Bryce Mitchell is adamant that his conflict with Jean Silva leading up to their UFC 314 match is genuine and deeply personal.
Following his recent victory in Seattle, Jean Silva called out Mitchell, and their request was granted, setting up a featherweight clash this Saturday in Miami. While Silva aims to climb the rankings by defeating Mitchell, his motivation extends beyond professional ambition. He seeks to humble Mitchell after the Arkansas fighter made offensive remarks supporting Adolf Hitler and propagated Holocaust conspiracy theories on his podcast.
Silva has escalated the verbal sparring, ridiculing some of Mitchell`s more unconventional beliefs. However, in a statement to MMA Fighting, Silva expressed his expectation that their differences would be resolved in the octagon.
Mitchell, however, believes the animosity runs deeper.
“He professes to love Jesus, yet calls himself ‘Lord’ and his actions contradict his words,” Mitchell stated during UFC 314 media day. “He shows me no respect. Based on my interactions with him, he doesn`t embody the teachings of Jesus because he treats me terribly, and I will say that directly to him. If you are a follower of Jesus, you should treat others with respect, which he fails to do.”
“Jesus’ core commandments are to love God wholeheartedly and to love your neighbor as yourself. Is he treating me with the same respect he affords himself?” Mitchell questioned.
When asked again about the personal nature of the feud, Mitchell responded directly.
“I believe his intentions are malicious, and he will face a harsh reality when he gets his face punched,” Mitchell asserted.
Adding to the unusual narrative surrounding the fight, Mitchell claimed that Silva is responsible for disturbing nightmares he has experienced since their fight was announced.
He clarified that he doesn`t actually blame Silva for these nightmares, but he elaborated on the unsettling experiences.
“I don’t think Jean is directly causing my dreams,” Mitchell explained. “I’m not suggesting witchcraft. What I am saying is that I believe Satan has cast a spell upon me while I sleep. I see hordes of demons and I fight them throughout the night. I strike them down, but they keep coming. I wake up drenched in sweat, and upon returning to sleep, I am then tempted by beautiful women trying to lead me to betray my wife in my dreams. This has been recurring for two weeks.”
“This is not normal for me, it`s unprecedented, and I interpret it as a spiritual attack. I sought prayer from my church, and thankfully, the nightmares subsided after many Christians prayed for me.”
Mitchell is coming off a victory against Kron Gracie last December, a crucial win after a previous knockout loss to Josh Emmett. He now aims to inflict the first defeat on Silva, a Brazilian fighter known for his knockout power, who has finished his first four UFC opponents.
Despite the surrounding drama, Mitchell assures everyone of his preparedness.
“My focus is absolute,” Mitchell stated, adding later, “I am going to personally beat him soundly.”
