‘Evil has taken over’: UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell’s wild Fox News interview

UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell has made a name for himself after a wild Fox News interview went viral with some extraordinary accusations.

UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell said he is “ready to fight” the “evil” that has taken over the United States on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight.

Speaking after his UFC 272 win over Brazilian Edson Barboza, Mitchell gave an extraordinary rant where he said he'd refuse to fight in the war in Russia and Ukraine.

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“I’m staying at home and when the war comes to Arkansas, I will dig my boots in the ground and I will die for everything I love and I will not retreat,” he said during his UFC 272 press conference.

Right-wing commentator Carlson praised Mitchell for his comments saying: “Maybe none has put the American position as succinctly or expressed it as wisely” than the 27-year-old UFC fighter.

Speaking on the show on Tuesday (US time), Mitchell said it would be “the greatest honour I could every have” to die for his homeland.

He noted Tuesday that unlike himself, many other people refrain from expressing the same sentiment for fear of losing their jobs.

“I’m just not wanting to go waste my life fighting for some of these battles that I don’t even believe in,” Mitchell told Carlson. “I believe our leaders, a lot of these elites are guilty of treason. What they’ve done is just treasonous.”

Bryce Mitchell has delivered an extraordinary interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News. Photo: Twitter

Mitchell has come under scrutiny over his beliefs on mass shootings, which he told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that “the government in a lot of these. They have an agenda, they set up mass shootings and blame the AR-15s.”

He is also outspoken on vaccines, claiming the government “made the damn virus”.

“I think that they infected the people on purpose to cause some type of chaos,” he previously said.

He continued, saying the Biden and Pelosi families profit greatly while taxing Americans “to death”.

“These people are trying to destroy our country because they are profiting off the downfall of our country,” he added. “And if y’all don’t see what’s going on, you are blinded every day.”

After hitting out at Covid restrictions which he said killed small business while big business were bailed out, he added: “We’re tired of this politics crap that’s going on. It’s evil is what’s going on. Evil has (taken) over this nation and we ain’t afraid of it. And we’re ready to fight.”

Mitchell with his team after his UFC 272 win. Photo: David Becker/Getty Images/AFP

Mitchell also said he had people tell him “you need to load your guns up because someone’s going to take you out for what you’re saying”.

“That’s how worried people are about the state of their country,” he said. “They are worried about my health because I’m coming out and speaking the truth. That’s the type of suppression and oppression that we’re living in, brother.”

Me on @TuckerCarlson

pic.twitter.com/ddGdX8ojdn

— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) March 9, 2022

The clip saw plenty of support but many also hit back at the claims, including Republican congressman and former pilot in the Air National Guard Adam Kinzinger.

“Oh my Lord. This is America. By the way ‘I’ll fight when the war comes to Arkansas …’ WHAT??” he tweeted. “The WWII generation would love to slap him I’m sure.

“Way to go @TuckerCarlson. This is a new way to support Putin without being so obvious.

“Side note to this kid, please just stay here and entertain. Nobody is asking you to fight for your country. There are far braver men and women that will do that, even in Arkansas.”

Actor Patrick Gallagher added: “What ridiculous BS … Keep parroting Putin’s talking points you seditious a**hat.”

Mitchell at his day job. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

CBS’ Luke Thomas opined: “MMA fighters getting widened exposure with major conservative media outlets is interesting. From the media side, it’s almost certainly driven not merely by its ideological symmetry, but as a way to push back against the kind of athlete activism they reject on progressive causes.”

MMA author Jonathan Snowden replied: “When they say they want to keep politics out of sports, they just mean politics they don’t agree with.”

The Washington Post’s Philip Bump added: “If you want to see how right-wing misinformation gets carefully curated into a near-existential anti-elite worldview, look no further than the elevation of UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell.”

This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

Originally published as ‘Evil has taken over’: UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell’s wild Fox News interview