Paulo Costa has publicly stated that he believes Jiri Prochazka lied about showing mercy during his fight with Carlos Ulberg. The post from a Russian MMA Telegram channel suggests Costa is calling out Prochazka's post-fight claims. No additional context about the specific incident or when this statement was made is provided in the original post. The channel presented this as Costa speaking facts.
Paulo Costa has gone public with accusations that Jiri Prochazka was not telling the truth when he claimed to have shown mercy during his fight against Carlos Ulberg. The Brazilian middleweight made the allegation via social media, with the post surfacing through a Russian MMA Telegram channel that framed Costa as speaking plainly on the matter. No specific details about the exact incident Prochazka referenced, or the precise timing of Costa's statement, have been confirmed.
Prochazka, 33, holds a 32-6-1 record and is currently ranked second in the light heavyweight division. The Czech striker fights out of Jetsaam Gym Brno and brings an aggressive output to every performance, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy with an 80-inch reach. Ulberg, his opponent in the fight at the center of the dispute, is ranked third at light heavyweight and carries a 15-1-0 record. The New Zealand fighter out of City Kickboxing is one of the division's most active strikers, averaging 6.54 significant strikes per minute at the same 55 percent clip, and stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach.
Costa himself competes at middleweight, sitting 13th in that division with a 16-4-0 record. Known as "The Eraser," the 35-year-old Brazilian lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, making him one of the more precise volume strikers in his weight class despite having no submission attempts on record.
Why it matters
- Prochazka's post-fight narrative is now under direct public challenge from a fellow top-ten UFC fighter
- The dispute keeps Prochazka's conduct in the light heavyweight title picture under scrutiny, given his ranking just below the championship
- Costa inserting himself into a light heavyweight conversation is notable given he competes a division below, suggesting a potential callout may be developing
