Short notice or not, Bryce Mitchell is ready to make a statement in his next fight.
It’s a rather quick turnaround for the #10 ranked UFC Featherweight, who last defeated Dan Ige back in September. Mitchell answered the call to collide against a full-camp Josh Emmett at UFC 296 with only 10 days to prepare.
Mitchell Feels ‘Really Lucky’ To Be Fighting Emmett
While the circumstances could be better for him, ‘Thug Nasty’ is just thankful to be fighting another top contender in 2023.
“I just got really lucky, and that’s really all that there is to it,” Mitchell told Michael Bisping. “This is the first time I’ve been presented with an opportunity of a short notice fight as far as what I can remember. Maybe they did in the past. And I said, no, I can’t remember any offers of one, but it just really made the most sense.
“He is just durable. He’s proven. He’s fought a lot of great opponents. That’s what also makes it— you can’t argue it. When I beat this guy, if I beat this guy, I’m proven. You’ll know it by the results. The results will speak for themselves and it can’t be denied. So, that’s why I’m excited about this matchup.”
‘I’m The Best… I’m Just Trying To Convince Everybody Else Of That’
With wins over the likes of Dan Ige, Edson Barboza and Andre Fili, Mitchell wants people to put respect on his name. The Arkansas-native believes that credit will come ‘eventually’, especially if he gets the job done against the #6 ranked Emmett.
“Even Barboza, Edson Barboza— I’ve never seen anybody kick that hard and that fast in my life. Never, never, never. I’ve never seen it. Never in sparring. Nothing. I scrape by, beat a guy like Edson, you don’t hear nothing. It’s crickets. You know? It’s like they act like it never happened. I’m telling you, eventually people are gonna realize I can fight with the best, I can beat the best. I believe I’m the best. I’m just trying to convince everybody else of that.”
“I’m just gonna go for it,” Mitchell continued. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity. This is the biggest opportunity I’ve had, and I’m just gonna go for it. I’m gonna fight with no fear. I’m gonna fight to the best of my ability, and I know this.”
‘I’ve Been Praying On This’
Mitchell, who brought out a Christian Bible to the Octagon his last time out, believes this short-notice fight is a gift from God.
“I just feel I’m so well prepared that I’m gonna win. That’s just how I feel about it. I believe I know how I’m gonna win and I believe I know what to do and I believe I have that skillset. So, I’m confident and I’m happy. The opportunity came outta nowhere. It was just great… I’ve been praying on this. I’ve been praying, ‘God, give me something, get me outta here, give me something new in my life’. Bam! The call comes.
“After this last fight, I didn’t know what was gonna happen with the next fight. I was just praying, ‘God, please give me something, give me a good matchup. God, give me something that I can progress. Outta nowhere I got this call. So, this is a blessing.”
Catch Bryce Mitchell in action this weekend at UFC 296.
