his performance, stating that Prochazka was simply beaten badly and made excuses. Carlos Ulberg, who apparently fought Prochazka, dismissed the mercy claim as "complete nonsense" and attributed it to fear rather than compassion. Ulberg believes Prochazka is playing to the public and creating excuses to secure a rematch, which Ulberg says won't happen because Magomed Ankalaev will defeat him. Additionally, the post mentions President Trump told Paulo Costa he is "too beautiful to be a fighter" after his bout. There are also reports of tension at City Kickboxing gym between Israel Adesanya and Ulberg, with neither supporting each other's recent performances.
Ray Longo and Carlos Ulberg have both come out swinging at Jiri Prochazka following the Czech light heavyweight's claim that he showed mercy during his recent defeat, with each offering pointed rebukes of the narrative Prochazka has been pushing publicly.
Longo, the trainer behind Merab Dvalishvili and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, did not hold back in addressing Prochazka's post-fight remarks. He connected what he described as Prochazka's unconventional lifestyle choices to his in-cage performance, arguing plainly that the 33-year-old was beaten badly and is now reaching for excuses to explain it away.
Ulberg, who fought Prochazka and sits as the source of the loss being discussed, was equally dismissive. He called the mercy claim complete nonsense and framed it as fear rather than any act of compassion. The New Zealand-based fighter believes Prochazka is managing public perception to angle for a rematch, something Ulberg says will not materialize because Magomed Ankalaev will beat Prochazka first. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 32-6-1, carries one of the more aggressive striking profiles in the weight class, averaging 5.69 significant strikes landed per minute at 55 percent accuracy over his career.
The summary also notes a separate moment involving Paulo Costa, the 35-year-old Brazilian middleweight ranked 13th at 16-4-0, with President Trump reportedly telling Costa following his recent bout that he is too beautiful to be a fighter.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's standing at number two in the light heavyweight division means any credibility damage from the mercy narrative could affect his path back to title contention
- Ulberg pointing to Ankalaev as the obstacle ahead of any rematch signals how crowded the top of the 205-pound division remains
- Reported tension between Ulberg and Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing, with neither publicly supporting the other's recent performances, adds a layer of internal friction to one of the sport's most prominent gyms
