Bryce Mitchell secured a decisive victory over Dan Ige in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 79, marking a triumphant return to the win column. After his win, Mitchell made a striking statement by bringing the Bible into the Octagon. He then yelled the word “freedom” into the Octagon.
Mitchell went on to assert that Satan had exerted influence over Earth, singling out the Hawaiian fires as evidence. He also expressed his desire to pray with Ige, prompting varied reactions from the audience.
In the aftermath of this unconventional display, many fans questioned why Dana White and the UFC would let Bryce Mitchell carry the bible into the Octagon. When questioned about it after the Contender Series, Dana White expressed that he had no issues with it.
Talking about Mitchell’s actions, he said: “I got no reaction. You know how I am here, whatever you’re into man. There’s no muzzles here. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, whatever you think, we’ve heard it all, seen it all, well, we think we have, who knows what’s next. But, this is one of those places where you say what you feel and say what you want and it’s all good with me.”
This is in stark contrast to what White said a couple of years ago:
“You said, I don’t believe in God, the devil, ghosts or any of that. Exactly. I don’t like religion. I think religion is dangerous. All religion is dangerous. I think it’s scary and it’s dangerous. And I think it’s all bad and it should probably all go away. You can believe in whatever you want to believe in and life in the afterlife.”
Further, in 2015 after Yoel Romero made an interesting speech in the cage White detailed he’d prefer if his athletes left religion at home:
Dana White suggests stars avoid discussing religion in the cage, emphasizing that fans want to hear about the event.
“America doesn’t want to hear your thoughts on Jesus. Keep that stuff at home; religion, politics, all that stuff. When you’re out there fighting and you’re being interviewed, they want to hear about the fight,” White said.
Despite the unconventional post-bout rhetoric, Bryce Mitchell exhibited a commendable performance at UFC Vegas 79. This bout marked his first appearance since a resounding defeat by Ilia Topuria last December, during which he talked about retiring.
Mitchell’s professional record now stands at an impressive 16-1, with a UFC record of 7-1.
The future for Bryce Mitchell remains uncertain. But Dana White harbored no ill feelings about his remarks after the bout, even if some fans found them peculiar.