Bryce Mitchell doesn’t think UFC Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is unstoppable.
“Thug Nasty” faced off with the rising Spaniard back in December 2022. At the time, Mitchell was a hyped prospect as well, 15-0 and riding a quality win streak that saw him break into the Top 10. Unfortunately for the Arkansas native, Topuria dominated the contest, bloodying Mitchell up en route to a second-round tapout win.
It was a one-sided loss, but in hindsight, Mitchell’s performance isn’t so bad. He actually landed a few counter shots and a takedown in the first — he did better than Charles Oliveira! Maybe the grappler laid the groundwork for Lightweight wrestlers like Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan to build from? Mitchell insists that Topuria is not unbeatable, and he swears he would have done better in their bout if not stricken by illness.
“If Islam gets on top of him, he’s in trouble,” Mitchell explained when asked about how Ilia Topuria would fair against top Lightweight wrestlers. “[Topuria] hits harder and better and more precise than Makhachev. That’s why he’s got so many knockouts.”
He continued, “If Arman gets him down, he’ll do great. What’s great about Ilia is his shot selection, and he doesn’t waste his energy. But he is not unbeatable bro. I blacked his eye on a night when I didn’t have no power in my arms. If I had gone in there healthy he’d have two black eyes.”
Mitchell is unlikely to ever get a chance at revenge, as the duo are now two full weight classes apart. Mitchell is scheduled to make his Bantamweight debut this weekend (Sat., July 26, 2025) at UFC Abu Dhabi opposite Said Nurmagomedov. As for whether or not Topuria can handle elite Lightweight wrestlers like Tsarukyan and Makhachev, we’ll find out sooner than later.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
