Jiri Prochazka has pushed back hard on Carlos Ulberg’s version of their UFC 327 title fight, rejecting the idea that he showed the new champion mercy before being knocked out.
Ulberg stopped Prochazka in the first round of their vacant light heavyweight title clash at UFC 327, securing the finish despite suffering a torn ACL during the bout. In the aftermath, Ulberg referenced Prochazka’s post-fight comments, which the former champion says have been misunderstood.
Prochazka said the narrative that he showed Ulberg mercy “came from Joe Rogan” during their post-fight interview, and he denied ever planning to portray himself that way. “Yeah, this is it. I believe that in the cage, we fighters are one of the most rare people in the world. Does anybody think that I prepared my words after the fight to tell the crowd like, 'I was so merciful?' Man, first of all, I didn't say that. I didn't say that because Joe Rogan told me it was a mercy. It was not about mercy, but I just saw him, he was hurt, and I just didn't accept the scenario of the fight that it can be an easy fight.”
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Prochazka accepted the defeat while blasting Ulberg’s comments about his intentions. “Only thing I know is hard work, keep working, beat the opponent through hard work. Right now, this time, it showed me it can be really easy, and I was not prepared for this scenario. About the things that he's saying right now, congrats, he's the champion. Really, he caught me. I accept that, but all these things that he said about I played something, maybe I'm too old to play something. I want to be rare. I want to be real. That was bullsh*t what he said. I don't want to say any more things and some excuses, I don't care. I lost. I accept, and let's go back.”
Prochazka also took direct aim at Ulberg’s comments with a sharp one-liner: “I don't want to hear this bullsh*t from a stripper,” underscoring the tension between the two in the wake of UFC 327.
