Tag: Bryce Mitchell

UFC’s Bryce Mitchell eager for opportunity to avenge Ilia Topuria loss: ‘I’ve never folded like that’

Bryce Mitchell is adamant that he’d put on a much better showing if he ever gets to run things back with Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is adamant he’d put on a much better showing if he ever gets to run things back with [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Mitchell (16-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) was dominated in a submission loss to Topuria last December at UFC 282. He later revealed that he was not 100 percent healthy. The loss to Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) marked Mitchell’s first-career setback.

Mitchell said he battled Topuria with the flu and would love to get that loss back. Topuria challenges featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on Feb. 17, and although Mitchell thinks Volkanovski wins, he’d rather fight Topuria for the belt once he gets there.

“I want that one all day, because that was my worst performance of all time,” Mitchell told Michael Bisping in an interview. “Even my backyard fights, I’ve never had a fight that bad. I’ve never fought that bad, I’ve never folded like that, I’ve never been able to not breathe and not move like that and, man, it just makes me mad. I know I could do better, but I don’t think people realize how much better I could do than that.”

After losing to Topuria, Mitchell rebounded with a decision win over Dan Ige this past September. He steps in on 10 days’ notice against Josh Emmett in Saturday’s UFC 296 featured prelim, an opportunity he called a blessing.

Those dubbing his post-fight remarks after losing to Topuria as an excuse only motivate Mitchell.

“It gives me that fuel, and I feel like I’ve been living a righteous life, and I’ve been working, and I deserve to perform better than I did that night,” Mitchell said. “I feel I’m going to get to vindicate myself.”

UFC 296 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

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

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Dec. 4-10)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Dec. 4-10.

Bryce Mitchell steps into UFC 296 vs. Josh Emmett on short notice

Enter Bryce Mitchell into the UFC 296 mix, replacing Giga Chikadze against Josh Emmett in an important featherweight bout.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is stepping in short notice.

With [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] out due to a groin injury, Mitchell (16-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) inserts into the lineup opposite [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in a featherweight contender prelim. The fight takes place as part of UFC 296 on Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The promotion announced the change Wednesday.

Mitchell, 29, bounced back from a submission loss to Ilia Topuria when he defeated Dan Ige by unanimous decision in September.

Emmett, 38, looks to snap a two-fight losing skid. He most recently competed in June in a lopsided unanimous decision outing to Topuria. Prior to that, Emmett lost an interim title bout against Yair Rodriguez by submission.

With the change, the UFC 296 lineup includes:

  • Champ Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – for welterweight title
  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell
  • Irene Aldana vs. Karol Rosa
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Brian Kelleher
  • Ariane Lipski vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Martin Buday vs. Shamil Gaziev
  • Cody Durden vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov

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

Diego Lopes hopes to fight Bryce Mitchell on path to UFC featherweight title: ‘I love that matchup’

Diego Lopes isn’t trying to get ahead of himself, but he hopes to cross paths with Bryce Mitchell after UFC 295.

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] is not trying to get ahead of himself, but he does want to throw certain things out in the universe.

The UFC featherweight returns to the cage Nov. 11 at UFC 295, and he has a tough test in Pat Sabatini. Yet, despite having a date and opponent on the horizon, Lopes (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is not afraid to mention other names he’d like to face as he makes his way to the UFC featherweight title. He’s by no means underestimating Sabatini (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC), but he wants to let the world know he’s interested in fighting [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] down the line.

“I have a few names in the rankings that I want to fight,” Lopes told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “One of them, and I’ll mention him because I love that matchup, and that’s what I want, the toughest fights: A fight against Bryce Mitchell for me would be very good, and it would motivate me a lot. He’s a fighter that has good wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I want those type of fights. I want fights that bring out the best in me.”

Lopes is coming off a first-round submission win over Gavin Tucker in August. It was his first win in the octagon, as he had lost a decision to Movsar Evloev in his UFC debut – a fight he accepted the week of the event.

The Lobo Gym fighter hopes to get in the rankings with a win at UFC 295 and begin to target the ranked names like Mitchell.

“I plan to win my fight on Nov. 11 and hopefully get in the rankings,” Lopes explained. “I already checked the guys who are in the top 15, and a lot of these fighters are coming off losses. I’m not wishing bad on them, but maybe I can take someone’s spot in the rankings. Then, next year, do at least three fights minimum and against good, quality contenders and then towards the end of 2024 or early 2025 be considered as a title contender. That’s my plan.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Sept. 26: Bryce Mitchell reaches top 10

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, which saw key moves at lightweight and featherweight.

UFC Fight Night 228 in Las Vegas was the source of a few moves in this week’s rankings update.

In the main event, [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag] picked up a win over Rafael Fiziev, albeit an anticlimactic one by TKO due to injury. Regardless, a win is a win, and Gamrot climbs to No. 7, taking Fiziev’s old spot.

In the co-feature, Bryce Mitchell scored a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige. Mitchell entered the bout at No. 12, and now settles into his new ranking at the No. 10 slot.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

mmaBay: UFC, Bellator, MMA eBay collectible sales roundup (Sept. 24) with a spooky Bryce Mitchell connection to the number 23

From autographs and memorabilia to trading cards, check out the priciest and most unique MMA collectibles sold on eBay in the past week.

Sports collectibles like trading cards, autographs and other memorabilia have been big business for decades. With MMA, it’s no different.

From signed Bellator gloves and UFC posters to fight-worn gear and an abundance of pricey trading cards, just about any MMA collectible fans are looking for has popped up for sale at some point.

Here’s a look at not only some of the priciest MMA collectibles sold on eBay in the past week, but some of the most fun and interesting, as well – including a [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] trading card that sold for 23 cents.

That leaves The Blue Corner wondering just what Mitchell’s connection is to the number 23. The earth’s axis, for example, is tilted at a 23-degree angle, which runs contrary to Mitchell’s assertion that the earth is flat. Or how about the fact Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times when he was assassinated? What is Bryce Mitchell’s connection to that?

Then there is all the numerology connections. Mitchell was born in October 1994 – 10/94, and 10+9+4=23. He most recently fought 9-23-23 – and 9-23 is a known code by the writers of “The Simpsons” for years prior to when Mitchell chose to fight on that date. That dated code, now connected to Mitchell through his fight, has been rumored to be a signal to the liberal Hollywood elite from a show that often mocks organized religion. What is Mitchell hiding by fighting on that date?

He also has fought on Jan. 23, 2016, and won his fight, and March 23, 2019 – when he won and also got a $50,000 bonus, money that has been tied to the 23 numerology for more than four years. Mitchell has only fought in 6 different states in his MMA career: 2×3=6. And if that wasn’t all enough evidence, the total number of letters in “earth is round, gravity real” is … yup: 23.

You judge for yourself, but it’s certainly something to think about.

Trust no one.

(“Something-something-something if they can’t take a joke …”)

‘Inbred hillbilly’ Bryce Mitchell wants to own a farm with Sean O’Malley, teach him about Jesus and the flat earth

Bryce Mitchell would like to spend some time with UFC champ Sean O’Malley to make an impression on him.

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] got back in the win column at UFC Fight Night 228 this past Saturday, but no one’s going to be talking about that now.

The talk was about his post-fight mic time and his Bible-raising call for “Freedom!” during his introduction. He dug his heels in Monday with a response on Instagram and apology to UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley for some past comments.

Self-proclaimed “inbred hillbilly” Mitchell’s monologue moved to farming, how he’ll prove to O’Malley the earth is flat, which will help him have his come-to-Jesus moment, and how he wants to own a farm with the UFC bantamweight champion. We could transcribe it and let you read the madness, but why not just take a look and listen.

Watch the video below:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxnslYOrzLl/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ%3D%3D

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4 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 228: Mitchell’s troubling behavior and the legitimacy of Gamrot’s win

Analysis of the biggest UFC Fight Night 228 storylines, from Bryce Mitchell’s post-fight scene to the legitimacy of Mateusz Gamrot’s win.

What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 228 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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UFC Fight Night 228 post-event facts: Michelle Waterson-Gomez TKO’d after 14 years

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 228, including the end of Michelle Waterson-Gomez’s more than 14-year run without a TKO loss.

The UFC put a bow on its September schedule and a run of 17 straight weeks of events on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 228, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After a card with a handful of highlights, the lightweight main event ended in disappointing fashion when Rafael Fiziev (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) suffered a knee injury that ended the fight prematurely, giving Mateusz Gamrot (23-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) the TKO victory.

For more on the numbers from the card, check out MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 228.

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UFC Fight Night 228 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Tim Means’ $21,000 leads card

UFC Fight Night 228 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 228 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $164,500.

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 Fight Night 228 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 228 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]A.J. Fletcher[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dan Argueta[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Andre Fialho[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jacob Malkoun[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mizuki Inoue[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Montserrat Rendon[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,000

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 2281 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: $6,294,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $20,883,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228.