Bryce Mitchell explains bantamweight move ahead of Said Nurmagomedov fight at UFC Abu Dhabi 

Bryce Mitchell recently opened up about moving down to bantamweight for his upcoming fight against Said Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi. Mitchell, who aims for a strong resume in the 135-pound division, claimed that he felt weak in his last octagon outing despite being a featherweight.

Mitchell took on Jean Silva in a 145-pound contest earlier this year at UFC 314 and was dominated by the Brazilian, suffering a second-round submission defeat. As per Dana White's latest announcement, 'Thug Nasty' will make his return against Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight bout at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

In a recent interview with James Lynch for Home of Fight, Mitchell revealed that Silva was too strong for him, implying that his energy levels dropped in the second round. As a result, it made him determined to fight at bantamweight.

“I pretty much made up my mind right after this last fight. The guy was so much bigger than me, and I really felt it in the second round. In the first round, obviously I could tell he was bigger and strong, but it was really in the second round where I felt it. I think that I’m a 35er, my weight’s already come down quite a bit since I started dieting. I got this call two weeks ago, I think. So, I’m excited about it. Everything’s going good.”

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Mitchell is currently 2-3 in his last five MMA appearances, having lost to Silva, Josh Emmett, and former champion Ilia Topuria. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

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When Bryce Mitchell discussed his strong return in a post-fight statement

Emerging contender Jean Silva submitted Bryce Mitchell with a stunning ninja choke in the second round at UFC 314 this April.

Following his loss, Mitchell took to social media and issued a statement. He expressed gratitude to God for his well-being and promised to make a strong comeback.

''Thank God, he protected me. I didn’t lose my teeth. I don’t got no broken bones. So I feel good about that. I fought as hard as I possibly could. I couldn’t have fought any harder. I could have fought smarter. I’m going to go make some adjustments but I mean he put me to sleep. I had nothing left to give. I’m happy about that, knowing that I tried my best. But I’ve got to get better. That’s just the lesson learned here, I’ve got to get better.''

Check out Bryce Mitchell's comments below:

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena