Bryce Mitchell is set to replace an injured Giga Chikadze in a featherweight matchup against Josh Emmett at UFC 296 on Dec. 16.
Bryce Mitchell is set to step into the ring one more time before the year wraps up. This Arkansas native is stepping up to the plate to replace Giga Chikadze, who’s unfortunately injured.
Chikadze was all set to face off against Josh Emmett in a featherweight matchup on Dec. 16 at UFC 296. However, an injury forced him to back out. The UFC made the official announcement on Wednesday night, following an initial report by X user MagicM_MMABets.
Chikadze’s injury? A torn groin during training. And it wasn’t just a rumor. He even posted a video on social media showing the exact moment he got injured. Tough luck.
Now, enter Bryce Mitchell, 29, who’s stepping into this pay-per-view bout on less than two weeks’ notice. No pressure, right? Mitchell, also known as “Thug Nasty”, is a force to be reckoned with. He’s a smothering grappler who’s won seven out of his eight UFC appearances.
He’s defeated big names like Edson Barboza, Andre Fili, Charles Rosa, and Dan Ige. Mitchell (16-1) is currently ranked as the No. 12 featherweight in the world by MMA Fighting.
On the other side of the ring, we’ve got Josh Emmett, 38. He’s looking to break his first losing streak after suffering back-to-back losses to Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria. The former fight was even for the UFC interim featherweight title.
Before these setbacks, Emmett (18-4) had a winning streak of five consecutive victories. He’s defeated Calvin Kattar, Ige, Shane Burgos, Mirsad Bektic, and Michael Johnson. Currently, he’s MMA Fighting’s No. 8 ranked featherweight in the world.
The venue for UFC 296 is the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event features two title bouts, with Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington and Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval headlining.
There’s a poll on who’s going to win. As of now, 61% of the votes are in favor of Bryce Mitchell. That’s 394 votes out of a total of 636. Who’s your money on?