Bryce Mitchell says his financial situation led to him fighting Ilia Topuria, despite having the flu.
Mitchell faced Topuria in a pivotal featherweight bout in the main card opener of UFC 282, and things did not go well for “Thug Nasty”. Topuria controlled the action from the opening bell and ran roughshod over Mitchell before finishing him in the third round with an arm-triangle choke. Mitchell revealed that he had the flu a week prior to the fight. Mitchell then spoke with ESPN about why he took up the fight.
“I was jacked up,” Mitchell said. Mitchell said, “That was not me at my best. There were many circumstances. People don’t really see all the stuff that the fighter is contemplating before the fight, what the factors are, this and that, and I just don’t think I was at my best.
“Honestly, I had a couple thousand bucks in my bank account, and they told me that, ‘If you don’t take this fight, we’re not finding you one until February We’re booked.’ So it’s like, you can live off a couple thousand bucks in your bank, or you can fight December 10, and if not, f*** off until February. So I said, you know what, I don’t want to live off a couple thousand bucks until February, and I would’ve made it. Although I was able to scrape by, and perhaps I should, at that time I believed I would win. To kick someone’s ass, I believed I was just going to get the flu. It was not true. I wasn’t able to kick ass the night .”
Fighter compensation has been a growing topic in MMA in recent years. Mitchell isn’t the only one who finds fighting a difficult way to make ends meet. Mitchell says that he is not unhappy with the UFC’s compensation, despite what has happened.
” I didn’t need to [fight],” Mitchell. Mitchell said, “I was not dying to make the money. It was possible. It would not have meant that I was starving to death. All my bills would be paid. But then, I kept wondering, “What if they say a fight is in February but it does not happen in February?” There was uncertainty. It was unclear to me what would happen if the fight was not won. I knew I was going …
to win.
“Here’s the thing with my money: I invest it. It’s not just a waste. It was my choice to invest it. I knew that I would only have a little bit left and I was expecting that fight to come around — I was expecting to win money too — so I don’t know. It’s not something I am complaining about. It was a significant factor in my decision to move. …
“I’m not mad about my financial situation. Although I am very content and happy with my life, I worried about the possibility of not having enough money in February .”
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Mitchell added that not only was money important in his decision, but personality also played an important role.
“That was one factor making me want to take it, was the money, but it wasn’t the only factor. I also didn’t want to be a b****,” Mitchell said. “I wanted to show that I’m not a b****, and that I showed up and fought when I said that I would, even though I was hurting.
The loss was the first of Mitchell’s professional career and while in the immediate aftermath of the fight he hinted at retirement, Mitchell says that he wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. Mitchell is instead planning to be back in action next year, possibly during the summer.
” I’m likely too anxious to return in because it is probably that my body needs to heal itself,” Mitchell stated. Mitchell said, “It was probably a very serious accident that caused me a lot more brain damage.” It doesn’t seem like it will ever heal, although a few months could help. But I am anxious to prove that I can do better, I’m not going to lie…
” I feel that I can do better. It would be great to show it. But I will wait till I have enough money to fight again. But I’ll be out of money, shoot, it will probably be by summer.”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/6/23541618/bryce-mitchell-is-very-happy-ufc-admits-financial-situation-a-factor-fighting-at-ufc-282-with-flu?rand=96749
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