SUMMARY
- The No 6-ranked Josh Emmett took on No 10-ranked Bryce Mitchell in a featherweight bout on December 16, 2023.
- Bryce Mitchell made a confession about his KO loss against Josh Emmett.
UFC 296 made for an exciting watch on December 16, 2023, bringing a lot of action to the table. Amidst a flurry of finishes and highlight moments, there were some key talking points. Notably, one such moment was Josh Emmett and his thundering KO win over Bryce Mitchell.
Kicking off the main card, #6-ranked Emmett took on #10-ranked Mitchell in a featherweight bout. Stepping in on short notice, Mitchell looked out of place. As such, he was soon sent to the shadow realm with a big overhand right from Emmett. Taking on a power striker like Josh, it was clear that Bryce did not have enough time to set up a good game plan.
Thank you @JoshEmmettUFC
God bless you brother— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) December 18, 2023
Following the fight, there were a lot of health concerns regarding Mitchell. Since then, ‘Thug Nasty‘ has come out, thanking Josh for his self-control. “I wanna let y’all know that I’m so happy with Josh Emmett. Right after he knocked me out, he could have followed up with the hammer fist and it probably would have killed me”. Further, he added, “He (Emmett) didn’t even follow up with anything, he was just happy with his knockout and he walked away, and I’m so gracious for that”.
As it turns out, Mitchell was knocked out cold by his opponent. However, with his body unable to process it, he began having seizures shortly after. Notably, the commentary desk also pointed out Mitchell’s convulsions as well. Fortunately, UFC President Dana White later revealed that the 29-year-old had been given the ‘all-clear’ and dispatched from the hospital as well.
Josh Emmett responds to Bryce Mitchell
As for Josh Emmett, he was also very sad to hear about Bryce Mitchell’s situation after the fight. In the post-fight press conference, the 38-year-old admitted to not knowing the gravity of the situation at first. However, he then wished Mitchell the best, and a speedy recovery as well. Notably, some fans pointed out Emmett‘s hypocrisy in this instance.
Just after knocking out his opponent, Josh could be seen screaming down at Mitchell before wheeling away to celebrate. Here, he also hit a backflip out of joy, having snapped his two-fight losing streak. In Josh’s defense, he has been knocking people into different dimensions throughout his career, so it is possible that he may have missed Mitchell having a seizure. With that said, ‘CC0’ could soon be seen calming down with his celebration thereafter.
JOSH EMMETT PUTS BRYCE MITCHELL TO SLEEP 😱😱😱 #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/bqdkSZSzw7
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
Following Bryce’s comments, the Team Alpha Male athlete also reached out with a response. “Class act!!! Wish the sport had more fighters like @ThugnastyMMA“. For the most part, Emmett is one of the hardest hitters in featherweight history, with terrifying one-punch power in either hand. Despite this, he has always been a humble person and a very respectable human being.
As for the future, the 38-year-old finds himself out of immediate title contention, and his time in the sport is slowly running out. Thus, many will agree that Emmett possibly has one more run at the title left in him. For now, experts would suggest Josh Emmett take on Giga Chikadze, a fight that materialized in the past. In the meantime, the top of the division would clear up, allowing Josh to pick the best fight, which would grant him a title shot.