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Featherweight star Bryce Mitchell’s momentum was derailed at UFC 282 courtesy of Ilia Topuria, and the American reacted to the loss a few days later.
Mitchell and Topuria battled during the UFC 282 pay-per-view opener on December 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mitchell entered the Octagon with a 15-0 professional mixed martial arts record, with his only blemish being a loss to Brad Katona in an exhibition bout during “The Ultimate Fighter” season 27 in 2018. Further, “Thug Nasty” held the No. 9 spot in the promotion’s stacked 145-pound division.
But, unfortunately for Mitchell, he ran into a hammer in the form of Topuria, another unbeaten combatant. Topuria improved his record to 13-0 by bludgeoning Mitchell on the feet and later, finding an arm-triangle choke in the third frame.
When the rankings update this week, Topuria will most likely surge into the top 10 of featherweight.
Mitchell Said He Had the Flu Going Into UFC 282, ‘Really Wasn’t Me Out There’
Mitchell posted a video via social media on Monday of himself sharing an update with his fans. According to Thug Nasty, he had developed the flu ahead of his contest with the Spanish fighter. Mitchell said that he wasn’t “100 percent” which led to his underwhelming performance.
But, Thug Nasty promised he’d be back better than ever.
“Hey I just wanted to let y’all know I’m feeling just fine,” Mitchell said in the video. “I’m home and I wanted to thank y’all for all the love and support. And I definitely got to let you know that it really wasn’t me out there. You know, I had the flu the week before and you know I thought I’d just tough it out. And I didn’t feel good at all in there. That wasn’t myself and I trained a lot harder and could have performed a lot better.
“But, I went in there, you know, (with) stuff hurting and not up to 100%. Like I said, I had the flu and I wish I wouldn’t have even took the fight. But I didn’t know it would mess me up that bad, so I thought I’d be able to hang in there for all three rounds because that’s what I train for. I train for my cardio to be there the whole time and it wasn’t even there one bit of the time.
“So, I’ll come back stronger. I just hate going out on that one like that. But, I will be better, I will be alright. Thank y’all.”
Mitchell’s 6-Fight Octagon Streak Came to an End on Saturday Night
Mitchell is one of the fastest-rising featherweight stars in the organization, and he came into UFC 282 riding a six-fight win streak as a UFC athlete. His biggest career win came in March when he bested Brazilian veteran Edson Barboza by unanimous decision at UFC 272.
He also boasts wins over the likes of Andre Fili, Charles Rosa and Matt Sayles.
For Topuria, Mitchell is the most high-profile victory of his Octagon tenure. His submission over Thug Nasty was his fourth finish in a row, and he holds notable victories against Jai Herbert, Ryan Hall and Damon Jackson.
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Hyped UFC Fighter Bryce Mitchell Shares Regret After Devastating Loss