Bryce Micthell is back.
The Arkansas native, Mitchell, is set to make his first appearance of 2023 against Dan Ige at UFC Vegas 79 in the co-main event this weekend (Sat., Sept. 23, 2023). In doing so, “Thug Nasty” is itching to deliver some firsts in the Octagon.
“It’s been brewin’, the pot’s been stirred, brother,” Mitchell told The Schmo. “We’re cooking up something special on Saturday.
“I can’t ruin the surprise, but something special is gonna happen,” he added. “I hope everybody can watch it on September 23, this Saturday, because I’m gonna make history. Me and Dan are both gonna make history. We’re gonna do something that’s never been done in the UFC before and I’m not gonna ruin the surprise, but trust me, it’s cooking.”
Mitchell, 28, is no stranger to UFC history, as he’s only one of two fighters to have pulled off a successful twister submission, defeating Matt Sayles with the method in December 2019. The Ultimate Fighter 27 (TUF) alum intended on fighting sooner as he was booked against the likes of Jonathan Pearce and Movsar Evloev this past May 2023. Unfortunately, a bizarre shoulder injury forced “Thug Nasty” out of action.
UFC 282 last saw Mitchell in action, suffering his first career defeat (15-1) to Ilia Topuria via a second round rear-naked choke (watch highlights) in December 2022. Topuria has since gone on to become the Featherweight division’s top contender, positioning himself as the likely next in line for the champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Mitchell believes his old foe is rightfully next in line, but hopes to make a push back toward the title starting with Ige
“Him and Ilia would probably be the most entertaining fight,” Mitchell said. “Of course, I want to fight the champ. I’m bias, I want to fight the champ right after this win on Saturday. I go out there and get a finish, it’ll put me pretty close up there, depending on how spectacular the finish [is]. And if somebody gets hurt and they need somebody to fill in, hey, man, that’s me.”
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 79 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.
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