Bryce Mitchell has never been one to bite his tongue. But this time, the UFC featherweight may have talked himself into a storm even Dana White couldn’t ignore. During the first episode of his recently launched ‘ArkanSanity Podcast’, Mitchell sent shockwaves through the MMA world. In a controversial rant, ‘Thug Nasty’ praised Adolf Hitler and even denied the Holocaust along with more questionable comments.
The UFC boss wasted no time addressing the remarks. At the Power Slap 11 press conference, he made his stance crystal clear. “We’re beyond disgusted,” White said, calling Mitchell’s statements “probably the worst” he’s ever heard. Usually, White brushes off fighters’ outlandish takes, but this time, he went on a full-scale takedown. So what changed? Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub thinks he knows the answer.
Dana White’s immediate response to Bryce Mitchell’s statements exposed by Brendan Schaub
Brendan Schaub has been around the fight game long enough to know how things work behind the scenes. And in his eyes, White’s reaction wasn’t just about principle—it was also about business. Speaking on Episode 421 of ‘The Schaub Show’ on YouTube, he stated, “For those of you who’ve been following the sport long enough, there’s been some horrible stuff said but Dana’s really never addressed it. Maybe in the post-fight press conference, they’ll bring it up and he’ll be like, ‘that kid’s an idiot’ and then move on.”
But this time was different. White opened his press conference with a full-on assault against Mitchell’s comments. According to Schaub, there’s a reason for that.
The former UFC heavyweight further shared, “Anyone that says this, especially a famous fighter, you want to address it and obviously he stands behind freedom of speech. But you also got to realize who owns the UFC and why he acted so swiftly. The UFC is owned by a Jewish man.”
Schaub’s comments could be referring to Ari Emanuel, CEO and executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings, which has the UFC and the WWE under its umbrella. As such, ‘Big Brown’ made it clear that Dana White wasn’t just protecting free speech. According to him, “There’s been some horrible sh*t said from all the years in fighting and he’s never really mentioned it. The reason he mentioned it this time, you know, the UFC is owned by a Jewish man, so it’s good for business.”
View this post on Instagram
The UFC and Dana White have often taken a hands-off stance when fighters stir controversy. From Conor McGregor’s rants on social media to Sean Strickland’s inflammatory comments, the promotion rarely steps in unless legal trouble looms. This time, however, the backlash was so intense that silence wasn’t an option. But even so, there’s no punishment in store for Mitchell.
Why? During the aforementioned press conference, the UFC head honcho stated, “That’s what everyone wants to hear, about punishment, but it’s free speech, I don’t have to love it, you don’t have to love it, you know.”
Although Bryce Mitchell has since released a statement apologizing for his comments, another UFC star known for his shocking takes and controversial persona believes that ‘Thug Nasty’ is not truly malicious—but rather a victim of his own ignorance.
Sean Strickland has a unique take on the ‘Thug Nasty’ controversy
Sean Strickland, never never one to hold back, weighed in on the firestorm surrounding Mitchell during UFC 312’s media day. With a title rematch against Dricus Du Plessis looming, he still found time to address the headlines. And in classic ‘Tarzan’ fashion, he didn’t mince words.
According to the former middleweight champion, “I don’t think Bryce is a N*zi, I think Bryce is a f**ing idiot from Arkansas who is not educated, and I think Bryce is just feeding into the propaganda. How many people actually agree with him? I don’t.”
Under intense scrutiny, Mitchell also issued a social media apology. But for many, it fell flat. Strickland, however, saw the situation differently. Why? He further shared, “The thing that annoyed me about Bryce is he f**king apologized. If you’re going to be a piece of sh*t, dude, you’ve got to just double down and be a piece of sh*t.”
However, he didn’t excuse Mitchell’s words but framed them as the result of misguided beliefs rather than deep-seated hatred. Strickland acknowledged that Mitchell’s views were dangerous, but he also pointed to a larger issue: the influence of online radicalization.
In the end, the Bryce Mitchell firestorm exposed the fine line between free speech and consequence. Dana White, who often shrugs off fighter controversies, took a rare stand—whether out of personal conviction or business necessity, as Brendan Schaub suggested. Yet, despite the backlash, there was no official punishment, reinforcing the UFC’s hands-off approach. Do you think the UFC and Dana White handled the situation appropriately, or is there more that could have been done? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post The New Face of ‘Free Speech’, Dana White’s Real Reason Behind Bryce Mitchell Outburst Gets Scrutinized appeared first on EssentiallySports.
