Recently, featherweight Bryce Mitchell has publicly challenged UFC champion Ilia Topuria to a debate. It is not about combat techniques or championship aspirations, but about whether the Earth is flat.
Mitchell, known for his unorthodox views outside the octagon, took exception to Topuria’s dismissal of flat Earth theories during the champion’s appearance on the PBD podcast.
“The champion Ilia Topuria basically calls me a fool for believing that the Earth is flat,” Mitchell said in a video that quickly circulated across social media. “Ilia, remember you’re not arguing with me about flat Earth—you’re arguing with God.”
Mitchell, citing numerous biblical references, claimed the Bible provides evidence that the Earth is flat, referencing Genesis and its mentions of “the firmament” nine times on its first page.
“Since you believe NASA, you believe your indoctrinated education from school, and you believe that over the word of God, even though you say you’re a Christian,” Mitchell continued, directly addressing Topuria.
The Arkansas native proceeded to cite various biblical passages including Psalms 104:5, Psalms 96:10, and First Chronicles 16:30, which he interprets as evidence that the Earth “shall not be moved,” contradicting modern understanding of planetary motion.
Mitchell specifically challenged Topuria to debate “the shape of the Earth according to the Bible and without referencing any NASA or any garbage that you learned in your indoctrinated school system.”
“How about instead of talking bad about me, Ilia, you get into that word of God, do what a real Christian man should do,” Mitchell concluded in his challenge to the champion.
This unusual callout comes as Mitchell prepares for his bantamweight debut against Said Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi, following his submission loss to Jean Silva at UFC 314.
Topuria has yet to respond to this challenge.
