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UFC star Bryce Mitchell will not participate in any contact training for the next several months as he continues to recover from a devastating knockout.
Mitchell suffered a brutal knockout during a Dec. 12 bout with Josh Emmett. The knockout made rounds across the internet partly due to the brutality of the right hand landed by Emmett.
Mitchell's body went into convulsions just second after he fell to the ground. The featherweight was eventually able to regain consciousness, although he did need assistance to make his way out of the Octagon. Mitchell now says he will miss training for at least six months.
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Bryce Mitchell reacts after his victory over Dan Ige in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 23, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Shortly after the scary moment, Mitchell took to social media and expressed gratitude to Emmett for showing some restraint. Mitchell suggested that any additional punches "probably would have killed me."
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The 29-year-old admitted that avoiding contact training for a while would give his body a chance to heal.
Bryce Mitchell enters the Octagon in a featherweight fight during the UFC 296 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
"I'm on my own concussion protocol," Mitchell told ESPN. "I'll consult with my coaches, too, and we're basically just saying, 'You know, don't spar for six months.' I've got to [build a new house] and [expecting my first child], but then I'm right into my next training camp after that. The good thing is that I don't have to rush into it."
Mitchell only agreed to the bout after Emmett's original opponent, Giga Chikadze, was forced to drop out to deal with an injury. He revealed that he also sometimes goes into convulsions when he is resting.
Bryce Mitchell has his hands wrapped prior to his fight during the UFC 296 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
"I do that (convulsions) in my sleep anyway. So, I'm not really worried about that part," Mitchell said. He also noted that he is not feeling any major lingering health-related issues from the hit.
Aside from the physical pain, Mitchell said that the worst part of the ordeal was upsetting his loved ones.
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"The worst part is dealing with everybody afterwards, 'cause they all thought I was dead," Mitchell said.
"Everybody that I knew was crying. On the bright side, that was the easiest fight for me. I've never had a fight where I've come out feeling so great. I just woke up in the ambulance and barely remembered what happened. There's no pain, I'm telling you. But everybody was crying, and they thought I was dead. I'm not exaggerating."
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