Bryce Mitchell has words for Josh Emmett following terrifying knockout loss at UFC 296

Coming through The Ultimate Fighter and later becoming one of the top featherweights in the UFC, the quirky Bryce Mitchell has earned the love of many mixed martial arts fans around the world.

The Arkansas native was within touching distance of a potential title shot but came up short in his last outing. Taking a fight on short notice against a man as dangerous as Josh Emmett proved to be the wrong decision and ‘Thug Nasty’ was on the receiving end of what is being considered one of the most vicious knockouts of the year.

Despite the devastating loss, Mitchell has been gracious in defeat and has now shared some words, thanking Emmett for not causing potentially fatal damage with follow-up shots.

“I want to let you all know that I am so happy with Josh Emmett,” Mitchell said in a video days after losing at UFC 296. “Right after he knocked me out, he could have followed up with the hammer fist and it probably would have killed me.”

“He didn’t even follow up with anything, you know. He was just happy with his knockout and he walked away and I’m so gracious for that. I will forever remember that. Thank you for not hitting me extra, Josh.”

Bryce Mitchell also went on to thank both Dana White and Joe Rogan for looking after him and putting his health first in the aftermath of the bout on Saturday.

Check out the video below.

Thank you @JoshEmmettUFC
God bless you brother

pic.twitter.com/VUPEWLXsxn

— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) December 18, 2023

Related: UFC 296 Bonuses: Karol Rosa and Irene Aldana earn Fight of the Night

What’s next for Josh Emmett after victory at UFC 296?

Josh Emmett has made it clear that he wants to force his way back into the title picture at 145 and is eyeing big matchups to achieve that ambition.

The UFC featherweight division is arguably one of the most stacked in the entire sport so The Team Alpha Male product shouldn’t have a hard time in finding his next opponent.

Having taken almost no damage, Emmett can step back into the cage anytime within the next couple of months and one huge name that has inserted his hat to fight the veteran is Aljamain Sterling.

The former bantamweight champion looks set to make his move up in weight official and recently took to social media to state his interest in matching up against the powerhouse Emmett.

I just weighed out at 166.6 lbs. #JustSaying #FeatherweightFunk

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 5, 2023