Bryce Mitchell’s rise in the UFC wasn’t quiet. He came in strong and made a name for himself quite quickly. Back in The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated Finale, he showed people he could in fact fight his heart out and that he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind either. That mix of verbose nature and fighting ability made him stand out among an array of fighters. Sure, not everything’s been smooth since then. He’s had his highs and a few lows too. But he’s still here and a very recognizable persona.
After suffering a brutal knockout from Josh Emmett at UFC 296, Mitchell bounced back with a solid win over Kron Gracie at UFC 310. Now, the Arkansas native is set to face Jean Silva at UFC 314 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. But before the fight, it’s worth taking a closer look at him, especially the story behind his nickname, ‘Thug Nasty,’ a moniker that stands out just as much as his fighting style.
Why is Bryce Mitchell called ‘Thug Nasty’?
Mitchell never gave a clear explanation for his nickname ‘Thug Nasty.’ But after he submitted Jorge Medina at WSOF 27, with a rear-naked choke, back in 2016, he gave a hint that the name came from how wild he is out on the streets, though he still didn’t go into much detail. Mitchell said at the WSOF interview, “You ain’t seen me on the streets man, I’m straight thug!”
Lotta folks ask about the Nickname. pic.twitter.com/kAl85BqjAC
— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) March 25, 2019
There’s also a good chance that Bryce Mitchell’s nickname ‘Thug Nasty’ also comes from his love for country rap. Besides fighting tough opponents in the cage, he knows how to ride a beat too. He dropped a rap album called ‘Pasture Fire,’ with 7 tracks that mix country life and raw bars that you can find on his YouTube channel. The guy raps about stuff he’s lived—trucks, farms, struggles, and staying real. His rap number is nothing but a story of being himself.
Other unknown facts about Bryce Mitchell
Mitchell isn’t just a UFC fighter. There’s actually a lot more about him that people might find interesting. For starters, he’s from Cabot, Arkansas, a small town with around 25,000 people. However, he’s not the only one from there who made headlines; back in 1982, Terri Lea Britt, who’s also from Cabot, became the first woman from the town to win Miss USA. She even went on to place fourth runner-up in Miss Universe that year.
‘Thug Nasty’ knows how to articulate his words right and he does it well. The way he explains things shows he’s pretty sharp around books, and that makes sense because he’s a college grad. Bryce Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Interestingly enough, that school also produced Willie Robertson from the Duck Dynasty.
The Arkansas native is also no stranger to TV either. He was on Season 27 of The Ultimate Fighter. Daniel Cormier picked him second among the featherweights. Bryce fought his way to the semifinals but ended up getting caught in a rear-naked choke by Brad Katona in the third round. Katona trains at SBG Ireland and went on to win the whole season after beating Jay Cucciniello in the final. Despite the loss, Mitchell got signed into the UFC.
The 30-year-old featherweight contender also has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He’s scored nine of his career wins by submission, which proves he knows how to lock in some nasty chokes. One of Bryce Mitchell’s most impressive moments came at UFC on ESPN 7 when he pulled off a rare twister submission against Matt Sayles in the first round. That made him only the second fighter in UFC history to finish a fight with that move, the first being ‘The Koran Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung against Leonard Garcia in his debut at UFC Fight Night 24.
Mitchell hasn’t won UFC gold yet, but he’s already been a champion. Back in 2017, he won the V3 title by submitting Issac Ware with a rear-naked choke in just 90 seconds. About five months later, he defended that belt against Jose Mariscal and won by unanimous decision.
What do you think about Bryce Mitchell’s ‘Thug Nasty’ moniker and also the various facts around him? Please comment below!
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