Bryce Mitchell has never been afraid to express his opinions, no matter how controversial they may be, such as his ft earth theory. But his new take on the UFC White House event is perhaps one of his most interesting ever.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Speaking at UFC Vegas 118 media day ahead of his short-notice fight against Santiago Luna, Mitchell addressed rumors that ‘Thug Nasty’ didn’t want to be part of the historic White House card. According to the outspoken featherweight, that’s simply not true.
“I don’t remember ever saying that,” he said. “I do want to be on the card. I do. And this is what I got to say. First off, I ain’t jealous of any of those fighters. I am so happy for those fighters. I don’t think you could have got a better main event.
“I’m happy for every single last fighter on that card. If they need me to fill in, if I’m healthy, hey, I’ll do it. For the UFC, I think it’s great. It’s beyond great. It’s literally the perfect scenario.”
However, what followed next is what made the talk so interesting, as Bryce Mitchell admitted that his true problem lies with who is hosting it.
The Arkansas native, who frequently discusses politics and economics outside of fights, believes the federal government is overstepping its intended role by organizing major sporting events.
“But as far as the government, I’m an economics major. I love studying politics,” Mitchell said. “On the political side of things, not the UFC’s business, that is, of course they’re gonna say yes to it, but what I think personally is that our government is desecrating its role in society by entertaining sports.
“Our government is to protect and serve the people, and really should be as minimal as possible.”
Bryce Mitchell believes that the government’s duty is to protect and serve citizens, not to offer entertainment. ‘Thug Nasty’ stated that taxpayer-funded resources should be directed to more pressing issues rather than helping in the staging of sporting events, no matter how historic they may be.
“When you’re doing all of this stuff, hosting sporting events, it’s really outside of what the goal of the government was intended to be because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation,” he continued. “And like I said, I’m not criticizing the UFC. I love Dana White. I love Hunter Campbell. I love Sean Shelby, Nick Maynard. I love all of them.
“It’s an amazing thing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. But the government should never be hosting sporting events because there’s more room for corruption, and we already have a corrupted government. And so that’s my thoughts on it, is that the government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us.”
It’s a viewpoint that contrasts sharply with much of the excitement surrounding UFC Freedom 250. Many fighters have actively campaigned for spots on the card, and fans are counting down the days before the promotion’s debut on the White House lawn.
When everyone else is talking about title fights, celebrity guests, and the spectacle itself, he has managed to shift the conversation to a whole new topic. Given his track record, it’s likely that this will not be the last controversial opinion he shares before fight night arrives.
Just like Sean Strickland, who too is going all out on the UFC and whose ban from the event itself had ‘Thug Nasty’ drawing comparisons between Donald Trump and Darth Vader.
Bryce Mitchell speaks on the UFC banning Sean Strickland
Bryce Mitchell’s concerns about the White House event didn’t stop with government involvement. When asked about Sean Strickland’s claims that he had been effectively banned from attending UFC Freedom 250, ‘Thug Nasty’ stated that he was not surprised by the scenario at all.
In fact, he saw the controversy as part of a much larger debate over free speech and political criticism. According to Mitchell, one of the things that makes America unique is the ability to openly criticize governments and public figures without fear of punishment. That’s why he found the situation with Sean Strickland difficult to understand.
“I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “I mean, it, you know, freedom of speech is what really makes this country great, and when you can’t criticize a foreign nation, a foreign nation, come on, man, we ought to be able to criticize our own nation, let alone a foreign nation.
“You know, so uh, something’s gonna change because evil empires don’t last forever. There’s always a rebellion. You ever seen Star Wars? That’s what’s gonna happen, bro. Darth Vader’s gonna get took down.”
Whether fans agree with the parallel or not, Bryce Mitchell’s words add another layer to the ongoing UFC White House debate. And, with Sean Strickland already promising to travel to Washington and stage a peaceful protest outside the event, this story appears unlikely to go away anytime soon.
