Josh Emmett has seen the knockout he delivered to Bryce Mitchell countless times, but this spectacular finish has recently gained renewed attention.
Earlier this year, Bryce Mitchell faced significant backlash when he used his new podcast to express sympathy for Nazi ideologies, defending Adolf Hitler and denying the Holocaust. His statements sparked widespread condemnation, including UFC CEO Dana White, who criticized Mitchell sharply, calling him “literally one of the dumbest human beings.”
While White voiced strong disapproval of Mitchell`s views, he stated he would not punish the fighter. Instead, he suggested that those who disliked Bryce Mitchell would have the satisfaction of potentially seeing him defeated on television.
Subsequently, Emmett`s devastating one-punch knockout of Mitchell at UFC 296, which resulted in Mitchell losing consciousness, once again became a viral sensation.
“I noticed he was trending, and naturally, I see everything he says on podcasts and similar platforms,” Emmett told MMA Fighting. “People were tagging me, saying, ‘Josh, you did this to him.’ As I’ve always said, in my personal interactions with Mitchell, including seeing him in Vegas last week, he has always treated me with respect. I reciprocate how people treat me. He’s been respectful to me, so I am respectful to him.”
“However, I do believe that because of some of the things he has said, he needs to be more mindful of his words, considering the large platform he has.”
Although he didn`t issue a direct apology, Mitchell later acknowledged that Hitler “did a lot of evil things” and admitted that “many people died in the Holocaust, which is a fact.”
This concession has not erased the impact of his earlier remarks, and Emmett recognizes that his former opponent may never fully escape the repercussions of these comments. This context is why the knockout has resurfaced as a talking point.
Emmett was even reminded of an old fan Q&A he participated in years ago, which was rediscovered following Mitchell`s podcast controversy.
“It’s quite surreal,” Emmett mentioned. “I did an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit, I believe about six years ago, and someone asked me who from any period in history I’d like to fight. I responded that I’d love to fight Hitler and knock him out. Somehow, the internet found this, connected it all, and it went wild.”
“The internet is undefeated. It’s what reignited interest in that knockout. He’s never going to hear the end of it.”
Despite condemning Mitchell’s earlier statements, Emmett harbors no personal animosity towards him, as they have maintained a cordial relationship. He doesn’t feel the need to manufacture any artificial conflict between them now.
The knockout itself was likely to be a lasting memory for Mitchell, but its renewed virality makes it inescapable at this point.
If anything, Emmett wishes the UFC would capitalize on this moment more.
“It’s constant,” Emmett explained. “No matter what I post on X, or when they share the GIF, people are making different edits, and I do feel for Bryce. I know he sees it. Every time he posts something, people tag me in it. This has been going on for 14, 15 months. I see posts about it every day, or every other day.”
“But for some reason, the UFC isn’t promoting that knockout. They show everyone else’s knockouts except for that one. I’m left wondering why. I guess the internet will just have to keep making it viral.”
Emmett, who is set to fight Lerone Murphy in the main event at UFC Vegas 105 this Saturday, is unsure why the UFC hasn’t given more attention to the knockout. He speculates that the dramatic nature of Mitchell`s collapse and the time he remained on the canvas might be a factor.
Nevertheless, Emmett wishes his knockout could be showcased alongside other iconic UFC moments, such as Max Holloway’s knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
“I think they could show the knockout, him going down,” Emmett suggested. “Maybe just not show what happened immediately after. When Max had that knockout against Gaethje, it’s on ESPN, it’s everywhere. The world sees it, and they keep showing it repeatedly. My knockout was similar, if not more devastating. Just maybe cut out the part where he’s having that seizure.”
