Bryce Mitchell has always been a controversial figure in the MMA world—from pushing flat Earth theories to calling out Elon Musk, ‘Thug Nasty’ certainly lives up to his wild moniker. But after being dismantled by Jean Silva at UFC 314, it looked like Mitchell’s career had taken a nosedive. Now, just a month later, he’s back in training—but it’s his gritty, Rocky-style comeback that has the MMA community doing a double-take.
Mitchell and Silva faced off at UFC 314 in a high-octane battle fueled by controversy. Riding a one-fight winning streak against Kron Gracie, Mitchell entered the Octagon, aiming to defeat the Brazilian. However, what unfolded inside the cage raised serious questions about the featherweight contender, as he was not only defeated but finished within two rounds—Silva securing the victory by submission.
Now, a month later, Mitchell is back to training — but in a rather unconventional way. ‘Thug Nasty’ used one of the dead boars as a heavy bag, with one of his coaches present on-site in Arkansas. From the footage we can witness, Mitchell moving back and forth, punching the dead boar black and blue. The post was without any caption or hashtag, making it a bit more cryptic.
The footage left the MMA community divided, as people shared mixed opinions about the bizarre session. Let’s have a look at what the MMA fans have to say.
Jean Silva and fans roast Bryce Mitchell as he uses a wild boar as a punching bag
To begin with, the attacks were initiated by Jean Silva himself, who took a dig at Bryce Mitchell, “Only this way for you to hit someone!” Speaking of Silva and Mitchell, the duo swapped rankings after their fight—Silva debuted in the featherweight rankings at No. 11, while Mitchell was ousted from the list.
Jean Silva left Mitchell lying on the Octagon canvas after submitting him with a guillotine choke. Mitchell was unconscious for some time before doctors stepped in. Reacting to the scene, a fan said, “Jean Silva did a little too much damage.”After losing the battle, Mitchell released a statement thanking God for coming out of it without any injuries.“I want to thank everybody for their support and let ya’ll know I’m doing just fine,” said Mitchell in his conversation with MMA Fighting.
A social media user expressed concern, urging the fighter to focus on striking their opponent rather than a dead animal, “Big fan of Bryce, but uh brother, an upside down pig doesn’t improve striking.” Moreover, another social media user has asked the featherweight champion to buy a punching bag rather than punching a dead animal, “Bro you could buy punching bag.”
Furthermore, another social media user appeared to be in a playful mood, as he believed, “That’s one way to tenderize.” Last but not least, a fan finally took Bryce Mitchell’s side by citing Rocky’s move to defend his fighter as an example, “Isn’t that what rocky did? Yall didn’t complain.” For those of you who are unaware of the context, Mitchell’s wild boar scene is quite similar to what Sylvester Stallone did in the movie Rocky (1976). The training scene where Rocky Balboa punches the hanging sides of beef in the meat locker was replicated by Mitchell.
Regardless, what are your thoughts on ‘Thug Nasty’s new training? Share your opinion in the comments below.
The post “That’s One Way to Tenderize”: Bryce Mitchell’s Rocky-Esque Training With Jean Silva Sends Fans Into Frenzy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
