A terrifying knockout and a full-body shake? They thought I was dead, admits Bryce Mitchell after tough finish and looks for a long break

In mid-December, the last UFC gala was held. It offered a great spectacle, but also one scary moment. Josh Emmett brutally knocked out Bryce Mitchell, whose health everyone was worried about afterwards. How does the 29-year-old feel about the moment?

Bryce Mitchell is one of the best the UFC featherweight division has to offer. He may have lost two of his last three fights, but those are the only defeats of his career and they were against tough opponents. He was first defeated by title challenger Ilia Topuria and experienced slugger Josh Emmett.

In addition, Mitchell took his duel with Emmett just a few days beforehand. A big risk given his experience and qualities. But at the same time it was also a great chance to move up in the rankings and take care of an interesting surprise.

The 29-year-old American didn’t get anything in the match. At 1:57 it was all over when his opponent sent him not only to the ground with a hard shot, but also to dreamland. Mitchell was out immediately. He took the punch full on.

To make matters worse, footage of Mitchell’s body shaking after the knockout went around the world. An absolutely terrifying moment that had many fans fearing not only for his health, but for his life.

Mitchell reacts to devastating UFC KO

“The worst part about the knockout was how I had to deal with the fact that everyone thought I was dead. Everybody I knew was crying,” Bryce Mitchell expressed to ESPN.

“On the other hand, it was the easiest fight for me. I’ve never felt so good in a fight. I just wokeup in the ambulance afterwards and barely remembered what happened,” added the UFC fighter, who, among other things, thanked his opponent for not adding more punches that probably could have actually killed him.

Just by the way the UFC approaches fighter health, it was to be expected that Bryce would be facing a longer layoff. However, he’s taking the situation into his own hands and thankfully isn’t rushing into anything himself.

“I have to build a new house, I’m having my first child. Then I’ll go back to training camp. It’s great that I don’t have to rush. I’ve already talked to my coaches. I won’t even be pairing for about six months,” Mitchell is clear.

Interestingly, though, he’s basically downplaying the full-body tremors. He says he normally has a similar thing in his sleep, so it doesn’t scare him. Instead, he launches into a critique of the Nevada Athletic Commission, which, by all accounts, should have taken better care of him medically after the knockout.

Source: MMA Fighting, UFC, Tapology