UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell has said that he believes Ilia Topuria is beatable - even if he wasn't able to get the job done when they fought.
As we know, Ilia Topuria is an absolute monster, and he's one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts today. He is a two-weight world champion in the UFC, and somehow, it feels like he's only just getting started. 'El Matador' has managed to knock off some huge names across his last few fights but prior to that, he also fought some decent competition at featherweight.
That includes Bryce Mitchell, at a time when both men were rising up through the ranks pretty quickly. In the end, it was Ilia Topuria who got the better of their exchanges, eventually securing a submission win.
Ahead of his return to the cage this weekend, Bryce Mitchell spoke to reporters about Ilia Topuria and the possibility of him facing Islam Makhachev.
Bryce Mitchell’s view on Ilia Topuria
"If Islam gets on top of him, he's in trouble," Mitchell told MMA Junkie and other reporters during Wednesday's media day. "He (Topuria) hits harder and better, and is just more precise at punching than Makhachev. That's why he's got so many knockouts. You tell Arman I was as sick as a dog in that fight, and if it was a proper fight – I should have let the fans know I probably shouldn't have took the fight. Anyways, I won't fight sick again.
"That's the one fight that bothers me to this day. I can't believe I let my pride get the best of me, and I took that fight. But yeah, if Arman gets him down, he'll do great. What's great about Ilia is his shot selection, and he doesn't waste his energy. He's very, very good at conserving his energy, but he is not unbeatable, bro. I blacked his eye on a night when I didn't have no power in my arms. If I had gone in there healthy, he'd have two black eyes."
Quotes via MMA Junkie