Tag: Bryce Mitchell

UFC 310 adds grappler’s delight with Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell

Grapple-heavy Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie will collide at UFC 310 in Las Vegas.

A fight between two notable grapple-centric featherweights has been added to UFC 310.

[autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] will collide in a three-round bout Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the promotion announced during Saturday’s UFC 309 broadcast.

Both fighters look to rebound from losses that were brutal, though for different reasons. For Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), he was devastated by a massive (and scary) knockout blow by Josh Emmett in December 2023. Gracie (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) lost an extremely lackluster affair vs. Charles Jourdain in May 2023.

The two fighters combine for 14 submissions in their 21 career victories. Mitchell has nine of his 16 wins via submission, while all five of Gracie’s have come by that method.

With the addition, the current UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. TBA
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Tallison Teixeira
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Bryce Mitchell open to Movsar Evloev fight – but not on short notice: ‘There’s not a bigger draw’

Bryce Mitchell is willing to step up against Movsar Evloev, but he wants time.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is willing to step up against [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag], but he wants time.

Evloev (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) needs a new opponent for UFC 307 on Oct. 5 after Aljamain Sterling withdrew due to injury. Mitchell is down for the fight, but as long as he gets time to prep.

However, Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) won’t make the mistake of taking another short-notice fight after he got knocked out cold by Josh Emmett at UFC 296 in December.

“(Sterling) hurt his elbow,” Mitchell told The Schmo. “You know what happened last time I took one on short notice. It was ugly. I’m wise enough to respect that I need a little bit more training. I want that fight. Give me two months, I’m down. That’s all I need.

“Two months, and I think that’s fair to ask. And if he really wants that fight, two months is not that long of a wait for what they’re paying him. He can survive two more months without a paycheck. I think he should fight me in two months.”

Mitchell clarifies that he wouldn’t take the fight away from Sterling, and would only fight Evloev if the unbeaten contender wasn’t willing to wait for too long. The pair were scheduled to fight on two occasions – UFC Fight Night 214, then UFC 288, but both fell apart.

“But also, I don’t want to take the fight from Aljo,” Mitchell said. “I wouldn’t take the fight from Aljo. I’m buddies with Aljo. So if Aljo don’t want to fight him in a couple of months because he needs more time and they need somebody, I’m the dude.

“There’s not a bigger draw. Who else are you going to get to fight Movsar that will fill up seats? Let’s be realistic: I’m going to bring the people there. People want to see me fight Movsar, I want to kick his ass because he’s being a little b*stard to me.”

[lawrence-related id=2772467,2707324,2705026]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Bryce Mitchell down with Sean Woodson’s UFC St. Louis callout: ‘I need some money’

It didn’t take long for Sean Woodson to line up his potential next assignment.

It didn’t take long for [autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag] to line up his potential next assignment.

Woodson (12-1-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) on Saturday used some of his time on the microphone to make a callout after his unanimous decision win over Alex Caceres (21-15 MMA, 16-13 UFC) on the UFC on ESPN 56 main card at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Woodson took aim at fellow featherweight [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), and Mitchell wasted no time letting loose with a response.

“I just beat a top 15-ranked guy,” Woodson told Michael Bisping in his in-cage post-fight interview. “I feel like I should be (ranked in the) top 15 next. Next, I want Bryce Mitchell. I want No. 10, then I want No. 5, then I want a title shot.”

Within minutes after Woodson left the cage in front of his home fans in St. Louis, Mitchell let him know his callout was not in vain.

“When and where, dude? When and where?” Mitchell posted in a video on social media. “I’m sitting here watching this sh*t. I’m ready. I need some money. I’m ready to fight you. Tell me where.”

https://twitter.com/ThugnastyMMA/status/1789454185219477708

Mitchell started his career 15-0, including 6-0 in the UFC. But at UFC 282, he was choked out by new champion Ilia Topuria on his ascent to the title. He rebounded with a win over Dan Ige, but three months later, this past December, was brutally knocked out by Josh Emmett.

Mitchell was born and lives in Arkansas. Woodson was fighting in front of his home fans in St. Louis in Missouri, Arkansas’ neighbor to the north.

“It’s a dream come true being in the UFC, but this right here is another dream come true,” Woodson said about fighting at home. “I can’t even put it into words. I feel like I’m going to sound like an idiot if I even try. But it’s a dream come true.”

Woodson is 5-0-1 since the lone loss of his career, which came nearly four years ago to Julian Erosa. He was building on a split decision win over Charles Jourdain earlier this year heading into the fight with Caceres, which now stands as arguably his most prolific win.

Woodson said he thinks he’s someone to watch out for at 145 pounds.

“I’m the dark horse in this division,” he said. “I can be the best in the world. I have everything it takes to get there. The world just doesn’t know it yet. I know it, my team knows it, and my city knows it. I’m coming for that belt. I promise you.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.

UFC on ESPN 54 winner Nate Landwehr open to Bryce Mitchell matchup: ‘That would be a good one’

Nate Landwehr likes the idea of a matchup against Bryce Mitchell following his win at UFC on ESPN 54.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – A fun matchup between [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] could be starting to brew, with one side already on board.

Landwehr said he’d be interested in fighting Mitchell following his knockout of Jamall Emmers on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 54. It was a big win for Landwehr (18-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC), who’s now angling for a ranked name in the division with Mitchell in mind.

“Whatever they want,” Landwehr said when asked about the Mitchell matchup at the UFC on ESPN 54 post-fight press conference. “If they want that fight, that’s a good fight. He’s got a great following, and he’s got his own swagger, and I got mine. That would be a good one.”

In the end, Landwehr is down to fight whomever. He sustained a cut in the fight Saturday, so he’s looking to fully heal and recover from that. Once that’s good, Landwehr is down to fight anyone.

“Man, whoever,” Landwehr said. “We have to figure out how long is going to get this cut to heal and see what the UFC wants me to do. I’m a fighter, fighters fight, and I’m ready to go.”

Landwehr’s post-fight celebration was an emotional one. The victory put him back in the win column as he was coming off a decision loss to Dan Ige last June. Landwehr is now 4-1 in his past five outings.

“It feels great to be back in this win column,” Landwehr said. “This morning I woke up with something to prove, and I’m going to sleep a winner.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

24 fights on our 2024 MMA wish list: Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones (still), Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3, more

Here’s MMA Junkie’s 24-fight wishlist for the new year.

2023 didn’t disappoint in terms of great MMA action, and 2024 looks just as promising, if not more.

With 2024 underway, there’s a new year of fresh possibilities for dream matchups across the MMA landscape, from the UFC to Bellator, PFL, RIZIN FF, ONE Championship and more.

For 2023, unfortunately, only four of the 23 dream fights MMA Junkie wished for came to fruition. We’re not deterred, however, and are back with another slate of 24 matchups we aspire to see in 2024.

Below, we present MMA Junkie’s wish list of 24 fights we’d like to see in 2024.

UFC’s Bryce Mitchell self-imposes ‘own concussion protocol’ after knockout loss to Josh Emmett

UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell is taking matters into his own hands after suffering his first-career knockout in brutal fashion.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is taking matters into his own hands after suffering his first-career knockout.

Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was on the receiving end of a brutal right hand from Josh Emmett, who punched out his lights last month at UFC 296. The immediate aftermath was scary as “Thug Nasty” convulsed while lying on the canvas.

As a result, Mitchell has decided to stay away from any form of contact and focus on his personal life until mid-2024.

“I’m on my own concussion protocol,” Mitchell told ESPN. “I’m consulting with my coaches, too, and we’re basically just saying, ‘Don’t spar for six months or something.’ I’ve got to build this house and have this kid, but then I’m right into my next training camp after that. The good thing is that I don’t have to rush into it.”

Mitchell is at peace with the outcome and insists he’d take another short-notice opportunity if the pay was worth it. It’s everyone around him who made coping with the loss that much harder just by seeing their reactions.

“The worst part is dealing with everybody afterwards because they all thought I was dead,” Mitchell said. “It’s just terrible. Literally everybody that I knew was crying and just sad. On the bright side, that was the easiest fight for me. I’ve never had a fight where I’ve come out feeling so great.

“I just woke up in the ambulance and could barely remember what happened. There’s no pain. I’m telling you, it was that quick. There was no pain or anything, but everybody was crying, and they thought I was dead. I’m not exaggerating.”

Mitchell is not happy with how the medical staff handled the situation when he was knocked out. He thinks he should have been escorted out of the arena right away.

“When a fighter gets knocked out that bad – I was watching the fight back for film study. When I saw how bad the knockout was, I watched the whole thing, and I watched what they did with me afterward, and I was talking afterward, and I was shaking hands and stumbling around,” Mitchell said. “Dude, they (needed) to immediately escort me out of there. I really do think that needs to be a protocol but because from my standpoint, I can’t remember anything.

“I would much rather – say I get knocked out again. I’d much rather them escort me out of there as soon as I’m up on my feet, and I mean up under the armpits and not even talk to me or anything. Just get me out of there as quickly as possible. … They did escort me out eventually, but I don’t even think they should even talk to me in that cage because I was probably arguing with them telling them I’m fine and can walk, I don’t even know what I was saying. They (needed) to get me out of the cage. I’m glad that they did, and that is how they need to do it because, as fighters, they can stumble and fall and hurt their head even worse.”

[lawrence-related id=2706148,2705119,2705026,2703979]

Bryce Mitchell praises Josh Emmett, Joe Rogan after brutal knockout loss at UFC 296

Bryce Mitchell had plenty of thanks for Josh Emmett and Joe Rogan after getting hit with a brutal knockout shot at UFC 296.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is looking at the bright side of life.

Despite suffering a frightening knockout loss at UFC 296, Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is in good spirits and very grateful things weren’t any worse. Mitchell was knocked out by a huge right hand from Josh Emmett in one of the most brutal finishes of 2023.

Mitchell watched the fight on Monday and gave his reaction in an Instagram post.

“Hey, y’all. I just watched the fight back, and I wanted to give y’all my basically live reaction to it,” Mitchell said in the video. “My first thoughts were that was an incredibly hard knockout, and I’m really lucky I didn’t get hurt any worse because my head is not hurting, and I feel just fine. I’m right back to work. … I want to let y’all know that I’m so happy with Josh Emmett because right after he knocked me out, he could’ve followed up with the hammerfist, and it probably would’ve killed me. He didn’t even follow up with anything. He was just happy with his knockout and he walked away. I’m so gracious for that. I will forever remember that, and I love that whole team, that Alpha Male team. I love every single one of you guys.

“Thank you for not hitting me extra, Josh. It takes more of a man to actually do that. Everybody thinks you’re more manly if you hit them after they go down, it’s actually, you’re more manly if you walk away and care about that person. Thank you so much, Josh.”

After connecting the right hand, Emmett could’ve followed up with punches on a downed Mitchell, but he restrained himself from doing so before the referee stepped in.

Mitchell remained on the ground for close to a minute and was seen shaking on the broadcast. He then was assisted to his feet, and was walking on shaky legs as he was escorted out of the octagon.

The 29-year-old said he doesn’t remember a thing that happened until he was in the ambulance. Mitchell also had a lot of praise for UFC commentator Joe Rogan for recognizing that he needed to be assisted while still inside the octagon.

“God bless you, Joe Rogan,” Mitchell said. “You took command of that microphone and said, ‘Do not let Mitchell stand,’ and you were absolutely right, Joe. I was totally out of it. I can’t remember anything actually until they sat me down on the gurney in the back of the ambulance. So everything where it appeared that I wake up, and I’m talking to Dana (White) and talking to everybody, I don’t remember none of that. That’s not even me there. That’s like blackout drunk. I can’t remember nothing, nothing. It’s actually worse than that because at least if you’re drinking you kind of have a memory of what happened. I’m just so glad they sat me down on that gurney, and they got me out of there.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1AVsqNvHS7/?igshid=ZWI2YzEzYmMxYg%3D%3D

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Bryce Mitchell reacts to brutal knockout loss vs. Josh Emmett at UFC 296: ‘It could have been a lot worse’

Bryce Mitchell says he “could’ve done better” when reflecting on his performance and brutal KO from Josh Emmett at UFC 296.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] was in positive spirits in the aftermath of the most devastating loss of his career at UFC 296.

Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was on the receiving end of a Knockout of the Year contender from Josh Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. He walked into a massive punch less than two minutes into the first round, and immediately went out cold.

The featherweight then began convulsing on the canvas in a frightening scene. He eventually regained consciousness and returned to his feet and left the cage, and Mitchell was immediately transported to hospital.

Upon his release, Mitchell offered an update on social media and reflected on the outcome and the brutal nature of his knockout (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/C08SL0irK8p/

I want to let everybody know that I’m OK. I want to thank you all so much for watching and I’ve just been so blessed this weekend. I cannot complain about anything and really where I messed up is a poor strategy.

So my strategy was stick to the jab, make my reads, work my feet, kind of sit on the outside, but that put me to where I’m not putting that forward pressure that I really like to put and it also made me look timid. That’s not how I fight. I fight very aggressive and so I encourage anybody who’s got a fight in their life—not just a fistfight, I’m talking about any type of fight, be aggressive and attack it. Because at least if you go down and you lose that battle, you’re going to know you fought and you went head on towards it. So just a bad strategy by me tonight. Gosh, Josh hits hard and he’s so low to the ground when he hits that overhand right, it’s hard to hit him with anything. What can I say? I could have done better, but I obviously didn’t.

I’m so lucky to live the life that I live. I have a wife because of this sport. Me and my wife would have never met if it wasn’t for this sport. I have a kid coming because of this sport. I have a house because of this sport. I have a farm because of this sport. I wouldn’t trade it for nothing and there’s nothing that’s going to get me down. I refuse to let negativity control me and I just wanted to tell you all that I love you.

It could have been a lot worse. When I was in that hospital, I was getting rolled by people with no legs, no arms, faces all messed up, face turned sideways like the dude got in a car wreck, so I cannot complain about anything. I’m so happy to be here and I’m healthy and I love you all and I thank you.

With the result, Mitchell is now 1-2 in his past three fights after starting his career on a 15-bout winning streak. He’s been stopped in both of those losses.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

UFC 296 post-event facts: Colby Covington joins rare company with 0-3 title fight record

The best facts to come out of UFC 296, which saw Colby Covington and Tony Ferguson join exclusive and unfortunate clubs in defeat.

The UFC’s final event of the 2023 started with a bang, but ended somewhat slow as UFC 296 unfolded at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The two championship fights to close out the calendar year saw both belts stay put. [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defeated [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) by unanimous decision to defend welterweight gold in the headliner, while [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (27-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) also got the nod on the scorecards over [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to retain flyweight gold.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 296.

UFC 296 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total closes at $8.1 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 296 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $339,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 296 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 296 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Lucas Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Shamil Gaziev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Martin Buday[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,707,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.