“That wasn’t myself,” Bryce Mitchell assigns blame to THIS for his tough loss Ilia Topuria at UFC 282


“That wasn’t myself,” Bryce Mitchell assigns blame to THIS for his tough loss Ilia Topuria at UFC 282

Ilia Topuria (L) dominating Bryce Mitchell (R) en-route to the latter's loss at UFC 282 [Image Source - MMA Junkie]

Bryce Mitchell is one of the most exciting featherweights right now – despite his recent loss, his personality continues to woo people from all walks of life who happen to have a love for the fight game.

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That being said, Mitchell’s undefeated record (for all intents and purposes) was snatched away by the Germany-born Spanish Ilia Topuria, who looked as good on the ground, as he did on the feet. Before his loss at UFC 282, Mitchell had only been defeated in The Ultimate Fighter, and for that reason, it couldn’t really be asserted that he had a loss at all.

However, Topuria really showed the levels to his game against Mitchell – known as a natural striker, being able to secure such a tight head and arm choke (much like Islam Makhachev’s against Charles Oliveira) won him a plot of plaudits that night. If that wasn’t enough, he battered “Thug Nasty” on the feet for two rounds before finally making him taste the canvas.

In response, Mitchell has said that he wasn’t feeling like his best, saying that he would’ve put on a better showing if not for the flu. He said, “I just wanted to let you all know. I’m home. I wanted to thank you all for the love and support, and I definitely got to let you know that that really wasn’t me out there. I had the flu the week before, and you know, I thought I’d just tough it out.

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He continued, “That wasn’t myself. I trained a lot harder and could’ve performed a lot better, but, you know, I went in there with stuff hurting and not up to 100 percent.” If what Bryce Mitchell is saying is true, and he wasn’t really performing to his best, it still doesn’t take away from Topuria’s excellent performance.

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The road ahead for Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell, after a tough loss against Ilia Topuria

Bryce Michell [Image Source - MMA Mania]
Bryce Michell [Image Source – MMA Mania]

Despite the loss, it isn’t the case that Bryce Mitchell should hang his head in shame. In all honestly, Mitchell got bested by a man who looks like he could give the featherweight and the lightweight divisions serious problems.

The best route for “Thug Nasty” would be to rest up and come back fresh to face another tough battle. At #11 on the rankings, the Arkansas native is neighboured by Movsar Evloev above him, and Sodiq Yusuff beneath him. If the UFC does choose to trust the ever-so-likeable Mitchell, a fight against someone like Giga Chikadze could also make sense.

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Till then, fight fans can expect “Thug Nasty” to stay busy with what he likes doing best – that is, looking after his farm. It wouldn’t be too shabby either if fight fans were to be treated to his exceptional rap skills.

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