UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell recently expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his opponent Josh Emmett after their encounter at UFC 296.
Emmett knocked Mitchell cold in the first round of the UFC’s last pay-per-view of the year. At the three-minute mark, Mitchell collapsed onto the ground as he was hit by Emmett’s right hand.
Shortly after, Mitchell started experiencing convulsions and received care from UFC medical staff.
In a video posted from his Arkansas farm, Mitchell conveyed sincere gratitude towards Emmett for displaying remarkable restraint after the knockout. Mitchell commended Emmett for refraining from potentially fatal follow-up strikes.
Mitchell said: “I wanna let ya’ll know that I am so happy with Josh Emmet. Because right after he knocked me out, he could have followed up with the hammer fists and it probably would have killed me.”
“He didn’t even follow up with anything. He was just happy with his knockout and he walked away. I’m so gracious for that and I’ll forever remember that.”
Mitchell further praised Emmett and his camp, Team Alpha Male. Expressing deep appreciation, Mitchell emphasized the significance of Emmett’s sportsmanlike behavior.
He said: “And I love that whole team, that Alpha Male team, I love every single one of you guys. Thank you for not hitting me extra Josh.”
Mitchell accepted the bout on short notice after Giga Chikadze withdrew due to injury. Despite his recent loss, Mitchell has an impressive record of 16-2.
On the flip side, Emmett made a comeback from a previous defeat to featherweight title challenger Ilia Topuria in June. His victorious knockout against Mitchell at UFC 296 marked his 19th win in his professional career. Emmett’s outstanding performance also earned him the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.
Both combatants maintained their positions in the featherweight rankings following UFC 296. Mitchell is ranked at No. 10, and Emmett at No. 6.