Athletes often express themselves in various ways inside the octagon. Some have signature moves, others have unique celebrations, but UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell chose a different path – bringing his Bible into the cage after his bout, a decision that sparked significant controversy.
Mitchell, an outspoken Christian from Arkansas, revealed during an interview with The MMA Guru that his decision to bring the Bible into the octagon came after soul-searching following his loss to Ilia Topuria.
“I was so upset,” Mitchell explained. “After that fight I just kept asking God, ‘Why did you do that to me? Why did I get sick that week?’ God didn’t make me sick, it was my own pride is why I fell.”
Mitchell described how this moment of reflection led to his controversial decision:
“I was praying with God after the fight and I said, ‘God, I love you so much, I trust you so much, but how can I show the world that I love you more even though I’ve lost?’ And then God put it in my head and he said, ‘You hold that Bible up in front of the world.’ Right there I said, ‘God, I’m going to do it.'”
Notably, Mitchell didn’t seek permission from UFC officials for this display of faith.
“I did not ask permission because I know the answer,”
he stated firmly.
“I don’t care what their answer is. I’m holding that Bible up in front of the world because God told me to in my prayers.”
The backlash was swift and significant. Mitchell faced criticism from various corners of the MMA world and beyond, with many questioning why religious symbols should be displayed in a professional sporting event. Some critics accused him of trying to push his beliefs on others, while others labeled him as “dumb” for his demonstrations of faith.
“I remember you getting backlash not that long ago for holding up a Bible in the Octagon,”
The MMA Guru noted during their conversation.
“I saw a lot of people saying ‘How did they let him do this? Why are they bringing this involved into the fights?’ When you screamed and you led ‘Freedom’ before your fight with Dan Ige, I remember a lot of people going after you for that kind of thing.”
Mitchell’s response was characteristically unapologetic:
“They didn’t let me bring in the Bible, I snuck it in. I didn’t ask nobody. I don’t ask nobody if I can preach anywhere. I preach, and if they want to kill me, they can kill me. But when I want to preach the holy gospel, I will preach the holy gospel. Where I want to bring a Bible, I will bring a Bible. There will be no man that will stop me from taking my Bible wheresoever I want to take it.”
Throughout the interview, Mitchell maintained that his faith is central to his identity both as a fighter and as a person. He believes that the backlash he received is part of a larger societal issue where expression of Christian faith is increasingly met with hostility.
“I will be judged by the Lord, and that’s that,”
Mitchell declared.
“I’m confident in my history, and once again I hate no group of people. You’ll never hear me say that.”
Mitchell prepares for his upcoming bout at UFC 314 against Jean Silva, his commitment to expressing his faith remains unwavering. For Mitchell, his MMA career has become intertwined with his spiritual journey, and despite the criticism, he continues to use his platform to share his beliefs, unafraid of the consequences or backlash that may follow.
