Bryce Mitchell made his Bantamweight debut on Saturday with a win against Said Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi.
He picked up the judges’ decision after surviving Nurmagomedov’s attacks and taking charge at the later stages of the game.
Mitchell seemed like he was going to lose at the beginning, when Said controlled the game, throwing punches and leg attacks.
He was very aggressive towards his opponent, opening himself to attacks. There was no tactical call or preparation from him. He just wanted to attack.
He even got a right knee that sent him to the ground. But somehow, he survived.
When his attacks were not clicking, Mitchell decided not to use them again and focused on taking Nurmagomedov to the ground.
This time, he got something right. While he did not choke Said or make him tap out, he maintained a superior position on the ground through the rest of the fight.
Although he was still aggressive, he did not give his Russian opponent any room to attack which was what earned him a unanimous decision (29-28).
Mitchell has been trying to prove that he belongs in the UFC. But he would need to do more than a unanimous decision and an aggressive fight to impress Dana White.
“That was honestly my hardest fight ever. Whatever Dana [White] and Hunter [Campbell] and Sean [Shelby] want, I’m here to do. I never complain,” he said after the match.
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